The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-02-08
WHO DID IT?
A Trenchant Review of the Late Cam
paign-The People entitled to the
Credit.

A Trenchant Review of the Late Cam
paign-The People entitled to the
Credit.
The first and far more important ques-
ton is, has it yet been done? Have the
fruits of the great struggle of the 9TH of
November been harvested and secured ?
Before Gov. Hampton has been firmly
seated ss the legal and acknowledged
Governor of South Carolina, our contem-
poraries are debating the question as to
which of them deserves the credit of
originating and shaping the policy of the
campaign. We will say in the outset
that we firmly believe that Gov. Hamp.
ton is, and that he will be finally accepted
as the legal Governor of South Carolina,
and that the victory thus accomplished
is worthy to be regarded as the greatest
triumph of the century, a triumph of
honesty over corruption, of economy in
public expenditures over extravagance,
of competency over incompetency for
office, and peace, law and order over gen
eral confusion among the people and in
all branches of the government. Wesay
farther, that every man, from the hum
blest citizen, white or colored, to the
highest intellect of the State, who con-
tributed to this glorious result, has done
his duty and nothing more. This is all
we claim for ourselves, whether consid-
cred in our individual relation to our ma
tive County or as the head of our County
journal. If we have any cause for re-
ioicing, it is that we tried to do our full
duty, and if we hare any cause for regret
it is that we may have said or done some
thing or failed to have left something un
said or undone, which, if said or left un-
said, would have given to Hampton 4
larger majority iii this County. The
question should not be who originated or
shaped the policy of the last campaign,
but have we all as journalists and us in
dividuals done all in our power to make
that policy grand success? With the
lights before them we believe the press
aud the people Of the State did their
whole duty; but in saying this, we do
not mean that each and all of US could
not have accomplished more. To doubt
is to court defeat. To determine is to
command success. Where there is will
there is way, but hat is lame will
which undertake thing with confidence
ON the lips and with doubt in the heart.
The man of nerve can enter the cage of
the lion and the tiger with safety, but let
him doubt. let his eye wander and fear
seize on him and he is lost. That faith
which we have heard can remove noun
tains, finds similar poweriu all human
undertakings, as it begets the energy and
confidence which seldom fails. But who
can say he did not doubt the result in the
late campaign? In fact how many can
say that they did not feel the chances Of
defeat were greater than the hopes of
success? Frequent defeats, the difficulty
of reaching the colored people through
the medium Of argument, the heavy nu-
merical majority in a race point of view
against us, and the scattered and demur-
allied condition of the whites rendered
the undertaking a stupendous one, and
placed the hope of doubtful success in
thorough organization and in constant
and Jealous Individual efforts to strength
ell the organization. The doubts of uIti-
mate success growing out of these known
obstacles affected the efforts more or less
of all our people, and weakened the result
of those efforts. 1t is common thing to
hear men now say if they could have
known what they now know, the majori-
| ty for Hampton would have been ten
thousand instead of twelve hundred,
tacitly confessing that they could have
accomplished more had they realized the
chance of success. Now We think it far
more profitable to draw from the cam
paign of 1876 wholesome food for future
efforts than to discuss who should have
the credit of starting the movement.
Let us all impress on our minds what has
been accomplished with doubts overhang-
ing our efforts. and what can hereafter
be accomplished with the hopes of Ger
tain success inviting our efforts. The
colored people are finding out and will
realize soon that their rights and liber-
ties are not endangered by Democrat
ic government, and being more approach
able, we can see, with the proper dis
charge of our duty, the final and complete
redemption of the State, as beginning
with the last campaign.
Who really deserves the credit Of this
movement? The Journal Of Commerce
lays claim to large share of credit in
originating and shaping the policy of it,
while the Register retorts with the state
ment virtually that before the Journal of
Commerce was conceived, it with the In
telligencer, the Advertiser and some other
journals had become the Joshua Of the
straightout policy. The Register should
remember it was but fedgling; but
though young in years we grant it was
strong in zeal and ability, and that it
with the Mteligencer, Advertiser, Journal
of Commerce and its other contemporaries
battled manfully for the good cause, the
redemption of South Carolina. Do these
or any of the journals of the State desire
any special credit for their services
in the cause of their native State
What one ofthese can claim to have done
more than its simple duty, and who will
be presumptuous enough as to claim
special credit for the discharge of his
plain duty? If credit be due to any one,
it is, in our opinion, due to the honest
and patriotic colored man, who in the
face of early training, of race hostilities
to the Democrats and of the strong ap-
peals of the Republican party for the
votes of his race by reason Of alleged past
services to the race, advocated and sup
ported honesty and reform, by voting the
Democratic ticket The whites generally
were original Democrats, and early train.
ing, State pride, a feeling of common
calamity and common desire to remove
it by reforming the government and re-
ducing taxation, all united to prompt
them to lend a ready support to the
movement. 1t may be true and doubt
less is, that some accomplished more
than others, but who failed to come up
to the measure of his ability Some had
wealth with its influence, some position
with it's attractions, some intellect with
its powers and some, as the press, enjoyed
peculiar means of reaching the people
and sowing good seed among them, but
upon the true principle that, to whom
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