Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1880-12-23

born in slavery; Cardoza was mad
free ny his father-master; Rainey pur
cha i Ills own freedom before tn
war, and Smalls and Nash were mad
free by emancipation. These men
endowed with uncommon intelligence
and knowing the bondsman's crue
life, should have been each a Moses
to lead his people into the promiset
land of self-rule; but Cardoza aDc
smalls are convicts to-day, and Nast
escaped the criminal dock By confes
sion and resignation Of his seat in the
Senate. Rainey alone escaped a ca
reer of crime, and he ceased to be po
tential with bis race. OF the other
distinguished negro leaders l recall
the untutored but eloquent Whipper,
who Gaze from Michigan the shrewd
and unscrupulous Purvia, who dis
honored an honored name in Phila-
delphia the brilliant Elliott, who
fitted himself in the free schools OF
Massachusetts to answer the Confed-
crate ex-Vice- resident Stephens in
triumph Oh the floor of Congress; the
lawyer, Wright, who was the fret ne
gro admitted to tue bar in Pennsyl-
vania, and vino rose to the Supreme
Bench Of the State; the cultured De-
lany, who won college honors.in Ohio
and once made bold stand for negro
reform by running as the reform can
didate for Lieutenant Governor, and
the sagacious Boseman, who served
his race by nesting down as the
Charleston postmaster. There were
others Of mora or less ability, out the
hall score l. have named shonld have
made South Carolina most prosper
Gus Commonwealth, and her numeri-
cal majority of freedmen happy and
wisely self.ruled people.
How the Negro LEADERS Fell.
The man who should have been the
foremost OF his race in honor and use
fulness is Cardoza. he had every.
thing to make him faithful and emf
nent. He possesses superior natural
abilities, was thoroughly educated in
Scotland when nominally a slave, u
tered the ministry and was the re-
apected pastor of New England
congregation when emancipation and
reconstruction brought him back to
aid his people in the escape from
darkness. He came here with the
purest and loftiest aims, and was the
first Secretary of State under the
.carpet-bag reign. EIe was purposely
assigned TO that position by the ruling
white and black adventures because
lie WAS honest, as his official duties
gave him no power Of restraint upon
his thieving associates; but the luxu-
ry OF crime was around him on every
side; he learned to tolerate it and
soon his good purposes were lost in
the llood.tide OF corruption thatsurg-
ed against MIN. He was deemed suf.
Gciently demoralised to be made State
Treasurer under the later and nore
violent reign Of debauchery, and he
ended convict. he was saved from
sentence by the general treaty o.
peace between the contending forces
of the State that saved Patterson
Smalls and Nash, with Cardoza, from
the penitentiary gave Butler his sea-
in the United States Senate and end
ed various Federal prosecutions iol
violation cf the National election
laws. Cardoza ia now a clerk under
the Hayes administration. Whippel
was one of the earliest Of the legis'
lative iobbers, and succeeded in foist
ing himself into a Judicial election
but both sides revolted against such
mockery Of justice and he was com
PEELED to surrender his claim to tint
office. He is now local leader ane
pettifogger among the semi-barbarou
negro hol des of Beaufort. Purvl
was prominent leader in the Hous'
as chairman Of a most important com
mittee, and he did as much as an.
one to hasten the overthrow Of tn
negro rule. He now resides il Charles
ton and is a beneficiary Of the Ma
tional Government. Elliott is one o
the ablest and boldest Of the race
have known. He gathered fair ed
ucation in the Massachusetts fre
schools, and developed into one Of tn
most brilliant and eagacicas leader
of the State. He was Adlutant- Gen
eral, Speaker of the House and mem
Der of Congress, and his famous de
bate with Alexander II. Stephens il
the National Houss of Repl lesents
t YES stamped him as capable Of hig
leadership among men. But he de
voted his great abilities to the wor
Of plunder instead of elevating an
beneGtting his race, and when tn
State was robbed until both white
and blacks were impoverished, th
deluded negroes deserted Kim. an
he now basks in the sunshine Of Pre-
ident Hayes as a department subord
nate in Washington. Wright had