Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1880-12-23
impeachment. Smalla is of the hero

is illiterate, of course. but Q mars Q
rare natural abilities. He Shouts
have been a beacon light for his rae
to guide them TO advancement, indus
try and honest thrift, but be endet
his career in State politics as a con
vict and carried HE dishonor int
Congrees. He was a candidate agsi'
at the late election, but his own race
although largely in the majority ant
able to elect him under any rule
lave wearied of a leadership that hs'
degenerated into mean ambition ant
plumber, and he was largely beaten
Mash. was an illitsrate hotel servant
in this city before the war, but he had
much of the ability and more Of the
selfish cunning of smalls, and he was
an omnipotent local leader for time.
making himself Senator and Presi'
dental elector in 1876. He held the
fate Of Hayes in his hands when the
result in the State was questioned,
and he made the most Of it. lie pub.
licly protested TO have received a
large offer from the Democrats to vote
for Tilden, but whites and blacks un-
derstood that it was simply notice
that the Republicans must pay his
price, and it had to be- done. He
confessed his guilt as o Senator and
resigned to save prosecution. and he
is now in obscure retirement with
none 80 poor as to do him reverence.
Boseman made q battlea for himself
and is still comfortably fixed as post
master in Charleston, AMI" Dslany is
a Trial Justice by the favor OF the
Democratic Governor. Rainey pur-
chased his own freedom and has been
active in the Republican control Of
the State without becoming noted as
a iobber. He was sssailed as corrupt,
but it was because he tolerated rather
than participated in corruptio.., and
the searching investigation that fol-
lowed the overthrow OF the carpet
baggers failed to stamp him with
guilt, but he has lost his power with
his race because he is regarded as a
~placeman, and lie now fills a Wash.
inston clerkship. Such is the sad
story of the decline OF fall Of the
ablest body Of negro leaders ever felt
in any of the States.
The Result Upon the Race
None know better than the masses
of the colored voters Of South Caro-
lima that their attempt at seltruts
has been a terrible failure. and they
are now distrust,ul OF all colored
leaders, while they have nothing but
curses for the desperate white adven-
turers who impoverished both races
while assuming to elevate and benefit
the negro. It was this feeling that
made the election of Hampton posi-
Bile in 1916, and the sceptre once
wrested from such a race, will not
soon be ,egained. They feel little
hope Of aiding themselves by anegro
restoration. They saw the State rob-
bed of lands for negro homes and the
property stolen by those who claimod
to be the friend Of the negro, They
saw taxes wrung fro property to
educate the negro, and a large, por-
ton stolen outright and the schools
made merely a mockery of education.
Now they see se~venty-five thousand
colored children in free schools, and
nearly twelve hundred colored teach.
ers instructing them under the bsnef
F, cence of the State. They see, also,
an amendment of the Constitution
adopted making: fixed and ilrevoca-
BILE appropriations for free and equal
education, and the Governor Of the
State declaring for still greater in
crease in the facilities for instructing
both whites and blacks. They see
business and confidence revive; they
have more labor and better pay; they
are steadily increasing their friendly
relations with the whites by leases Of
lands and many Of them are becom,
ing small proprietors since they ceas.
ed to neglect industry to follow the
commands Of selfish leaders, and g
large proportion of the more thrifty
class have openly taken their politi'
cal stand with the whites. while thou
sands Of others, especially in minori
ty counties, refuse to take any part
in politics. They have a majority O.
from twenty to thirty thousand in the
\ State on q strict color line division
but there will never be another solid
negro vote cast in this State. Supe'
rior intelligence and will must rule
here as in all other places in tho
world, and both whites and blacks
understand it. There will be unjus'
tifable methods here to repress such
negro counties as Beaufort and Char
lesion, and they will need the cor
recting hand Of justice; but until al
the laws of human nature and Of in
terest shall be reversed, the white
man will rule the inferior race and