Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1866-12-05
had been made and halloWed by such men as as

du !; and financial fabric cfNhe- State. We
o5ey.d Wien tee Legislature assem5ledi
We wcfa required TO ratiiy the Constitutional
amcn't,aent aboshing slavery in the Uuited\
States, and were made, in part, instruments
10 :cc,mpliSh that result i'll kontacEy and.
D2l.. -. arc, when those States hld refused Ia
do So OF tbcir own vc!ition. We obcyed. IL
aJii,i"', "a his ali TIC c:;iz",is uf SoHih Caro-
lima, with scarcely an exception, took the
amnesty OATH which quircd them to sustain
ani support ali the pr,ciamations and laws
made during the war; and particularly those
/. relating to the abolition of slavery. These
catEs have been observed By the great mass
of the people with singular fidelity, and every
essential attribute 1f true and thorough
Loyalty to the Constitution and Union has
lcsu txh bitcd and practiced. II addition to
= al ;his, The Genera Assembly of the Stat,
has nv SOLEMN enactment. accorded to the
i.t:,cR race all tie rights Of person and prop
erty enjoyed By the white race. They can
bus ard SILL, granr, coavay ard devise II
thc;r prrsoa or personal rights are invaded,
iLthe s:l-na jr.,licia! tribunals v;ndcate them.
Jrhcy gi' uu u .tke witness stand and testify; /;
THEY are permitted 10 testify in their own cas- s,
even w5en'oh trial for the gravest offences.
H,w> mary If the States now enjovinga q re.
presentation ii ,hs Congress which proposes
this a,iaHdns-!t to us FIR ratification. accord
by their owi: laws the Same general rights
and p~ivil,gS to the black man ? They
have but meager number cf negroes in their
midst, and if allowed to vote, 'heir ignorance
} and depravity would produce no appreciable
effect upon the result, b=ing less than one
and-one eighth per cent. Of the voting popu-
lati1n, whereas tliir relative number here is
as forty one blacks to thirty whites. Do SER
sib!e. fair and Just men at the North desir,
that these people, without information or ed
ucation-s,eeped in ignorapce, crime and
'ice, should go TO the polls and elect men to
Congress who are to pass laws taxing and
covering them? Now, that all this has been
done, whai further or higher pledge of hon
orab!e obedi .nce can De given by one people
70 ano;her? Do.s tue majority who now
rule Congress expcc: to make Us bet er men
or better citiz ms more servicsabe to the
coni.trv in peace and n,war by farther hu-
ini.illing and degrading Us? NotwithStand-
ing al tue pledges aud concessions, it is
sought stll! further to hniniliate and degrade
the South. Ecycn Of the Southern States,
including Spnih Clrollaa, are deprived OF
their Senators and Representatives, have been
duly elected, and hese presented themselves
f3r the purp.ss of ;sk,ng their credentials
have, in INST INSTANCES, been lald :ir'n the
table wit5ou5 b:iug read Or have been re
ierred q a Committee, who have f.iied To
IKE my report OH tie suFj CT. Iii short,
Coasr s, las re?usel to exercsa is C,n~:i
tniio,iL ianclos, ani decide either III, II the
election, lie return, or ,ie qua iii.:ii,n OF
il,,se selected by The people t" represent u.s.
S,me Of the Senators and Representatives
from the Southern Safes We're prepared 10
take the test oath, hut even these Jawe been
pcrsis;entiy igaored, and kept out OF the seats
to which they were entitled uader the Con-
s.itutou aud laws. Hence this amendmen,
has not. been proposed by "two-thirds Of
both Houses of legally constituted Con-
gress, aud is not Cunsti;utionaily or leyiti
mately, before single Legislature for raii;
fication. Waving ths point, however, is it
compatible with the iatertst, or consistent
with the honor. o: this State, t. r..;i',y that
amendment? d. not its frs: and last sec
tions, If adopted, conler upoa Congress the
absolute right Of determining WHO Sial be
citizens of the respective Stlte-. AID whJ
shall exercise the elective franchise end ell
10y any and all Of The rights, privileges and
inmurites of citizenship? Tie sec ious re,
fs.red to not only d. this, but ti'y subveri
The theory and practice Of tie Gpvernmeu;
since it's foundation, by abrogt:iag the right
of fixing the elective franchise conferred
uoon the respective State Governments, and
by giving the representatives Of Oregon or
California in Congress the power to declare
loI IL e -
ship within the Limits Of South Ciro'ina or
Georgia. Who most likely to ex rcisc this
power jadiciou,ly-the ci izers OF the State
wherein the regulation is TO be made, or non,
residents, who are entirely Ignorant Of tn
population, the intelligence, necessities and
resources ior which legislation is undertaken? :?
With this amendment Incorporated in tn
Constitution, does not tic Federal Govern
mout c.ase to be one Of ':i!ml TED 10 gers in
all of the csSeniia! qualities which coastitu:-
suci fJrm of Government? NAY, more !;
does not its i1ption reverse the well approv-
ed doctrine. that tue United states shall ex-
ercse 70 powers, unless expressly delegated
by the Constitution
The third section, If its spirit we're carried
oct, would not only diSorssniza the Stale
Government in all Of Its departments, but
would render il rearly impossible for the
people Of South Carolina, 1t least, 10 re-or
ganize goycrnneat until Congress, bY u
two. thirds vote in the case uf each individual
person, removes The disability. And this.
Tor tie reason that when secession was deter
mined UPON by the Convention Of the Sta.e.
South Carolina may 10 truly said to have been
a unit in sustaining the doctrine, and in car
nestly aud zealou.y prosecuting the war,
when, Therefore, every citizen who, at any
time prior to secession had taken the oa:
30 s.ppur: tic Constitution OF this State
and OF the Uaied Safes" and WHO sub.c
qucntly aided and abet:ed the war, r cxc!u-
dcd from every Official position, State as well
as Federal. the magnitude OF the disability is
unveiled. Every officer intb past of the
State, civil and military, was repaired, before
entering upon the discharge of the ia:ies Of
his Office, TO subscribe TO such an cath, from
the'Senator ir Congress TO tic lieutenant ii.
the beat computes. Who then can be made
Judges, Congressman, Legislators, District
Officers and Magistrates? 1t is 70 be observ
cd, therefore, that as to this State, the adop-
tioa of the amendment vii! necessarily resrl:
in perjury on the part of those who attempt
to fill such offices, or to anarchy, if they are
not flied. Congress, violating another estab
lished principle Of tic Cons tuition, coniers
Upon isc!f the right CT the lmrdJning power
when the Constitution vasts it in tie Presi
dent. How long woald it occupy the attcn
lion Of thu, body 10 rcnovc the disabilities
imposed, for sufficient number Of ou- cti
2ens to fill the respective Offices in South
Carolina aloncf Is anarchy TO .perva1e so
cie.y until it suits the interests, the. preju
.iinns tha nnsSinn 1r the carrca Of Com