The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-02-01
The Civil Right. OF the Freedmen.

ton to Hon. Nath. B. Meade, mem
ber of the Senate of Virginia. We
commend it to the attention of our
readers. Distinguishing carefully be-
tween cica and political rights, and
recognizing fully the power of each
State over the subjects within it's own
borders, Mr.. Pendleton maintains
that good policy and justice alike re-
quire that the negro should be fully
protected in the enjoyment of civil
rights. The demands Of the hour
the future of two races require the
careful and unprejudiced considera-
ton of the people, or that class to
whom we address ourselves. It is
therefore that we publish the follow
ing letter:
CINCINNATI, December %, 1865.
Nathaniel B. Meade, Esq, Winchester,
Virginia.
My DEAR SIR: Your letter has just
come to hand. / have been absent
from the city good deal lately, and
this may account for the delay in part
the mails must answer for the rest.
regret that have not compila-
ton of the laws of Indiana and Hi
nois to send you. I am not familiar
with their provisions in relation to
negroes resident in those States, but
1 have an impression that they are
more stringent than those of Ohio.
Indeed, in this State, the negro
enjoys practically all civil rights. He
may acquire and hold property, make
contracts, sue and be sued, and give
testimony in all courts and in all
cases. In some parts of the State,
public schools for the education of
colored children are established under
the authority of law, and ere sup
ported by the takes levied on the
property of all the people of the
State, and apportioned pro rata ac-
cordlng to the enumeration of white
and colored children. The laws which
created disabilities on the part of
negroes in respect to these civil rights
were repealed in the year 184S, after
q contest quite memorable in the
history of the State. Their repeal
was looked upon with great disfavor
by large portion of the people as
dangerous innovation upon just and
well settled policy, and vote i'm that
direction consigned many members
of the Legislature to the repose of
private life. But I am not aware
that any evil results justified these
apprehensions, or that any effort was
ever made to re-impose the disabili-
ties. On the contrary, the new policy,
IT may call it so, has been found so
consistent with justice to the negroes
and the interests of the whites, that
no certainly no party-in Ohio
would be willing to abandon it.
Ny observation of the effect of such
q policy has been limited to Ohio. I
am well aware that policy well suit
ed to State where the negroes are
few in number and certainly good in
character, might be disastrous in a
State where the negroes are very
numerous and generally very ignorant
and degraded. I am also fully aware
that condition of society which has
existed for centuries leaves deep i'm
pressions on the habits, modes of
thought and character of a people,
and that it is always unpleasant and
frequently unsafe to disregard them.
History teaches in every page that
sudden and radical changes, which at
once shock deeply-rooted prejudices
and go too far, even in right direc-
ton, are followed by a reaction
which leaves the latter state worse
than the first. The wisdom and be-
nefcence of any change depend upon
its entire fitness in tone, and manner,
and degree, to the condition of the
people upon whom it operates.
The questions relating to the status
of its inhabitants belong solely to
each State. They lie within the do
main of reserved powers upon which
neither the Federal Government nor
the other States can lawfully enter,
These considerations constrain me
to speak with dihidence of the proper
course to be pursued at this time by
the Southern States in relation to
their freedmen. That it ought to be
humane, and in conformity with their
changed condition, and calculated to
give free scope to whatever capacity
for improvement they may possess, I
do not doubt. Whatever may have
been expedient OF necessary in a So
ciety where the condition Of slavery
exists, it does seem to me that Justice
and good policy alike require that
ample nrQtectinn should ha acs1,rad