Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1874-01-30

A lamentable evil among the color
ed people is the facility with which
they allow themselves to be led by po-
litical demagoues, especially by the So
called "carpet-bagger." The fact that
these men represent, in q certain way,
Northern political sentiment, should
not blind lis to the egregious vices of
their character and policy. The fact
that they stand out, among the colored
masses, in contrast with the old "mas-
ters," whose excessive CONSERVATISM"
might endanger the rights and im-
provement of the freedmen, should not
disguise to us the appalling eorruptions
and financial ruin with which they are
devasting whole States, and thereby
forestalling, annihilating, the best
prospects of their colored population.
South Caroliua is absolutely ruined ;
no statesman on earth, no angel in
heaven, can suggest a solution of her
FINANCIAL problem; none seems possi-
BILE but the great crime of "repudia-
tion." And this means simply moral
ruin added to financial ruin. 1t is
paltry logic to say that South Carolina,
as the old leader of disloyslty, deserves
this ruin. What of the hosts of her
black population in that case? She
is, substantially, a Commonwealth of
freedmen; they are her dominantma-
Jorlty. Her ruin is their ruin. By
their needless concession to the Gear
pet -baggers" they and their children,
for indefinite time, are submerged, with
their farless numerous white neighbors,
in a public wreck which is hardly par
allel in the history of civilized govern
ments. We would not here touch up
on political ground foreign to our
sphere; our readers know we'll that onr
political sympathies are on the side Of
the colored race, and Of all men who
legitimately labor for their welfare in
the South. But We know what we af-
firm when We say that the "carpet-bag
politicians are unscrupulously ruining
the cause which they pretend to up
hold. Not a few Of them are men who
were furious secessionists till theircu
ming detected the coming fate of the
Confederacy, when they changed their
politics in time to secure the patronage
of the Government and the favor Of
the freedmen. The latter now have
the control of several States at the bal
lot-box, aud in every one of such States
their leaders have been driving them
to destruction. Official and political
corruption are rampant. The freed
men are cajoled; the leaders are en-
riched and the States wrecked. North
ern politicians should understand these
facts; the Government at Washington
should ponder them gravely. The
dominant party of the North can ney-
er WELD a permanent influence in the
South till it gets rid of the shameful
prestige of the men who have for some
years pretended to represent it among
the freedmen, while running whole
States and enriching themselves by the
spoils. ''''' -.
Meanwhile, there are scattered over
these abused States true and incorrup-
tible men-men who went thither with
our armies, or soon after, led by Chris-
tian or philanthopic motives, to labor
for the freedmen; but they are helpless
against the political leaders and their
eliques. Their moral integrity is their
prescription. But let us hope that
their day may yet come. It Stems to
be coming in Florida at least. Could
the corrupt cliques be e1terminated,
root and branch, the freedman would
have new emancipation, only second
in Importance to their first. .4'sa
We have proposed to say something
further on the religious condition OF
the freedmen, but as We wish to pre-
sent these observations" with all pos
sible brevity and distinctness, We shall
treat that subject separately hereafter.