The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1865-12-20


tors in each State shall have the qualifications
branch of the State Legislature" After the
formation of the Constitution, it remained, as
before, the uniform usage for each State to
enlarge the body of its electors, according to
it's own Judgment and, under thiS system,
orc STATE after another has proceeded to In
crease the number Of its electors, until uni
versa suffrage, or something very near 1t, IS
the general rule. So fixed was this reservation
of power in the habits of the people, and so
unOuestioned has been the Interpretation Of
the Constitution, that during the civil war
the late President never harborcd the pur-
pose certainly never avowed the purpoSe-oi
disreeaiding it and in the Acts of Congress
during that period, nothing can be found
which. during the continuance Of hOstlllles.
much less after their close, would have sane
toned any departure by the Executive from
policy which has so uniformly obtained. More
over, a concession Of the elective franchise to
the freedmen, by act Of the President OF the
United States, must have been extended to all
colorcd men, wherever found, and must so
have established chance of suffrage in the
Northern, Middle and Western States, not
less than in the Southern and Southwestern.
Such an act would have created a new class
of voters, and would have been an assumption
of power bv the President which nothing IN
the Constitution or laws OF the tMtcd States
would have warranted.
On the other hand, every danger Of con-
flict is avoided, when the settlement OF the
question is referred to the several States.
They can, each for ITSELF decide on the meas
urc, and whether it is to he addrted at once
and absolutely, or introduced gradually and
with conditions. In my Judgement, the freed
men, if they show patience aad manly virtues,
will sooner obtain participation in the cleo
tive franchise through the States than through
the General Government, even if it had pow
er to intervene. When the tumu!t Of emotions
that have been raised by the su'ldcnncSs Of
the social change shall have snhsi'lcd, it may
prove that they will receive the kindlicSt
usage from some Of those on whom they have
heretofore most close depended.
But while have 10 doubt that now, after
the close Of the war, it is not competent for
the General Government to extend the elective
fiarchi<e in the several States, it is equally
clear that gaod faith requires the security OF
the freedmen in their liberty and their prop
Cflt. tlclT !iEHI 10 IaDOI, anu l'lSit I'S''C w
claim the j.is;t return Of their labor. cannot
too strongly urge a diSpaS>ionate treatment
Of this subject, which should lie carefully kept
a!oof from ali party strife. We must equally
avoid hasty assumptions Of any natural i'm
possibility for the two races to live side by
side, in y state Of mutual tcncht and good
will. The experiment involves US in no in
consistency; Let US, then, 90 on AMI make
that experiment in good faith, and not be too
easily di>hrartcned. The country is in need
of labor, aud the freedmen are in need Of cln-
piOymrrt, culture and protection. " lille
their iylt Of voluntary migration and cX9Ht-
ration is not to be questioned, wonId not
advise their forced removal and colonization.
Let US rather encourage them to honorable
and useful industry, where it may be bvnc-
fetal to themselves AID TO the country; ard
and, instead Of haSty anticipations of the GER
tainty of failure, let there be nothing wanting
to the fair trial of the experiment. The
change in their condition is the substitution
of labor by contract for the status of slavery.
The freedman cannot fairly be accused Of un-
Willingness to work. so long as doubt re-
mains about his freedom Of choice in his pur-
suits, and the certainty of his recovering bis
stimulated wages liz this the interest OF the
employer and the employed Coincide. Inc
cupiovcr desires in his worklncn spirit AMI
alaclity, ard these can be permanently Sc
cured in no other way. And II the one ought
To be able to enforce the contract SO Ought
the other. The public interest will be best
promoted if the several States will provide
adequate protection and remedies for the
freedmen. Until this is in some way accom-
plishcd there is no chance for the advanta-
gcous use of their labor and the blame OF
ill-SuccrSs will not rest on them.
know that !nccrc philanthropy is earnest
for the immediate realization "t It's rcrn"tcst
aims; but time is always an element in re-
form 1t is one of the greatest acts on record
to have brought four millions of people into
freedom. The career Of free industry must
bc fairly opened to them and then their tu-
turc ~ o<pcrity and condition must, after al,
rest manly on themselves II they tail, and
perish away, let US be careful that the failure
Shall no: be attributable to any denial OF JUS
ticc In all that relates to the destiny OF the
freedmen, We need not be 100 anxious to read
the future; tn;ny incidents. which, from {
speculative point Of view, might raise alarm,
will quietly settle themselves.
Now that slavery is at an end, or near its
end, the greatness Of its evil, i'll the po:"t OF
view of public econorsy, becomes more and
more apparent. Slavery was essentially mo-
noroiy Of labor, and as such locked the States
where it prevailed, against the lncominGo lTcc
industry. Where labor WAS the property OF
the capitalist, the white man was c%clH'cd
f.om employment, or had but the second best
charcc Of finding it; and the foreign rml-
grant turned away from tic region where
hi> condition would be 50 prtcHl i"u>.--
With the destruction of the monopoly, tree
labor will hasten from iii parts Of tie e.
vi,iZvd wold 20 assist in developing various
and unreasonable resources which haTr
hitherto lain dormant. The eight or NI"r
States nearest the Gulf of Mexico havca sell OF
cxubcrant fertility, asclinatc friendly to long
life, and can sustain dcnSrr population than Is
found as yet in any part Of our country. hnH
the future influx Of population to them Viii he
mainly from the North, or Fl ON the most cut
tivatc,l nations OF Eur"rc. From The SU'icr-
incs that have attended them GHil;'g our
late struggle, let US look away to the t":i'rr,
which is sure to be laden for thcm with
grcater prosperity than has ever Hv'orc hcrn
known. The removal CC the monc;:oiy OF
slave labor Is a pledge that those regions WiI'
! be pcnrcd hy numerous and cntcrFr's!nG
ponulH:ioa, which will vie VITA any III Tie