The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1886-05-27
THE NEGRO AS 4 RI LER.
4 REVIEW OF NEGRO RULE IN
sol TIL CAROLINA.
Col. 4. h. nc( lure in IIi> New No.,
The SOUTH. Discusses The Quest n
Taking South Carolina a. an Eaamp.


The SOUTH Discusses the Que>tten
Taking South Carolina a. an E,ampo.
The problem Of negro self rule has uoI
been solved. ~ the true solution must b,.
the work Of years OF opportunity for growth
IN fitness for 1t, but it has been fairly
tried III two portions Of the I ui5u since
the war, and in both Instances ii has re
suited III dcbauched leaders and Iemora
llzed followers, leaving the general coudl
ton of the race worse because of the eXIHe
riment. To assume that the black man
who has been a slave III the south and a
menial IN the North and whose education
was either positively lntcrdicted or neg
lected, should prove himself proficient IN
elf-fule, without aid or even sympathy
from the mass of whites, Is to Judge him
by a standard that would overthrow every
principle of popular government bat
country that is struggling TO solve the
problem OF universal suffrage With great
states subject to the numerical maioritN
of ignorant aud thrlftless masses must
carefully study every recurring phase of
the effort. In Washington City, vi ere
the negro was first enfranchiSed, the ma
ton exhibited to the world the most cor
rupt, protligate, and demoralzed govern
ment to be found in the Union. and the
same political power that gave the ballot
capital.
PEELED to revoke the elective franchise and
save the credit and good name of Wash
lngton by making the negro yoiceess in
his OWN government. 1t was a sad ncces-
slty,-and sad confession IF the failure
of suffrage when exercised by race preju-
dice without intelligence; but the same
Republican statesmen who gave the right
of self rule to the black man in the capital
of the nation, had to rescue the capital
from destruction and shame by sweeping
dSfranchi>tmCnt.
In no section of the Union did the col
ored race have such an opportunity to sue
cced in creditable self-rule as in South
Carolina, and tie failure has simply made
1t impossible for them to regain power in
that State for many years to come. That
the illiterate bondman of yesterday should
rule a great State wisely to-day could not
be expected; but the masses have failed to
be just to themselves and to the power
they were suddenly called upon to eXer-
else, mainly because of the corruption and
faithfulnesS of the leaders of the race
South Carolina had Il galaxy of colored
leaders when reconstruction committed
the control of the State to the preponder-
ating race, that has not been equalled III
ability and culture in the race in any other
portion of the country; and if they had
been honest with their race and with pow
er, the negro masses would have been ele-
waited, instead of demoralizing them, and
they would have been taught industry,
self reliance, and thrift instead of appeal
ing to the passions prejudices, and low
cupldlty OF ignorance. When | recall the
long list of able negroes who were prom
| inent in the early Republican rule Of South
Carolina and follow them through their
gradual descent into dependence or shame,
it presents a pointed commentary upon
the problem of self-rule by the negro.
There are negro names connected with the
| control Of South Carolina which should
have made the state and the race illustri-
Gus in the elevation of the freedmen and
in the just government of the Common
wealth. And many of them were natives
of the State. Cardoza, Rainey, Smalls,
and Nash were all born in slavery. Car
doZa was made free by his father master;
Rainey purchased his own freedom before
the war, and Smalls and Nash were made
free by emancipation. These men, endow-
ed with uncommon intelligence and know
ing the bondman's cruel life, should have
been each a Moses to lead his people into
the promised land of self-rule, but Car
doza and Smalls are convcts, and Nash
escaped the criminal dock by confession
and resignation of his seat in the Senate.
|
and he ceased to be potential with his race.
OF the other distinguished negro leaders |
recall the untutOred but eloquent Whipper,
| who came from Michigan; the shrewd and
| unScrupulOuS PurvlS, who bore an honor
! ed Philadelphia name; the brilliant Elliott,
! who fitted himself in the free schools of
! Massachusetts to answer the Confede1 ate
Ex-Vice President Stephens in triumph on
the floor of Congress; the lawyer, Wright,
who was the first negro admitted to the
| bar in Pennsylvania, and who rose to the
! Supreme Bench of South Carolina the
cultured Delany, who won college honors
in Ohio and once made a bold stand for
negro reform by running as the reform
candidate for Lieutenant Governor, and
the sagacious Boseman, who served his
race by nesting down as the Charleston
! postmaster. There were others of more or
| less ability, but the half-scOre | have
named should have made South Carolina
a most prosperous Commonwealth and her
numerical majority of freedmen happy
and wisely self-ruled people.
The man who should have been the fore
most of his race in honor and usefulness
is Cardoza. He had everything to make
him faithful and eminent. He possesses
superior natural Abilities was thoroughly
educated in Scotland when nominally a
/ SIdNt, tultItti liIt anu NttS llIc
respected pastor of a New England con
gregation when emancipation and recon
struction brought him back to aid his peo-
pie in the escape from darkness. He came
! with the pureSt and lOftiness aims, and
was the first Secretary of State under the
carpet bag reign. He was purposely as
signed to that position by the ruling white
and black adventures because he was
honest, as his official duties gave him nc
power Of restraint upon his thieving sssso-
ciates; but the luxury of crime was around
him en- every side; he learned to tolerate
it, and soon his good purposes We're lost
in the flood-tide of corruption that surged
against him. He was deemed sufficiently
demoralized to be made State Treasurer
under the latter and more violent reign OF
debauchery, and he ended a convict. He
was saved from sentence By the gene12 q
treaty of peace between the contendlne
forces Of the State that saved Patterson
Smalls, and Nash, with CORDOBA, from the
penitentiary; gave Butler his seat in the
United States Senate, and ended various
Federal prosecutions for violation Of ths
national election laws. CardoZa became
clerk under the Hayes Administration
Whipper was one of the earliest of tn,
legislative jobbers, and succeeded in foist
ing himself into a judicial election, bu
both sides revOlted against such mockerl
of ius ice, and he vas compelled % sur
rapd, hi claim to the office He l. nov