The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1877-03-15

task of carrying them out in the pa
triotic administration of the Govern.
ment. 80 far as depend the Constitu-
tion and laws on the Chief Execu-
tive of the nation. The permanent
pacification of the country upon such
principles and by such measures as
will secure the complete protection
: Of all it's citizens, and the free enjoy
ment of all their constitutional rights,
is now the one subject in our public
affairs which all thoughtful and pa
triotic citizens regard as of supreme
importance. Many of the calamitous
effects of the tremendous revolution
which has passed over the Southern
States, still remain. The immeasur-
able benefits which will surely follow
sooner or later, the hearty and gen
erous acceptance Of the legitimate
results Of that revolution have not yet
been realized. Difficult and embar-
RAISING questions meet us at the
threshhold ofthis subject. The people
ofthese States are still impoverished,
and the inestimable blessing of wise
honest and peaceful local self govern
ment, is not fully realized. What>
ever difference of opinion may exist
as to the cause of this condition of
things, the fact is clear, that in the
progress of events, the time has come
when such government is the impe-
rativc necessity required by all the
varied interes' 8, pnb'ic and private,
of those States; but it must not be
forgotten that only local govern
ment, which recognizes and main
tains invioate the rights of all, is
true se:f government. With respect
to the two distinct races, whose pecu
Liar relations to each other, have
brought upon us the deplorable com,
plications and perplcxities which ex~
ist in those States. 1t must be q
government which guards the inter-
ests of both races carefully and
equally. 1t must be q government
which submits loyalty and heartily to
the constitution and the laws, the
laws OF the nation, and the laws OF
the States themselves, accepting and
obeying faithfully the whole consti>
tuition, as it rests upon this snre and
substantial foundation, the super
structure Ct benificent local govern
ments can be built mp and not other"
wise. In furtherance of such obedi.
ence to the letter and spirit OF the
constitution, and. in behalf of all that
its attainment implies all so>callcd
party interest lUses their apparent
Importance and party lines may well
be permitted to sink into insignif,
cance.
The question we have to consider
tor the immediate welfare of those
States of the Union is the question OF
government or no government aud
all the peaceful industry and the
pursuits that belong to it, or a return
to barbarism. 1t is a question in
which every citizen OF the nation is
deeply interested, and with respect
to which we ought not to be in a par
tisan sense either Republicans or
Democrats, bat fellow citizens and
fellow men to whom the interests of
a common country and a common
humanity are dear. The sweeping
revelation Of the entire labor system
of a large portion of our country, and
the advance of four millions of peo-
pie from a condition of servitude, to
that OF citizenship upon an equal
footing with their former masters,
could not occur without presenting
problems of the gravest moment to
be dealt with by the emancipated
race by their former masters, and by
the general government, the author
of the act OF emancipation, felt that
it was wise, just and providential
act, fraupht with good for all con-