Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1866-11-17

and will have its end. The masses Of the
American people are honest and virtuous,
however corrupt and malignant their leaders
may be- The Executive Department of the
National Government is with us, and will do
all that man can do to maintain the CoDsttu
ton and the equal rights Of every section of
the Union. There is every reason to believe,
too, that the Judiciary Department Of the
Government will oppose its silent and peace
ful power to the tyranny of Congress, and wc
should not despair.
The fourth section of the proposed amend
ncnt to tho Constitution, which guarantees $
the Federal debt and rcpudiatcs the Confnde-
rate debt, is as unnecessary as i, is futile. No
Southern State wishes to rcrudiatc the one or
assume the other. If, at any future time, a
majority Of Congress should be disposed to
dshonor the nation by rcru.iaton, this sec
ton, as port Of the Constitution would not
stay their action. They could refuse, or neg.
Icct, to levy taxes or nuke appropriations to
meet the dcLt rs it becomes due, without vio
Iatng the Constitution. Aud even if il did
violate the Constitution, that would be no bar
rier toa corrupt Congress i'll carrying out
their purpose, as We know BY the sad cxpc-
rl!ncc OF the present Congress in disrcgarding
aud tramPling Oh the Federal Constitution.
lie filth section Of the proposed amend
n'ent declares that "Cuner,s, shall have now
cr to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the
provisions of this article Here We have pow.
CT given Cona ross to destroy all the rights of
the States aud centralize all power in the Ma
tonal Government Under the pretext that
Il State has abridged the privileges or immu-
munities of a citizen by refusing suffrage to
the negroes, Congress may under this section,
declare universal suffrage to that class Of Der
sols. Under the prctext that some one has
been deprived Ly State Courts of his liberty
Courts entire jurisdiction Of all litigation in
the State. The Legislative, executive and
judiciary departments of the State Govern
ncnts may, under this section be entirely
swallowed up by Congress, and the American
Cnlon made one grand consolidated empire
The proposed amendment was not submit.
rted to tho President for hi, approval, -ao 10
qured hy the Constitution, before being sub
mittcd to the State Legislatures, aud they
should not, therefore, consider or regard it ut
all as proposed constitutional amendment
for their adoption. Eleven States were ex-
cludrd from Congress when it passed, and the
President never sanctioned it.
But feel well assured that Congress- did
not expect or wish the ratification of this
amendment by the States. The people were
to be made to believe that Congress intended
to reconstruct the Union. This was Ga tub
thrown out to the whale" to amusc them till
the fall elections were over. Congress does
not intend to have the States reconstructed
till after the Presidential election in 1865
The Southern States are to bc kept out Of the
Union till after that period, in order to insnrc
the radical triumph.
The object of the Radical leaders is to per-
pctuatc the power of their party. This they
thin!; they can do by ncgro suffrage, and By
that alone But they were afraid to put that
plank in their platform at present 1t will be
inserted t%oycars hence. When Stewart pro-
posed universal suffrage and universal amncs.
ty, the leaders of the Radical party expressed
their willingness to adopt it. They were vii,
ling to forcgo the pleasure of hanging reb-
els and excluding Southern members, if this
could be accomplished.
have thus, my dear sir given you my
views in reference to the constitutional amend
mcnt. Let me conclude by assuring you that
as feeble as South Carolina may be, and as
"powcrlcss" as you say she is " to protect
herself" she is nevertheless, able to maintain,
amidst all her expressions, her honor unsul,
lied, and will never, voluntarily, accept her
own dcgraiion.
l am, with great respect. yours, &C.,
B. L. PERRY
ANCIENT REMNNs.-Much interest has