The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-12-05

f. Perry.
COLUMBIA, S. G.,
November 80, 1866.
Charles ". Wood,card, Esq, Phila
delphia
Ny DEAR SIR: In your reply to
my letter on the institutional amend
ment, you express the opinion that
"this measure will be dropped by the
radicals for one which they deem
more humiliating to the people o1
the South, viz: universal suffrage.
Hon. Horace Greeley (the most
prominent candidate for the United
States Senate from the State of New
York. writes me as follows: In my
Judgment, the true basis of settle
ment of all our troubles is universal
amnesty, with impartial suffrage. In
other words, would have all disa-
bilities because of rebellion and be-
cause of color, utterly and absolutely
abolished; and Coming to the point
[ strongly hope and trust that set
tlement on this basis will be made at
Washington this winter This he
wrote in reply to q letter I addressed
to him, in which I put the question
as to whether the Southern delegates
to Congress would be admitted, in the
event of their respective States
adopting the amendment
L do not believe, as it is rumored,
that President Johnson intends to
abandon his policy of reconstruction.
or that he will attempt to interfere
with any Of the States in regulating,
as they may see proper, the right Of
suffrage. Nor do I see any reason to
hope that the present or the next
Congress will accept of any compro
mise without universal suffrage for
all the negroes in the Southern
States. [ am, likewise, unwilling to
believe that the Southern people will
adopt any compromise which will
disfranchise one-ffth of the white
votes, for the purpose of enfranchis-
ing few hundred negroes in the
Southern States.
Impartial suffrage may be accom-
plished by permitting all persons,
black and white, to vote who are
twenty-one years old This the
Southern people will never consent
to, as it would degrade the right of
suffrage and demoralize the Govern
naent and society. It may be accom-
by restricting the right of
suffrage in the Southern States to
such persons, black or white, who
have property qualification and can
read and write. This would disfran-
chise about 'one-fifth Of the present
number OF white voters, and confer
the right of suffrage on few hun
dred negroes VINO own the property
qualification and can read and write.
Are the Southern people willing to
dlsfranchise and degrade one-fifth Of
themselves, and elevate q few hun
dred or a few thousand negroes above
this fifth in all political rights and
privileges? do not think so.
According to the last census, there
are over 200, 900 white males over the
age of twenty-one in the Southern
States who cannot read and write.
Many thousands Of this number
fought gallantly throughout the whole
war for the right of self-government.
Are they now to be untarily de-
prlved by their comrades-in-a farms of
this inestimable right, and reduced to
level with their former slaves? 1t
may be that their freedmen, having
the qualification of property and can
read and write, will be placed above
them They will have the mortifica-
ton of seeing themselves excluded
from the polls, whilst their former
slaves are permitted to vote!
Every Southern man knows that
there are great many men of sub
stance and character in the Southern
States who cannot read and write,
and especially old men. They are
men of intelligence, patriotism and
excellent Judgment, and as capable of
exercising prudently the right Of suf-
frage as any one, no matter how we'll
educated he may have been. They
have enjoyed this right, too, through
out their manhood, and valued it as
sacred and inestimable.
1t is well known, too, that there are
hundreds of thousands of young men