The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1886-05-27

schools. and developed into one of the
most brilliant ana saGacfous leaders ot the
state He WAS Adjutaut General Speaker
81 the House and member OF Congress.
and hts famous debate with Alexander II
stephens IN the national House Of f.rprc-
~.ntaf scs stamped him capable of high
leadership among men But b. dcNotcs,
has great abilities e., the work IF pluud,r
instead of clcyaijug aud bcnetittiug has
race, and when the state Nas robbed uutli
both whites and blacks We're impoverished
the deuded negroes deserted him and hc
then ha,kcd la the sunshine Of a depart
ment position ia Washington Wright had
rare opportunity To make credltahle
record for himself his race and his
adopted State. He had opened the Way for
the elevation OF his cotored brethren bV
gaining the first admission 10 the bar iu
FennSY wanna. and he VAS chosen one Of
three supreme Judges of South Carolina.
Tie was not emil emily fitted for the posi-
ton. although he could have filled 1t cred
ltably by the exercise Of Judicial integrity.
but his decisions soon became a matter of
open barter, and dissipation followed his
disgrace, until he finally resigned TO cs-
cape unanimous impeachment Smalls is
of the heroic mould. He is remembered
as the slave who rau his vessel into the
Mon blockade to east his fortunes with
the defenders of the government He is
llhterate, OF course, but a man of rare
natural abilities. He should have been
beacon light for his race to guide them To
advancement, industry, and honest thrift,
out he ended his career in State politics As
a convict and carried his dishonor into
Congress. Nash was an illiterate hotel
servant in Columbia before the war but
he had much Of the ability and more of
la Gnlf ft-h ,Ts L.
an omnipotent local leader for a time,
making himself Senator and Presidential
elector in 1876. He held the fate of Hayes
III his hands when the result of the State
was questioned, and he made the most of
1t. lie publicly professed To have received
IA large offer from the Democrats to vote
Tor 1llden, but whites and blacks under
stood that 1t was simply notice that the
tepubllcans must pay his price, and ii
lad to be done. He confessed his guilt
rs Senator and resigned to save prose
cution, and he is now in obscure retire
ment with none so poor as to do him rev
ererce. Boseman made battle for him
self and became comfortably fixed as
postmaster in Charleston, and Delany was
a trial justice by the favor of the Demo
cratic Governor Rainey purchased his
own freedom, and has been active in the
Republican control of the State without
becoming noted as a jobber. He was as
sailed as corrupt, but it was because he
tolerated rather than participated in cor
ruptlon, and the searching investigation
that followed the overthrow of the carpet
baggers failed to stamp him with guilt.
but he has lost his power with his race be
cause he Is regarded as a placeman, and
he gravitated to a Washington clerkship
Such is the sad story of the decline or fall
nft h,, oh laI -, l.
felt IN any of the States
None know better than the masses Of
the colored voters of South Carolina that
their attempt at selfrule has been ter
rible failure, and they are now distrustful
OF all colored leaders, while they have
nothing but curses for the desperate
white adventures who impoverished both
races while assuming to elevate and benefit
the negro. 1t was this feeling that made
the election of Hampton possible in 1876,
and the sceptre once wrested from such
race will not soon be regained. They
feel little hope of aiding themselves by a
negro restoration. They saw the State
robbed of lands for negro homes, and the
property stolen by those who claimed to
be the friend Of the negro. They saw taxes
wrung from property to educate the negro
and a large portion stolen outright, and
the schools made merely mockery of ed
ucation. Now they see seventy five thou
sand cOlOred children in free-schools, and
nearly tw We hundred colored teachers
| lnstructins them under the beneficence
| of the State. They see, also, an amend
ment of the Constitution adopted making
| fixed and irrevocable appropriations for
! tree 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 increas-
ing their friendly relations with the whites
by leases of lands, and many of them are
becoming small proprietors since they have
ceased to neglect industry to follow the
commands of selfish leaders, and large
proportion of the more thrifty class have
openly taken their political stand with the
whites, while thousands Of others, espe-
oially in minority counties, refuse to take
any part in politics. They have majority
of from twenty to thirty thousand in the
State on strict color-line division, but
there will never be another solid negro
vote cast in this State. Superior intelli-
gence ard will must rule here as in all
other places in the world, and both whites
and blacks understand it. There will be
un justifiable methods to repress such ne
gro counties as Beaufort and Charleston
and they will need the correcting hand oi
Justice; but until all the laws of human
nature and of interest shall be reversed
the white man will rule the inferior race
and he will do better in the South at thi.
time than the negro can rule himself
This is not the sentimental view Of the race
issue in the South, but it is the truth.