The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1867-05-15
Gov. Pcrry's Second Letter.

We extract the following article
from the Carolina Spartan:
Gov. Perry has written another
letter on the subject of the recon
struction bills, addressed to- the Co
lumbia Ph@nis, in which he reiterates
his long and faithful, devotion to the
Onion. and that he had raised his
warning voice against secession and
the fatal delusion of forming South
ern Confederacy; and We know per-
sonally that he had repeatedly de-
clared that the extinction of the
Union would be the death-knell of
slavery. This is all true, and if the
love of n Southern man for the Union
could entitle any man to the honors
of canonization, universal consent
would decree and award to Gov. Per-
ry that. saintly honor. His elegant
manhood and large patriotism is
known of all men, and equally so are
his Northern proclivities. Therefore,
no one can doubt that whatever
counsel he may give, looking to re-
storation of the Union, his intentions
are pure and his declarations are sim
cere. But Mr.. Perry's purity and
sincerity, his love for the Union, his
prophetic reach, his high sense of
honor, his just indignation against
the atrocities of the military bill, his
devotion to liberty and love of South
Carolina, cannot and will not save us
in this hour of trial. His caustic
utterances OF. hate and detestation are
appreciated and felt by the people of
the South as he feels them, for, in
deed, the destruction of the State
Governments of the South is the
most atrocious crime that the world
has ever witnessed. But what then?
What are we to do? Who is to deli
YER us from this hateful thraldom? {?
Gov. Perry deems it his duty to offer
his counsels to the people of this
State in the emergency. We know
of no other leading man of South
Carolina who gives the same advice.
And what is that? It is simply. that
every man who is not disfranchised
should register hts name; that when
the elections are held he should vote
for the best and wisest men, but
write on his ticket ''no convention.
Well, what then? Why, wait until
something turns up, that's all. We
think this is the substance of Mr..
Perry's advice, and in his second
letter he has said no more than he
did in the first. If the white people
OF this State oppose convention, it
is as much as to say to the freed
men, "You shall not have the right
of suffrage if we can prevent it."
No one can doubt, under these cir
cumstances, that every freedman
will vote for q convention; he will not
stop to ask whether it be constitu-
tional or not, that he should have the
right of suffrage, therefore he will
vote for convention, and delegates.
too.
The letter states that there are co.
600 colored and only 10000 white
voters in this State. It is very clear,
then, that if every vote cast by white
men in South Carolina be against q
convention, convention will be called
Notwithstanding, and delegates elect
ed, too. However wise and patriotic
a candidate may be, it cannot be ex-
pected that the freedmen will vote for
him II he be opposed to the calling of
a convention, which he would consi-
der an effort to deprive him of pri-
vilege already granted him. Instead
OF uniting with the white people to
make the best selection of candidates
for both races, it is more than proba.
bic that the .freedmen's candidates
would be the vilest and most bitter
enemies of the South The large
majority of white citizens, and q
unanimous vote of the freedmen. fo,
a.convention, is sure to ~bsevail; and
Gov. Perry's plan only5aiyides the
white vote, Nhilst.it mites Che color
ed vote, Indifference or aversion will
not turn the tide now rolling over. us
State pride or selfrespect afford u,
no forum where the claims of trutl
and Justice can be heard-no tribuna