The tri-weekly news. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1865-1876, 1865-08-22
BY y. E. HsRHTToN.
[Prom the Columbia Phoenix I
Under Which King, Bezonian 2

which we find submitted to candidates
in the Alabama newspapers. These
questions may or may not be Of impor.
tancc to the people. Rut the question,
first, is whether there is people or not.
We are told that the elections are pro
Nnounced void in Virginia. by the militia.
ry authorities, because men who were
old secessbnists have been elected
How have they been elected? Were
they not pardoned--did they not be.
''comc loyal citizens by the oath = have
they not been granted terms of citizen.
ship, and what does citizenship imply?
Is not amnesty n wiping out Of old
scores? Ifdenied the rights of citizen.
ship, after taking the oath, of what i'm.
port the oath, and what does citizen.
ship mean, and what does it confer of
privilege? And if, the military may
supercede the ballot box what is sui.
frage? And if the resumption of civil
authority is still subordinate TO the ipsi
distt Of NATAL law, of what use Pro.
visional Governor And if the Presi.
Sdent of the United States coniers a pow.
er whic, the military authorities will
not respect where are the people to look
tosauthority? We ask these questions
iii a perfect state OF bewilderment. IS Let
us know who to obey. Let us know
where the authorities lies. We are pre-.
'pared to be submissive but really, in
tins conflict of authority, one knows not
where to turn. We do not complain
We only ask to know. Obeyiug ole
authority we may offend another.
Where is the authority What is law2
I'VE have the freedom of the ballot
box" the Governor tells us. .'Go and
vote" says Democracy. We'll, we 90
and vote. We vote for Dick Smith.
Dick Smith is the famous fellow that
swallowed the broad-axe. Is Dick
Smith ineligible to Office 2 Not bit of
;it, He was a sccossionist, was Dick.
Poor Dick He voted, once upon
time, for jeff Davis. for Mr.. Foote
Well. he repehted Of his sin. "Iryou
repent" says the proclamation, ''yon
are saved" You have put yourself
right in court. You can come 60 the
communion table as before. And so
Dick votes or is voted for, "but," says
Capt. Martinez "you were pestilent
secessionist some time ago, and you shot
at ME with Minnie bullet at Gettys,
burg, or you voted for Dick Smith who
did the shooting. Your vote is null and
void. The election is null and void.
Your repentance is not worth'a dash!
Your oath is'a farce. You must do this
election business over again, and seethat
you vote according to your consciences
---,for the person whom we please"
Let US have all this matter adjusted
one way or another. Either Governor
Perry has authority or not from the
President of the United States, for call.
ing upon the people to give their nn.
trammelled votes, according to the ideas
of Republicanism, orihe has not Gov.
Perry must see to it and save us harm.
less: He must duly ascertain for ns
what our, privileges are, and whether we
are to have, The ballot Or not. If not,
we do not complain. We are still submis
sive. We really care not straw for
the privilege. or about the denial oft
We only desire to know wlatis expect
ed at our hands, aud what is.allowed us.
We simply wish to escape error, and we
demand Of Gov Perryto ascertain his
status and ours in season, that We may
waste no unnecessary time or temper On
the subject. rHcs,
Had Gov. Perry, for example au.
athority to order an election for msmbers
aofa,eonvention2 Was he aethorizedto
set the wheels of civil and judicial ari-
'tliority in motion Was he right; ;tor
swrongin instructing ,the 'resito re.
sumo their functions utSithe
State at the earliest 2aItis
surely easy to ascertain ings 10
,itnotstbe duty of Coy. l.. ,sJosto, bring
these doubts and queries to "a prompt
solution !? Isit not enoumbent upot,
linn to procure from the, Presiae1t =
clear declaration on these spbjectsY a