The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1895-02-27

pie. South Carolina had been and was
then in sore strait. Her citizens had
been subjected to a tyranny such as
has never been borne by an English
speaking people "since the Saxon wore
the Norman collar" The sun Of hope
had been in eclis for eight long. dark
years and their liberties hung in the
balance. But true to their lineage and
the love of freedom inherited from their
sires South Carolina's true soas came
together as one c,an aud when thus
united her contest was no longer
doubtful. The States vote was counted
for the Republican candidate for presi-
dent, but We held our State govern
ment, aud the Governor Of our choice
was duly installed and assumed uudis-
puted control as soon as the troops
were removed, while the horde of mis-
creants who had de6led our State
House fed beyond u borders for
safety.
1t is not pleasant to recall that sad
and gloomy period Of our history, but
some Of our people seem to have for
gotten, while others were too young
to know and realize the terrible condi-
tions and the almost superbuman eff
forts which were necessary to rescue
the State, can read the story with
profit, if they will heed the lesson Of
the States rescue from the darkest Pc
Rod it has ever known. White unity
alone wrought our redemption. White
unity alone kept the government in the
hands of the Intelligence and virtue Of
this State. Obedience to shc will of The
white majority and a loyal support Ct
the candidates chosen by the regular
party machinery alone preserved the
purity of the victory which was won
against such fearful odds in 1876. The
slogan. IAN Independent is worse thao
a Radical" has been no idle phrase,
but a living, burning text. faith 10
which meant Anglo Saxon supremacy,
good government and the preservation
Of our civilization.
But the sword Of Damocles has been
suspended over our heads through a
Constitution guaranteeing universal suf.
frage. The census Of 1890 shows that
the negroes have a majority of more
than $4,000 men Of voting age. The
huge black snake, which, anaconda
like, held the State in its folds and
came so near crushing it to death dur
ing the dark period from 1868 to 1876,
has been rendered harmless, temporarily
raralyzed, by the registration and eight
box laws. But it is not dead, nor is it
even sleeping. Encouraged by the
bitter feud existing between the whites,
aud no doubt relying 90 the belief that
they will be called on as q balance Of
forces to settle the quarrel, the Repub-
licau party has been r%eorganized, the
negro preachers, always the most In
duential leaders of their race. are
already preparing to mobilize the black
horde. 1t is a sad commentary on the
mad extremes to which factional politi-
cal strife can carry men to oote the at
titude of some of our men and news
papers toward the movement. Thirst
ing for control and blind to all the evil
consequences, they encourage the ue-
groes to political activity. Irrecoucil-
ables. few in number, we are confident,
but bitter and s~cheming men are evil
IDENTIFY in league with them, and a per-
feet understanding seems to exist. The
devil, moving and ins;igasiug them, as
it were, taking these men up 90 a
mountain aud showing them the ne
groes. saying: "Eoergize. mobilize
these black men. and you can rule in
South Carolina"
The plea is made by the Republican
leaders that the Republicans do not
seek to obtain Office or regain control of
the government, but 30 men Of sense
can be deceived by such plea. Their
offer to vote for the best men of the fac
tioo which will give them their rights
may be a temptation to a few ultra
politicians, but we have more faith in
the good sense and patriotism of the
conservative masses than to believe that
they are to be thus fooled, or that they
cau &c led by designing men to form an
alliance which can only bring disgrace
to them and jeopardize, if rot destroy
our government for all time.
We had the opportunity, SO long
sought, of fixing the privilege of suf-
frage SO that the fullest political free
dom shall obtain, and all danger from
the ignorant black majority, which has
been a menace TO our liberty and civi
~lization and has hung as an incubus Oh
our progress, shall be averted forever.
Will not our people, remembering
the struggle of '76 and its lesson of
white unity, cease their mad strife and
come together as the sons of a common
mother m nrotect that mother and se.