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

no iiot oHu idT thoIc important QueS-
tion is, has it yet been done? Have the
fruits of the great struggle Of the 7th of
November been harvested aud secured |?
Before Gov. Hampton has been firmly
seated as the legai and acknowledged
Governor of South Carolina, our contem-
poraIies are debating the question as to
originating and shaping the policy of the
that we firmly believe that Gov. Hamp.
ton is, aud that he will be finally accepted
as The legal Governor of South Curuiina,
and that the victory thus accomplished
is worthy 10 De regarded as the greatest
triumph of the century, triumph of
honesty over corruption, of economy in
public expenditures over extravaganza.
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 We saw
farther, that every man, from the hum
blcst citizen, white Or colored, to the
highest intellect Of the State, who con-
tributed tU 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 car.e for re-
joicing, il that we tried to do our full
duty, and II we have any cause for regret
1t Is that we may have said or done some.
thing or failed to have left something un-
ss:d Of undone, which, If said or left un-
said, would have given to Hampton q
larger majority in this County. The
question should not be who originated or
shaped the policy of the last campaign,
bit have we all as journalists and rs in.
dividunis done all in our power to make
that policy q grand success? With the
liehts before them we believe the press
alto the people of the State did their
whole duty; but in snying this, we do
not mean that each and all or us could
not have accomplished more To doubt
is to court defeat To determine is to
command success. Where there is n will
there is way, but that 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
wh;t n we have heard can remove noun
ta!D :. inds similar power iu all human
unt r .r.Akings, as it begets the energy aud
con.i6 snce which seldom fails. But who
can s.-y he did not doubt the result in the
late campaign? In fact hoy 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-
mericai majority in q race point 0f view
against us, and the scattered and deinur-
nlized condition Of the whites rendered
the undertaking 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 nti-
mate success growing cat of these known
obstacles affected the efforts more or less
of all our people, and weakened the result
of those efforts. It is common thing to
hear men now say if they could have
known what they now know, the majori-
- fer 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. Row 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 oyerhan;
ing our efforts, and what can hereafter
Oe 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 gee, 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
mOvement3 The journal of Commerce
lays claim to a large share of credit in
originating and shaping the policy Of it,
while the Register retnrts With the state
ment. virtually that before the Journal OF
Commerce was conceived, it with the In
teligenccr, the advertiser and some other
| journals had become the Joshua Of the
straightout policy. The Register should
remember it was but fiedgling; but
though young in years we grant it was
strong in zeal and ability, and shat 1t
with the Intelligencer, Adperfiser, Journal
| Of Commerce and its other contemporaries
battled manfully for. the good cause, the
redemption of South Carolina: Do these
or aay 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 it's simple duty, and who will
be presurnptuons enough aa 20 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 hostiities
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
i Democratic ticket. The whites generally
/ were original Democrats, anu early train.
ing, State pride, II feeling of common
| calamity aud com:uon desire To remove
it by reforming the government and re.
ducing taxation, all united to prompt
jkthem to lend a ready support to the
movement. IL may DC true anu doubt
less is, that some accomplished more
than others, but who failed to come az
to the measure of his ability? Some hac
wealth with its influence, some position
with It's attractions, some intellect with
its powers ard some, as the press, enjoyed
peculiar means Of reaching the people
and sowing good seed among them, bu
upon the true principle that, TO whon
much ia given from him much will b,
required, no one can claim credit for do
ing his duty, in wide sphere by reasol
of these advantages, any moro than thI
humbiest individual who has laboret