The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1876-04-27
The Conservatives in the General As.
sembly.
From The Columbia Register.

From the Columbia Register.
Some very Incorporate articles have
appeared in several of our Conservative
newspapers touching an imputed derelic-
tion of duty on the part of the Conserva-
tive members of the General Assembly.
The censures have been directed more
particularly against those who declined
to vote for the impeachment or investi-
CATION of Judge Mackey, and against
those whose absence defeated John
Cochran's bill for redistricting the State.
In some journals their names have been
published in "black list" and in others
they have been paraded as the "sentinels
who Sleep" In the last Abbeville
Medium, under the heading "Couserva-
tive traitors" it is charged that "the
larger part of the Conservative members
of the present Legislature have been
shamefully false to duty and patriotism,
and should not again be clothed with
official power" 'The entire record is
filled with their shameful and lamentable
neglect of duty. Instead of sticking to
their posts like men, they sneaked of
home with every opportunity" &c.
Our friends must excuse US for saying
that these structures are entirely too
severe and sweeping, and, in most re-
spects, undeserved. We have been on
the spot the whole time, and we are free
to say that we have never seen more
attentive and earnest band of men than
the Conservative members. They have
stuck to their posts at great inconve-
nience to their business, frequently to the
injury of their health, and at the cost of
the loss of the endearments ofhome for
nearly half the year of each two years
they have served. In his speech in the
convention, in reply to Judge Carpenter,
Governor Chamberlain, in referring to
the good that was done by the Legisla-
ture, Tor rather, we should say, the evil
that was prevented did not claim it as
his own. 1t is not my glory or my
fame, but it is the fame of the Republi-
can party of the State of South Carolina" Z"
We would not deny to any Republican
the credit to which he is justly entitled (;
but the power which prevented evil, as
we'll as the power which enacted any
thing wholesome in the last Legislature,
was mostly exercised by the Conservative
members. They were the power behind
the throne stronger than the throne itself.
Governor Chamberlain would have been
crushed long ago but for their protecting
support. Not veto of any value could
have been sustained without them. This
the Governor knows, and has frankly ad-
mitted on many occasions.
1t is true that several Conservatives set
their faces against the bogus inquiry into
the judicial conduct of Judge Mackey.
They had the sense to see that moth
ing really was meant; that the parties
who were in pursuit of Mackey Except
ing the Lancaster delegation and Major
Hamilton, of Chester were influenced
only by shallow, partisan, factious and
personal motives; that it was only part
of the scheme, more fully developed in
the convention afterwards, to assault and
cripple Chamberlain. We hold them
entirely excused for not lending their aid
to Pine Torch Davis, Miller, Leslie,
Hamilton, Elliott and the rest, and for
not playing into the hands of base fac
tionists. Besides, the recent election of
Mackey, at the instance of the Conserva-
tives of his judicial district, and the late
ness of the session, and the thinness of
the House, and the situation of affairs in
Chester County, constituted real obstacles
to any genuine, honest action in the
matter.
In regard to Cochran's bill, We should
have been pleased if there had been suffi-
cient Conservative members present to
have carried it through. But we are not
1eady, because they were not there, to
pronounce against them that they have
committed the objectionable sin. Some,
perhaps, were necessarily absent at home,
and we know of others who were too ill
to go out. 1t may be that there were
some who could have attended who did
not fso, they are to blame, of course.
We know of none such, however. We
must remember, too, that this was q
political bill, designed for the benefit OF
its author, and not for. the Conservative
interests. On its face it looks fair, but
it is not so certain that its passage would
have brought any substantial advantages
to US.