Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1866-03-16

| S$'u naAoiy Oe HuOuoC as 10
what that choice will be. We plead for our
blood, our color, our race. We address
ourselves to the people of the Northern
States: We intercede for the first posses
sors, the original parties, your own kindred,
iesh OF your flesh, and bono of your bone,'
whose ancestors struggled with yours
through tho revolution, who are accustom-
ed 10 exercise the rights of citizens, and claim
Participation in the Government from orig.
i,hl compact, from intelligence and herei.
itary right. The white citizens of these
unfortunate Southern States have lost their
property and are now poor, but that affords
nc, good reason why they should lose their
ownership Of the soil, and their birthright
of sell government.
We have been considering the matter as
If the whites and blacks were nearly eoual
| as they are in most OF the Southern States.
but the proportion of blacks in other States
it is very different. The people of the
Northern States, where they lbave com
paratively few negroes, say one, two or
three in hundred, can have no just idea
OF the condition of the Southern States.
One drop of impure blood may be absor-
bed into the system without injury, when n
lar@'ar Infusion would prove fatal. If there
| anything like an equal propotioa of
blacks in all the States, we would have no
apprehension whatever that negro suffrage
would be allowed; but the dan ger is that
At nsy be forced on us by those who cannot
suffer from it.
In South Carolina there is great major.
fty OF negroes. BY the census of 1860 the
aggregate white population was POI 800.
and the black population 4l2,32O, Since
That time the disparity doubtless, has been
increased. Negro suffrage would not there.
fore have the effect of dividing the power.
but OF turning over the State to the most
numerous race. The blacks would have
absolute control Of the State Government ::
the white would be annihilated with ali
| the horrors OF the Jamaica insurrection, and
there would be negro Governor and ne
| gro representatives in both Houses of Con.
gress. Can any patriot contemplate such
results with serenity? Can any man. not
to say civilized Christian American, regard
them without the utmost horror? But
montrous as this would be, the established
possession ofthe State Government bv one
of@e races would he preferable to the etern.
a4sSar where the black and white elements
hatg in "cqual balance"
lhe negro has no right to claim the
ballot; nor aoould ii itimproue his condition,
but on the contrary -aggrarate 1t. Upon
what ground is the right of suffrage de-.
manded for the negro ? Certainly not that
| of original association, he was then slave
or barbarian in his own country: certain.
~ not that Of remarkable fitness, for we
have seen that he is ignorant and unpre-
pared for it; certainly not that of homogeni-
city with the whites, for he is moro distinct>
ly separated from them than any other race
on earth; certainly not that of possession
for he has never had it in bis own country
or elsewhere. To withhold it from him
here would not take from him anything
that he ever possessed. why then should
we incur such risks to give it to him? It
is said because lie has been made free, and.
tina! gives him right to it-that the right
to vote is "naturaP right which, like the
rig b. to breathe and 1.-Two, belongs to all.
Not so. We deny that the right to vote
is "natural right" Dr.. Paley says,
"Rights are natural or adventitious. Nat.
ural rights are such as would belong to a
man although there subsisted in tho world
no civil government whatever. Advent
tious rights are such rs would not. Nat
ural rights area mans rights to his life,
limbs and liberty; his right to the produce
of bis personal labor; to the use in common
with others OF air, light, water. Ifa thou.
sand different persons from a thousand diff.
ferent corners of the world were cast to-
| gether upon desert island they would
from the first be, every one, entitled to these
rights. Adpentitious rights are the rights of
a king over his subjects; of general over
his soldiers; right to elect or appoint
magistrates" etc. 1t is clear, therefore,
that the right to vote is not "natural' but
an adventi.ious right. 1t depends entirely
upon the form ofgovernment whether any
citizen has the right to vote, and whether
i. should be conferred, depends entirely upon
its expediency. The privilege is provided
for by law, and cannot exist without it.
ThS great mass of fmankind never dreamed
Of suoh right. Why are the people Of
Russia excluded from it entirely? Why
are a majority of the people of England OK.
cluded by property qualification Why,
dre women and children, idiots and lunatics,
vagrants, paupers and criminals not allow.
ed to vote with usa Why are foreigners
forbidden until they are naturalized, and
acquire the right by express grant7 Sim.
ply because the State. deems it expedient,
and for no other reason. It would seem
that nothing could be palmer than this. .
The right to vote 10 franchise, a. the
lawyers say "Aower Of the crown" and
haa sonaetimss been called a high political
trust. !! The right is moro gedAral and easy
to attain than high Office, But is no more 3
natural right than to ba President of the
United States. Both are privileges which
the Lay law creates, prescribing The Necessary
We suppose that no one really believes
the negro can ever become the 5dlipg race
in the Union. To say nothing more, his
infafiority in nutnbetsis Il 80 grekt that even
= L.. Il "a = a L.