The colored Tennessean., 1865-10-14
PERRY ON GOVERNMENT.

Governor Perrys message to thu
State Convention Of South Carolin;
may be taken as a full and frank ex
preston Of the opinions entertained
on the great political questions of the
day bynearly everybody in that State
and, we may fairly infer, in most other
parts Of the South. He assures us,
in express terms, that there are no
political parties and no differences OF
sentiment amongst South Carolinians.
he eXhOrts the Convention to abolish
slavery formally, not because they
have changed their minds as to its
social Of political value, but because
it is only in this way that they can get
from under military rule, and prevent
continuance Of that protection to
the freedmen which is now afforded
BY 'the whole military force Of the
United States" He exhorts them to
treat the freedmen kindly, but addsg
THAT Legislation will be required to
regulate the relative duties Of the en-
ployer and employee.
What will be the nature Of that
legislation? We cannot tell We at
the North, once the State is back in
the Union, will have no control over
it whatever What course it will
take, We can only conjecture from
what we see and hear of the feelings
current amongst the Southern people
at present as to the negro's status and
rights. On this point our correspon-
dents letter this week contains some
instructive revelations. In re-adjust-
ing the basis Of representation in the
State, Gov. Perry recommends that
three -fifths Of the freedmen be count
cd in the estimates Of population,
thus leaving the lower counties their
old predominance, while denying the
majority Of their population all power
in the government tag
1t is needless to say he is emphati-
cally opposed to negro suffrage. and
not to negro suffrage only, but to ne
gro citizenship. On this point his
trumpet gives no uncertain sound
He says:
''The radical Republican party
North are looking with great interest
to the action Of the Southern States
in reference to negro suffrage, and
whilst they admit that man should
be able to read and write and have a
qualification in order to vote,
vet they contend that there should be
no distinction between voters on ac-
count Of color. They forget that
this is white mans government, and
for white men only, and that
5he Supreme Court Of the United
States has decided that the negro is
lot an American citizen under the
Federal Constitution. That each and
very State Of the Union has the un-
Questioned right Of deciding for her
elf who shall exercise the right of
uffrage, is beyond dispute. You will
ettle this grave question as the in
crest and honor Of the State de- t
nand" u
In the Dred Scott case it was de !
ided that q negro could not sue or 8
e sued in the United States Courts ]
ie cannot sue or be sued in those Of {
outh Carolina either, and it is not, t
re believe, proposed to confer any t
ew rights upon him; so that when n
Governor Perry and his new consti- a
alton step back into the Union again, t
le majority Of the free inhabitants O
i'll be in state Of outlawry And "
ct Perry and his confederates are D
to the full with all the con- a
tions that President johnson exacts al
them I'll
The doctrine that ''this is white ii
ans government, and intended for Oh
hite men only" is, as the Perrys e,
'Ofess it, as monstrous a doctrine as w
as ever concocted; and if any State bt
allowed, at this crisis, with the light tv
; now enjoy, to reorganize on this II
inciple, it will not only be fruitful la
nrce Of trouble hereafter, but will co
IKE the very name Of American de m,
ocracy a kissing and byword les
ongst all the nations Of the earth. fo]
is an adaptation to our circum- th,
noes and measures Of the worst, tb,
'st impious, and most nearly worn tht
Of all the articles Of the old feudal fea
ed, that laws or governments can lar
st only for a portion Of the human bo
ngs who live under them, and as
ose labor and money maintain ass
m. When it was sought to retain do,
England the stigma which media- har
bigotry had fixed on the jew, it Bu,
proclaimed in the legislature, by Dire
~ zealots, that that was a Chris Oh,
country and Christian govern a
1T, and that Jews were entitled to mo,
hing better than protection from ira,