Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1878-10-03
wALHAIA SOUTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1878.


oitiSons. I have left my justification
against adverse criticism, to tho results
which have boon accomplished, feeling
assured that my constituents, apprcciating
the difficulties which have surrounded mo,
would alwaye give me credit at least for an
| honest purpose to promote the best interests
Of tho State.
depart from my usual custom on this
| occasion, because thought it proper to
meet and resent what felt to be miscon-
structiou Of my official and porsouul conduct;
having done this pass to moro congeniai
topics Foremost among them is the most
momentous problem ever forced upon q
people for solution: tho proposed ADJUST
ment of tho relations Of two distot nations
living on tho same SOIL 1t is not qucs-
tion off day nor of generation, but for all
time to come, aud wo have to meet it
now. What is tho host modo for US to
meet it?
have indicated on various occasions the
line | thought should be followed by our
party-thc party in which nearly all the
Intelligence, education and capital of the
Stntc arc to be fouud-and have indicated
tho manner in which thought VIC should
deal with this pcrpleSing question
1t was by no fault Of ours that the colored
men were brought to South Carolina; by no
fault Of ours that they were uf,crward maao
free The samo people who first brought
them here and sold tliom into slavery, now
CHIN to have offered most magnificent
libat:on on the altar of Liberty by making
free those whom they first enslavcd for
| hai nd IN FRO (p,,f
loss to themselves.
We cannot tell what great object Provi-
dcncc had in view in allowing these things
to DO dono by which these people have been
brought hero and liberated in our midst.
Wo arc told that "God moves in mysteri
Gus wny his wonders to perform" and lIo
has moved in n mysterious way in this
matter. lie has brought them here, re-
licyed them Of their shacklcs and lott them
hore untutored in mind, with all tho proju-
diecs century of slavery has cngrafted on
| thoni aud we arc to bo their guardians aud
protectors. know tllut sentiment will not
hud an echo iu tho hearts of many of tho
colorcd people. They have boon tuught
that wo are natural enomics, politically at
least, of the oolored men, Personally they
bavo had kindly feelings for thor old
masters Let ono Of thcm but get ipto
difficulties, and in nine cases out Of ten he
will go to his old master for assistance and
not ono Of his Republican leaders. Io will
trust tho former in everything except as to
his voting. IIo was told two years ago that
il tho Democratic party got into powor he
would bo put back into slavery, and ho be.
loved it.
J. was told the other day by istin-
guishcd clergyman that he had had
discussion with ono Of his old colorcd
fricnda, arrd had asked him among other
things, Why TIC was not Democrat. Tho
old man said that he had been taught that
it vas contrary to the teachings Of tho
| Bible. The clergyman wonlcringly asked
| where that doctrine GOULD be found, and the
old man replied that as the Good Book only
spoke Of too political partics-the Publ
| choose between them and be either 'Pu3-
ican or n Sinner, which was but tho Bible
namo for Democrat daughter, in which
some of the oolorcd hearers joined hcartily.)
The old man had evidently never observed
how many of his party woro both publioans
aud sinners. (acncwcd laughter and tro-
mcndous display Of dontal anatomy.) They
have been at last disposscsscd of tho groat
error into which thoy were led by their
designing leaders, and have found that they
arc protected 10 all their rights, and arc as
free now as they were in rs. They re-
cognize tho fact that thero has been moro
pcaoc in the State and less crime; that
there is returning prosperity and that good
will has grown up stcadiiy between the
races. Thoy sec that thoy were mislod and
arc now willing in many instances to trust
those Hhom they wero taught to distrust.
The evidence Of all this is that while
thousands voted the Democratic ticket at
the Inst election, thousands moro will sup
! port it at the next one. And now, my
| friends, what is to be our policy in regard
to these pcoplo2 | tako tho ground that,
while tho colorod man is politically the
equal of tho whito man in South Carolina,
he must stand upon his own merits.
| (Turning to tho side of tho stand whore
tho ooorcd pcopo were oolleoted.) You
must stand upon your own footing. You
cannot DO put upon any bottcr ono meroly
because YOU are colorod man. We pro
pose to protect you and give you all your
rights but whilo we do this you cannot
expect that we should discriminate in your
favor and say because you arc ooorod
man you have right to rule the State.
Wo say to you that we intend to take tho
best men VIC can find to represent the State,
aud you must qualify yourselves to do so
before you can expect to bo chosen. Proper
qualification is necessary iu all oasee, aud
tho whto man who is afraid to enter tho
race upon suoh terms does not deserve to