The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-10-12
Two Mistakes.

Al1S A'NN LOlh i>ttUtHJ L NS', 1t Alo
deratc Republican journal, and one
which appears to be sincere i'll its de
sire TO have the Southern States re-
admitted to Congress, in recent ar
ticle under the caption of "Another
Word to the South" takes occasion
to compliment South Carolina, III
that, by single act, she has made AZ
the children of her soil, whatever
their color, equal before the laws.
But the Post, we think, takes an
erroneous view Of this matter, in its
motives and its presumed sequences.
Since the State adopted the constitu-
tional amendment abolishing slavery,
it was the desire of ali classes of our
citizens that the freedmen should be
made equal before the law with all
other citizens, and Immediately after
the ratification of that amendment, u
code was prepared by some Of our
ablest iurists, which sought to accom-
plish that end. The freedmen were
to have trial before Il court and jury,
their testimony vas competent, and
all legal RIGHTS we're accorded. But
as the court provided for this pur-
pose seemed to indicate that it was
purely q court Instituted for the pnr-
pose of trying cases where the colored
people were exclusively interested, 1t
was regarded as n class code, and,
therefore, objected to. The recent
declaratory Act, therefore, was simply
intended to perfect and make plain
what was intended, and that which
thcpeople desired the freedman
should be equal to the white man be-
fore the law in the protection Of life,
person and property. 1t was simply
carrying out the natural result Of
emancipation, and not an enactment
for the purpose Of conciliating radi
calism
This is the first mistake of the
Post, and its second error naturally
follows its first. We do not think,
with the Post, that this is ''the
wedge put into the mountain, which,
by its own vast weight, will, in the
end, cleave its way to the bottom .
by which illustration the Post means
that the adoption of the constitu-
tional amendment now before the
country will be adopted by South
Carolina and the other States of the
South. But giving the negru civil
rights-a legitimate sequence Of his
new condition-is an entirely differ
ent matter from giving him political
rights equal with the white citizen.
The. former has just emerged from Il
condition which precluded him from
participating in OF acquiring any
knowledge of political matters; hence,
he is not prepared to exercise the
elective franchise, or to assume any
Of the duties and responsibilities con
nccteu with its exercise Moreover,
this subject has very properly been
always left to the States respectively
to act upon, and the State alone was
deemed competent to define the quail
tications Of her voters. There can
be no question that each State, as the
freedmen may manifest proper pro-
ficicncy, will, in time, extend the
franchise to them; but there is not
an Intelligent man, among themselves
even, who does not know that they
are not, as a class, prepared, at this
time, for its exercise.
But the Post seems to overlook the
fact that, while indirectly providing
for negro suffrage, this amendment
seeks to inhict further humiliation
upon the people of the South. 1t
seeks to compel them to deWrule
Memsezces-one Of the deepest depths
Of disgrace. The radicals call us
rebels and traitors s-this they are wei
come to do, if they see fit, or if it
does them any good; but that does not
satisfy them; they want us, by the
most solemn act of legislation known