The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1866-12-13
Letter from Hon. Benz. F. Perry
-.s.-~s COLUMBIA, s. c., Nov. ~.

NV DEAR SIR: In your reply to my let
ter on the constitutional amendment, you
EXPRESS the opinion that "this measure
viii be dropped by the Radicals tor one
which they deem more humiliatlng to the
people. of the South, viz: universal sur
frage.s Hon. Horace Greely (the most
prominent candidate for the United States
Senate from the State Of New York;
writes me as follows: I'm my judgment
the true basis of settlement of all our
troubles is universal amnesty, with Inn.
partial suffrage. In other words, l would
have all disabilities because of rebellion
and because of color, utterly and abso-
lhtely abolished; and Coming to the
point) strongly hope and trust that q
settlement on this basis will be made at
Washin eton this winter This he wrote
in reply to 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 respec-
tive States adopting the amendment"
7 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 seeproper, the
right of suffrage. Nor do I see any rea-
son to hope that the present or the next
Congress will accept of any compromise
without universal suffrage for all the ne
sroes in the Southern States. [ am, like
wise, unwilling to believe that the South
ern people will adopt any compromise
which will disfranchise one-ffth OF the
white votes, for the purpose of entran-
ohising q few hundred negroes in tho
Southern States. -,
Impartial suffrage may be accomplish,
ed 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
ment and society. 1t may be accomplish
ed by restricting the right OF suffrage in
the Southern States to such persons,
black or white, who have q property
qualification and can read and write.
This would disfranchise about one-ffth of
the present number of white voters, and
confer the right of suffrage on few hum
dred negroes who own the property quail
iication and can read and write. Are the
Southern people willing to disfranchise
and degrade one-ffth of themselves, and
elevate few hundred or few thousand
negroes above this fifth in all political
rights and privileges? l do not think SO,
According to the last census, there are
over 100000 white males over the age OF
twenty-one in the Southern States who
cannot read and write. Many thousands
of this number fought gallantiy through
out the whole war for the right OF SELF
government Are they now to be volun-
tarily deprived by their comrades in arms
of this inestimahle right, and reduced to
alevei with their former slaves? 1t may
bo that their freedmen, having the quail
fication of property and can read and
write, will be placed above them! They
will have the modification Of seeing
themselves excluded from the polls, whilst
their former slaves are permitted to vote!
tsEvery Southern man knows that there
are 8 great many men of substance ana
character in the Southern States who can.
not read and write, and especially old
men. They are men Of intelligence, pa
triotasm and excellent Judgment, and as
capable of exercising prudently the right
of suffrage as any one, no matter no"
we'll educated he may have been. Ihey
have enjoyed this right, too, throughout
their manhood, and valued it as sacred
and inestimable.
Tt is we'll known, too, that there are
hundreds of thousands of young men in
the Southern States who were gallant
soldiers and officers in our army, desti
tute of the property qualification requi
site to entitle them to vote. They have
been well educated, and are the sons Of
MANY of our most respectable citizens
and some of them have been Colonels anc
Generals in the Confederate army. Are
thew, with all their. responsibility, virtue
education and distinction, to be disfran
chised by this compromise and placet
upon an equality with the negro, or be
low him, as to the right of suffrage
AT the organization Of the State Gov
ernments, during, and Immediately atte
the American Revolution, there were
great many restrictions imposed on tn
right of suffrage. The example of Grea
Britain had its influence on the Judgmen
Of our ancestors in regulating this right
But as time progressed, and republican
nrinciplos were better understood an
more highly appreciated, these restrle :'s TIC
tions were all swept away, except IN on
or.two States, by more liberal and Jus
public opinion. All free white male pc, @
sons, over the age of twenty-one, ! hav
been allowed to vote in all the Souther
States, for many years past, who are cl
izens. No other qualification is required