The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1876-04-26

tureds to- stakesfrequent. part in the
debates of the assembly. Such |.
being tho case, it has required no
little tact on tho part of the little
band of conservatives in the legisla-
ture, to make their presence source
q, benefit to their constituents and
to the people of tho state at largo.
1t is true that tho conservatives
could, without risk of indignity, vote
rs their sense of right dictated, and
thus3entor q protest, if accomplish
ing nothing more, against the doings
of the corruptionists. This they
haSo done in almost every instance.
A glanco over the history of Gov
ernor Chamberluin's administration
will show conclusivoly that in every
issue ho has made with tho more
dangerous element in lis party, he
has had the steady and unanimous
co operation of tho conservatives in
the Legislature. Without tho sup
port thus given him, he would in
more than one instance have been
compelled to succumb to tho power
Of tho thie vos. That the conserva-
tive mcml ers were, onco or twice
absent from their seuts upon i'm
portant occasionsA~-notably when
the vote was takon upon Senator
Cochran's bill to divide the state
into congressional districtsA=we do
not deny, and in common with the
ontire conservative people, we deep
: ly regret such absence upon occn.
slons so full of Importance to the
conservatives of South Carolina.
Yet, admitting that the conservative
members of tho legislature have
, fallen short Of perfection in some
instances, we cannot ut NIL agree
with the Ne7;uut when it asserts;
that they made fair promises, and
were honored with the confidence OF
the people, which they have most
grossly and repeatedly violated" and
, that "tho entire record is filed
with their shameful and lamentablc
| neglect Of duty" However much
we may regret the absence of some
, of the conservatives from their posts
at times of importance, we are by
no means ready to give assent to
the sentiments uttered by our Abbc,
vile contemporary. Stronger lan
grngo could scarcely DO used in ref
, cronce to tho detection of Judge
Carpenter, in whom tho conscrva-
| tivcs of the state once reposcd Il
: trust quite equal in gravity and in
honor to that held by the conserva
, tivcs in the legislature And we are
sorry to see it swecpinyly applied to
men like Chancellor Johnson, Gen
cral Wallace, Mr.. Crittcn'len, Mr.
. Barnweil, Mr.. Sloan, and others OF
5Toial.ml.2e.r!ii i5aTo6al merit, though perhaps of less
, men will bear investigation and vii,
Q bear criticism. AS fur as we are
. informed, they did not seek tho DO
sition to which they were chosen by
: their respective constituencies. They
| must have realized, long before thcil
, names wcro first called upon the
: Legislative rolls, that they were to
enter upon task rs difficult us il
now seems, i'll some quarters at least.
to have been thanklcss They must
have realized tho sacrifices that thov
} would be called upon to make OF
personal convenience, personal in
tercst and personal feeling and
! they must have felt that every act of
theirs which might by any ingenuity
OF argument be considered cuuivocal
} would ut once be attributed to a
failure TO realize the fullnoss Of their
duty and the f,lllncss of their re-
sponsibility. With I'LL these things
to discourage and deter, they accept
ed the position put upon them by
the people, and proceeded to u per
formancc, to the best of their ability
under their peculiarly trying circum-
stances, of the arduous and unplcas-
ant duties assigned to them. It must
indeed impress them with full
sohse of the oft-asscrted ingratitude
Of tho populace, to be the subject of
such severe comments rs those in
which tho Wcdi,m has indulecd
We hope to SEQ no more of such
criticism. 1t can accomplish no
good purpose, and is almost nm adj
mission that the conservatives of
South Carolina have not in their
ranks material from which may be
T ,1n f,;tl,f,,1