Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1866-12-06


do so of their own volition. We obeyed.
In addition to this, all the citizens of South
Carolina, with scarcely an exception, took
the amnesty oath, which required them to
sustain and support all the proclamations
and laws made during the war, and partic-
ularly those relating to the abolition of
slavery. These oaths have been observed
by the great mass Of the people with singu-
lar fidelity, and every essential attribute of
true and thorough loyalty to the Cousti-
tuition aud Union has been exhibited and
practiced. In addition to all this, the Gen.
eral Assembly of the State has, by solemn
enactment, accorded to the black race all
the rights of person and property enjoyed
by the white race. They can buy and sell,
grant, convey and devise. If their person
or personal rights are invaded, the same
judicial tribunals vindicate them. They
go upon the witness stand and testify; they
are permitted to testify in their own cases,
even when on trial for the gravest offences.
How many of the States now enjoying q
representation In that Congress ~hioh-Pso-
poses this amendment to us for ratification
accord by their own laws the same general
rights and privileges to the black man !
They have but meager number of negroes
in their midst, and if allowed to vote, their
ignorance and depravity would produce no
appreciable effect upon the result, being less
than one-and-one-eighth per cent. of the vot-
ing population, whereas their relative mum.
Der here is forty-one blacks to thirty whites.
Do sensible, fair and just men at the North
desire that these people, without informa
tion or education n-steeped in ignorance,
crime and vice, should 90 to the polls and
elect men to Congress who are to pass laws
taxing and governing them9 Now that all
this has been done, what further or higher
pledge of honorable obedience can be given
by one people to another? Does the ma.
jority who now rule Congress expect to make
US better men or better citizeus-more ser
viceable to the country in peace and in war,
by furthe, humiliatiug and degrading us ?
Notwithstanding all these pledges and con-
cessons, it is sought still further to humil.
late and degrade the South. Eleven of the
Southern States, including South Carolina,
are deprived of their representation in Con.
gress. Although their Senators and Rep
resentatives have been duly elected, and
have presented themselves for the purpose
of taking their seats, their credentials have,
in most instances, been laid upon the table
without being read, or have been referred
to committee, who have failed to make
any report on the subject. In short, Con-
gress has refused to exercise its constitution
al functions, and decide either upon the
election, the return, or the qualification Of
those selected by the States and people to
represent US. Some of the Senators and
from the Southern States
were prepared to take the test oath, but even
these have been persisteutly ignored, and
kept out of the seats to which they were
entitled under the Constitution and laws -
Hence this amendment has not been propo
sed by "two-thirds of both Houses" of
legally constituted Congress, and is not,
or legitimately, before sim
gle Legislature for ratification. Waving
this point, however, is it compatible with
the interest, or consistent with the honor,
of this State, to ratify that amendment p
Do not its first and last sections, if adopted
confer upon Congress the absolute right Of
determining who shall be citizens of the re
specti0e States, and who shall exercise the
elective franchise and enjoy any and all Of
the rights, privileges and immunities of
The sections referred to not
only do this, but they subvert the theory
and practice of the Government since its
four udaton, by abrogating the right of fixing
the elective franchise conferred upon the
State Governments, aud by CIV
ing the representatives of Oregon or Cali.
fornia in Congress the power TO declare what
shall constitute the measure OF citizenship
within the limits of South Carolina or Geor.
gia. Who is the most likely to exercise this
power judicicus y-the citizens of the State
wherein the regulation is to be made, or non
who are entirely ignorant of the
the intelligence, necessities and
resources for which legislation is underta-
ken? With this amendment Incorporated
in the Constitution, does not the Federal
Government cease to be one of "imited
powers" in all of the essential qualities
which constitute such form of Govern.
ment? Nay, more; does not its adoption
reverse the well-approVed doctrine, that the
United States shall exercise no powers, un.
less expressly delegated by the Constitu-
tion?
The third section, if its spirit were car
ried out, would not only disorganize the
State Government in all its departments;
but would render it nearly impossible for
the people of South Carolina, at least, to
government until Congress, by
a two. thirds vote in the case of each indi.
vidual person, removes the disability. And
this for the reason that when secession was
determined upon by the Convention of the
State, South Carolina may be truly said to
have been unit in sustaining the doctrine
and in earnestly and zealously prosecuting
the war. When, therefore, every citizen
who, at any time prior to secession had Ia
ken the oath "to support the Constitution