Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1854-09-30
CONSTITUTION OF SOUTH CAROLINA,

South crrolinia has always claimed to be a.
Democrat'o State, not merely in its political Con-
-httutton, but in the common language Of uolitici-
nnsi and it is astonishing that tue preposterous
claim is generally acquiesccd in. Her bold and
'nudacious politicians, by dint Of talent, elfonlery,
and elap-trap, have, for forty or fifty years, kept
up tho humbug in the face of the fact, that all 20.
D ltical power is vested in oue-third of her ~reolle,
IN proportion to their interest in the remaining
two'thirds, who arc r garded as slaves. Her Con.
%stitution is not only ariStocratic in maintaining
Slavery, but also in discriminating between the
rich and the poor white population--giving power
70 districts, not in proportion to citizens, but in
proportion to taxable property, Of which Sidrcs con-
sttute the grelt bulk Such is South Carolina
Democracy, which is impuden;ly held up as &
model for tho imitation OF other States which OK
clua,. Slavery.
But this is an era Of change and progress ard
, oven South Carolina, like Turkey and Spain, are
beginning to feel the influence Of what is called
tho spirit of the age" We are pleased to observe
IN tic newspapers of that State, n spirited discus
sion upon the mode Of appointing Presidential
%clectois. BY tho present law, which differs from
TINT Of all the other States, the people arc entirely
excluded from a voice in the election Of President.
Tue complicated whccl.witbin-a-whccl as it exists
IN the Federal Constitution, had not removed the
Ttesidcnt far enough from the People to suit the
aristocratic democracy Of South Carolina, and
they intetposcd another obstacle to the full and
fair expression of pdblic opinion, by comforting
the election of the electors upon the Legislature.
Tho legislature of South Carolina is strictly
and exclusively aristocratic. No man is eligible
= To n scat in that body. unless he is the owner OF Il at
least ten negroes, or a considerable income in
m.2ney.
We arc glad to SEQ that tho advocates Of the re.
peal Of this law, and of the substitution of popu.
lar election, have boldly assaulted the injustice and
inequality OF the whole system of representation
They expose the Constitution Of the State to con.
tempt and ridicule, iii language which must sound
almost reasonable in that latitude, but which
cannot fail to have n wholesome influence upon
the public mind. a writer in the South Cafohi
MAN shows that the upper counties, with nearly
five sixths of tho white population, have only Is
out of l22 Representatives. That Richland Dis
trict, with $50 white inhabitants, has only five
members Of Assembly while the parishes of St.
Thomas, st. Dennis, and st. James, with q total
population of 0S4, less by ia than the number OF
rocrs in Richllnd, has six members Of Assembly.
Pendleton, with 26,232 white inhabitants, has but
seven Representatives, while St. Phillips and st.
Michaels parishes, with only 1882 white people,
has eighteen representatives &c.
These facts are sufficient to show that the slave
holding class arc, or at least have been, supreme
in South Carolina. They keep under the poorer
white people, as well as the slaves, and constitute
an odious o~ligarchy in the name Of Democracy.
The following language Cf the writer in the
South Cdrolin,an must sound very quccrly in the
ears Of the Slaveocracy. &.
"Nevcr was the rcmurk Of Mr.. Jefferson more
clearly calculated than is now apparent in the
construction of the General Assembly OF South
Carolina. That great man was not in error whcu
he said that power was constantly passing from
the many to the few By the Constitution Of South
Carolina, as formed by the Convention, it passed
then from the many to the few viii any man
say this is untrue? The writer, to sustain himself
refers to the table. Look at the number Of Repre-
s~entatiyos apportioncd to the small Parishes
Look at Christ Church, St. Stephens, st. Sohn's,
Berkeley, and others in the table, and there is found
three uemhcrs for each. Look to Beaufort, and
there arc treire. Was this equal justice to ALL
for be it remembered, when South Carolina accep
ted the Constitution of the United States on the
terms contained in the declaration prelacing tina
instrument, she virtually promised BSg~equal jus
tice eJsa to all her citizens. Did the Convention Q
1870 award this constituent Of Il Democratic Gov
ernmout? Is ii one which, in apportioning tn
representation OF q State, establishes the eiectlv
franchise on a basis Of gross inequality Woul
Government, pretending to have even n fair
scmblancc to Democracy, 'pcrrctrated 4 palpabl
wrong on its people for a period of moro than sixt
wears? And in this enlightened age, what shout
be thought of those who can see no wrong in sue
arrangement, and claim for themselves the coGnC
men Of democratic republicans, aud laud a systci
unequal, uyHst, and anti-democrat'c in all its bea'
ings? When any Government denies to its either
rights which were intended to be secured to thol
by the Constitution Of their common country, an
persists in that denial, then ne who uphOlds All
advocates such denial, especially on The score
erpeateacy, is not a republican ut heart, he thi
niqn in power and once, or seeking e!theT. Bett'
for such men to come out boldly and declare to Il
people, 'yc serfs and underlinSs, ne hace no rights
and if ye haze, it is not crpedirnt Tor you 10 exc
else them, because the members of the Legislatui
can DO it better
"Expediency!' What a congonicat term f
those who will not, or cannot, seek the foundatic
Of argument! 'Expcdiency!' How many unsu
pations, how much political t~urpitudc it conceal
and is designed to cover! 'Expelicncy ? A fl
ting word, truly, for such as would dctract fro
the merits Of 4 question based on 'eQHai j"Sac
toal!'