The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1874-05-15
S. G..
Friday Morning. May Is. 1874.
A Time for all Things.

other place from the FOrt Hoyal Com
xaercial, containing, as it does, some
truth, and yet not free from miscon-
ception, is we'll worth consideration.
It comes from Republican Who occu-
pies an advanced position in his party;
one 80 advanced, indeed, that very
few stand With him OF it. or if they
should take it, could maintain their
footing against the ignorance, prejudice
and raalice which would assail them.
Like the Union Herald, the Commercial
says some bold things, but their prao-
tioal suggestions are not always in &C.
cord with their teachings. II they go
up one day, they seem to think it me-
cessary to go down the next. So they
are kept on see-saw. and the party
which they might move and enlighten
remains stationary and besotted. It's
broad base of corruption and imbe.
cility is not disturbed by the thunder
ings OF its most enlightened journals.
But this only by the way. What the
Commercial has to say about the apa-
thy of the Conservatives in the State,
they may we'll lay to heart. If they
are really apathetic, when there is so
much to arouse their interest, the les
son or the lecture should not fall upon
unheeding ears. It behooves every
s:nsn who is unwilling to submit to op-
prassion. who feels the infamy of the
!. Radical State Government, and who
is capable of discerning the signs of
. the times, whether he be of the class
known as leaders, or of the rank and
: hle, to throw off the feeling OF indif-
ference about the great issues before
J the country. In this crisis of our
.af1isirs. every man has public duty to
discharge, and we are pleased that our
Republican contemporary has sent
this shaft to prick the conscience and
rouse the manhood of the Conservative
masses.
We might take issue with the state
ment that movements, such as that of
the taxpayers, alleged to have sprung
from the brain of the few, rather than
from the heart of the many, seldom
succeed, because not the uprising of
an agitated people. Everything that
is good in patriotism as we'll as in
philosophy comes from above. But,
not to enter upon the general proposi-
tion involved in the view of our con-
temporary. and which we regard erro-
neous, we are inclined to think that
there is not 80 much apathy among our
people as wise patience. They re-
cognize Themselves to be in peculiar
position. They know. instinctively,
that they hive to deal with a power
behind that of the miserable State
Government, which is far from being
friendly to them. But for this, they
would long ago have taken decisive
steps and throttled the monster which
oppresses them. They remember two
things-the odium brought upon the
State by the Ku Klu1 movements and
WV ohoAooeoA Va tEC 0oucEai SOV6Tu-
ment at Washington. They have,
therefore, to proceed with caution.
They have, first, to prepare public
opinion, by full and candid represent.
Ations Of their condition. It was
mastery stroke of policy to take their
case before the American people.
Compelled TO use the medium of Con.
gress and the Executive, and meeting
with just such opposition as might
have been expected, they have sue
ceeded, nevertheless, in getting hear
ing, and even more than that. The
discussions of the independent press
have shed such light upon South
Carolina affairs that tho miscreants
stand detected in its blaze. The coun-
try has ut last had reflected back upon
it tho results of that policy which it
imposed upon the States of the South.
1t is lasting and important good, not
alone to have aroused tho rank aud
file OF the Republican pnrty, bnt TO
have touched 80 nearly the sense of
justice OF the whole American people.
L.