Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1866-11-15
SOUTH CAROLINA AND, THE RADICAL
PROGRAMME.
Strong Letter from Hon. BENZ. r. Perry
against the Constitutional Amendment.

PROGRAMME.
4 against the Constitutional Amendment.
! One by one the leading men of the South
are taking position squarely and publicly
against the constitutional amendment. 1t
gives us pleasure to lay before our readers
the following manly letter from the Hon.
Benjamin E. Perry
GREENv1LE, s. c., October 26, 1866.
Chas. ". Woodward, Esq, Philadelphia:
My DEAR SIR:-I had the pleasure of re-
ceiving your letter few days since, ex-
pressing kind interest in the condition of
the Southern States, and urging that South
Carolina should adopt the constitutional
amendment proposed by Congress. You
also express wish to know my views in
reference to this all-absorbing political ques-
ton.
1t has been said that man never can be
dishonored except by himself Others may
injure him and Cypress him; they may SLAM
der him and destroy him, but they can no
more dlshonor him and render him infa-
nous than they can defame virtue, and
truth and honor. The same may be said
OF people or a nation. Whilst they pur-
sue an honorable and patriotic course they
cannot be disgraced by the insults. wrongs
and expressions of a stronger power how
ever tyrannical and exacting that power
may be.
The Southern people may be deprived of
all political power i'll the Union, their pro
perty may be cOnfiscated, and their most
distinguished and virtuous citizens gibbet-
ed on the gallows, but they cannot be rem
dered Infamous in history by any such bar
barous and inhuman conduct Such a
course will only dishonor and render in
famous their oppressors.
| do not concur with you in SuppOSing
that the constitutional amendment will be
adopted by three-fourths of the States /
am sure this will not be the case There
are thirty-siX States in the Federal Union,
and this will require the adoption of the
amendment by twenty seven. The reiec-
ton of the amendment by ten States will
defeat it. 1t is morally certain-as certain
as any future event can be, depending on
human action-that South Carolina, Geor-
gia, Virginia, North Carolina, Alabama,
Florida Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Ar
kansas and Kentucky-eleven States-will
not dishonor themselves by adopting the
| proposed constitutional amendment There
are not, therefore, as you say, Northern
States enough to make the requisite num-
Der to adopt the amendment. If adopted,
| it must be by the aid of two recreant States
|
not occur.
You state that you greatly fear worse
terms will be imposed on the South. if the
amendment be not adopted. What securi-
ty has the South that worse terms may not
| be imposed, If the amendment is adopted 4?
| We have no guarantee whatever that the
Southern members will be admitted to their
seats in Congress, after the amendment is
adopted. Nothing of the kind is intima-
ted; and whilst the test oath is exacted, it
would be impossible for the Southern States
to be represented in Congress, except by
those who would dishonor and disgrace
them. We have no guarantee that Congress-
may not still hold the Southern States IS
conquered provinces, and appoint Provis-
lOnal Governors over them, with instruc-
tons to convene '1uyar conventions, cleo
ted by universal negro suffrage, and have
formed State Constitutions by which all
shall be entitled to vote and hold Office
| without regard to caste or color, to the eX-
clusiOn of every one who has aided or coun-
tenanced the " rebellion
The first section Of the constitutional
amendment proposes to make citizens of
all the negroes of the Southern States,
| without regard to moral character or at
tachment TO republican principles, which
are required of all foreigners who become
|
the United States. No matter how infa-
nous may be the character of the negro,
as liar, a rogue and a murderer, he be-
comes an American citizen by this amend
ment, and entitled to all the rights and
privileges of citizenship But the Irish
man, German and Englishman must first
satisfy the court that he is a man of good
moral character, and well attached to the
principles of our Government before he
can be invested with such rights and priv
leges. Why this preference should be given
to the black man, in his ignorance and vice,
over the virtuous and intelligent white
man who comes here from foreign land
| is hard to conceive.
Already South Carolina has declared, by
Legislative enactment, that negroes shall
| have all the rights and privileges of
white men, IN person and property
They may sue and be sued, purchase and
dispose of property, inheritand be tried,
as white men are. They are sub
ject to no greater penalties or punishment
for crime than white men. In all of the
Southern States the same enactment has
been OF will be made. 1t would seem
that this ought to satisfy the Northern peo-
pie Of our purpose to protect the negro and
do ample justice to him in all his rights of
person and property.
The right to hold Office and vote is a po-
litical right, which belongs exclusively to
every community, and to be regulated as to
them shall seem proper, without interfer-
ence, il any way, by any other power
There is not a civilized community in the
world where restrictions have not been i'm
posed on thc right Of holding office, voting
and exercising political power. The North
ern States have done SO from their earliest
history mp to the present day. 70 deprive
the Southern States Of the same right
would be the grossest injustice and ty-
ranny. And to consent to it, on their part,
voluntarily, would be self degradation and
infamy.
! The second section of the proposed con-
stitutioDal amendment declares that rep
resentation shall be in proportion to the
number Of voters in each State, and that if
any male inhabitants over the age Of TWEEN
ty-One are excluded from voting for any
cause whatever, they shall not be enumera-
ted in the basis OF representation. This
makes it imperative on the Southern States
to give up their representation for large
portion of their population. or permit the
negroes to vote. The injustice of this con-
StitntiOnal DrOyiSian tn the Southern States