The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-02-20


Ame3tcae Revie,0 by prominent lead
crs of tho two great national parties
attracts the greatest interest. 1t is
based on two propositions which have
direct relation to tho political status
Of the negro. "Ought the negro to be
disfranchiscd" "Ought he to have
been cnfranchiscd?" The New York
Herald says:
The champions in this strange con-
test are Mcssrs. Blaine and Mont
gomcry Blair, Lamar, Stephens, Wen
dell Phillips, Hendricks, Governor
Hampton and General Garfield. 1t
was to be expected that Mcssrs.
Blair and Phillips would represent
the extremists in the contest, if such
II can be termed, but the public were
not prepared for such unanimity OF
sentiment as has been displayed by
the others in rendering negative to
inc first proposition and an affirmative
to tho second. But the reasons adj
Vanccd by these gentlemen for such
conclusions arc widely different. Mr..
Blaine contends tho negro should not
DC dls1ranchiscd because his right to
vote is the only protection he has
against the schemes of his late master,
who naturally seeks to recover tho
control OF the colorcd man lost by the
acts OF emancipation and cnfranchisc-
mcnt. lie contends that if the negro
is deprived OF his right to vote he will
sink back into a condition of moral
irrcsponsibility and practical slavery,
from which the influence ofhis politi-
cal power has raised him.
Alr. Lamar claims that the colorcd
mans political rights must be MAIN
tanned, because they have taught him
who his true friends arc-namely, the
Southern whites, and that he is being
educated out Of state of political
slavery, which tho Republican party
enacted as the price OF his physical
emancipation, and which is rs bad in
every. sense. Dsiranchiscmcnt, lie
says, is al impossibility now. Tie
negro has learned that he was a power
between the Democrat and Rcpubli-
can. lie is now learning that he is
power between Democrat and Demo-
crat. In other words, Mr.. Lamar
eXults that the scheme of negro cn-
tranchiscmcnt has resulted to the
utter confusion Of its authors and that
the South will now WELD it for South
crn purposes as cflcctually as the
carpct-baggcrs did at one time for
their party.
General Garfield contends that be-
tween slavery and full citizenship
there was no middle ground. Con-
grcss was therefore compelled to
choose between a policy which would
have made the negro tho permanent
ward of the nation or to place in his
own hands the legal and political
means Of sclt-dcicncc.
Mr.. d. II. Chamberlain also ap-
pears with Il very elaborate and pol
ishcd article on the success Of Recon-
struction in South Carolina, which
reminds one of the Irishman's horse
as soon as it learned to live without.
eating it died. After swamping tho
State, running tho taxpayers, and dis
gushing tho world, Reconstruction
under Mr.. Chamberlain of course
was Oh the point Of becoming a dis
tinguishcd success, when Hampton's
rifle clubs inconsidcrately and brutal
ly broke up the experiment. TO say
that Mr.. Chamberlain all through is
sophistical, plausible and utterly re-
gardless Of the truth, is but to do him
justice. lie can tell falschood,
however, with such courtly grace
that he is dangerous. The .Nccs and
Courier is dcvoting its attention to
tho cx-govcrnor's article, and has al
ready demolished it. AS, however,
Northern Radicals do not read South
crn papers it is we'll that able South
crn men have an opportunity to reply
through the same mcdium-the North
1me1tcan Rerieeo-through which the
talschoods arc propagatcd.
LIVES ARE OFTEN LOST