The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1865-09-25


Reorganization OF SOuth Carolina.
The President received telegram
from Provisional Governor Perry OF
South Carolina, on Tuesday, stating
that the Convention had repealed tho
ordinance of secession; that commit
tee had reported in favor of abolishing
slavery, equaliztng representation, clrc-
ting governor and presidential electors
by the people, and voting viva voce in
the Legislature; that these measures will
nll pass everything has been unNni.
nous. Mr.. Thompson, delegate ir-
regularly elected by the northern citi-
2cns ut Beaufort, was permitted TO take
his seat. South Carolina seems deter.
mined not TO be cXcelled by Mississippi
/ in the rudicul work necessary for full
return TO the Union. In his message to
the Convention, Gov. Perry makes the
following suggestions us to loyalty, no.
gro suffrage and other mattcrs:-
ain rcsuming her allegiance to the
United States know that South Caro-
, linn does SO in good inith, and with per-
( feet sincerity to her pligMtcd honor. As
she was the first TO lead of in this great
! md most unfortunate secession move
! mCnt, 1t now becomes her duty TO set II
bright example of loyalty 10 the other
southern states, in returning to the
! Union, cheerlully performing all the
obligations 10 the federal government.
She will receive, in return, from TINT
government, Il restoration Of all her
civil and political rights as II sovereign
State, with general amnesty for the
past. You should be careful 10 do nll
ihRt Is necessary to hid the President in
carrying out his wise and generous
policy Of reconstruction, and do moth
which may tend TO cmh0rrnSS him in
TINT policy or impede the restoration Of
the State 10 the Federal Union. 1t is II
remarkable fuct that the brave men who
have imperiled their lives and made
every sacrifice in war for the last four
years, are promptly and chccrtully uc-
UuiCScing IN its results, whilst some of
those who have kept out of danger and
made less sacrifices are less inclined To
ucquicscc in the inevitable results of
war.
al have the qualification of informing
YOU thut the policy | have pursued III
my administration of the provisional
government of the State has met thrcn +.
tire approval of the president, and he
hns directed the military authorities /.
not to Interfere with that policy, but to :
mid md assist me IN carrying il ont. II !
Is also u source of COngratulutiOn to I
know that the COlOred troops, whose
ntrOcious conduct has diSgrnccd the SER
vice and filled the public mind with the !
most horrible npprchGnsiOmS, have been I
withdrawn from the interior OF the
state, md are to be placed in garris0ms
on the coast, where they can do no fur
thCr mischief. In all of my personal
Interviews with the president, and in
all of my dispatches TO him, Iurgrd this
course most earnestly. The white troops
are, believe, doing their duty bcneii-
ciullV to the country, in preserving the
peace nnd good order of the state. II is
thought that their presence amongst us
for some time YET will be necessary, IN
order to enforce the relative duties of
the freedmen and their employers.
",IhC question of suffrage, and who
shall exercise the right Of voting in
South Carolina, is one Of grave import /.
unrr, and must heSGttlcd by You in YOur
new constitution. In 1890, the state |
constitution declared that no one should !
he allowed 10 vote unless he WIS II free /
holder or taxpayer, and II free white
man OfthC age Of u years. In 1910 the |
right Of suffrage was extended to all |
fre" white men Of the age OF II, who .
were residents OfthC state two years, and |
Of the election district six months prcvi- |
Gus to voting. The CQualiiCntion ola free
hold or the payment Of II tax WIS no
longer required. 1t was thought prop
cr al that period that Il FIRE" white man,
who had TO serve in the militia, patrol
duty, work on the roads, and defend
his country IN time Of wNt, should he
allowed to vote for members Of the leg
islaturc and other officers of the state,
without the ownership Ofn freehold or
the payment Of taxes. To extend this
universal suffrage TO tho freedmen
in their present ignorant and dCgra-
dcd condition, would be little less
than folly and madness. 1t would
bc giving to the man Of wealth
and lurgC landed possessions in the
state II most undue influence in ull clcr-
tions. He would bo enabled to march
to the polls, with his two or three hum
drch freedmen HS employees, voting aS
he directed, and control all elections.
The poor white men in the election dis
trictS would have no influence, or their
influence would be 0VCrpOwered by one
man of large landed estate. In Con-
nccticut, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and
several other non-slnvGhOlding states
ut the North, free negroes and cOlOrcd
persons are entirely excluded from
voting. In most Of the northern states
there is property qualification re-
QuirCd of all voters, which excludes
them. If the New York qualification
of II freehold for n person of color vo-
ting were adopted in South Carolina,
very few of the freedmen In this state
would ever be able 10 exercise the right
Of suffrage. In North Carolina, Ten
nCsScc, and perhaps other rsluvchOlding
states, free negroes formerly were en-
titled to vote, but il is understood that
they seldom saw proper to exercise this
franchise. The radical republican par
ty north are looking with grCnt inter
csI to the action Of the southern states
in reference TO negro Sugrnge; and
whilst they admit TINT II man should bc
able to read and write and have prop
crty qualification In order 10 vote, yet
they contend that there should be no
ulSlllNllUU uNlNtfIl Nbl'IS WI itCuUlll
Of color. They forget that this. IL II
white mans government, and intend
rd for white men only; and that the
supreme court of the United States has
decided that the negro Is not M AmCri- |
can citizen under the Federal constitu-
tiOn. That each and every state Of the
Union has the unqucstiGncd right of
deciding for herself who shall exercise
the right of suffrage, is beyond NIL dis
putC. HOm will settle this grave Qurs- !
lion Ms the interest and honor Of the
stHtc demand"
If the New Orleans DciiH is not mis-.
Informed, Louisiana Is to bc recon-
structCd over again. 1t states that the
president has appointed ]. Madison
Wells, tho present governor, to he pro-
viSiOnnl governor, aud has given him