The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1867-05-30
Letter from Hon. B. r. perry.

| 81, iuerc 10 Oue lmpOrtduC anu V1tal
fact which should be remembered by
those who are going to vote for q
convention. The military bill makes
it obligatory on the convention to
provide for unqualified negro suf-
frage in the State Constitution. No
discretion is left with the convention,
to adopt or reject this odious feature.
They are not allowed to establish I'M
partial suffrage, and require property
or intelligence in the voter. whether
white or black. All must vote who
are twenty-one years old, whether or
not they have property, or can read
and write, or are white or black.
This fundamental error, this black
Trojan HORSE" full of strife and
woe, must be introduced into the
State Constitution. There is no help
for it, if we go into a convention.
If the military bill left it discre-
tionary with the convention to form
such q Constitution as they, in their
wisdom, might see proper to adopt,
then there would be some excuse in
voting for q convention. But when
ordered and required, in violation of
oll right of self-government, to incor-
porate SO mischievous and degrading
feature in their Constitution, it
does seem that the people of South
Carolina, prompted by the spirit of
liberty, should cry out '.touch not,
handle not, the unclean thingw They
must know that it will be impossible
to maintain n just, wise and perma-
nent republican form of government
where majority of the voters are
ignorant, stupid, demi-savage pau
pers. They ought to sec, too, that
the peace and quiet of the State can
not be preserved where there are too
antagonistic races clothed with equal
political powers, and the inferior race
superior to it in numbers. They
must come in collision in their con-
tests for power. In two-t thirds of the
Districts of South Carolina, the ne
groes have the majority of voters.
They may and will elect their sheriffs,
clerks, ordinaries and tax collectors.
They will send their own members to
the Legislature, and elect their own
Governor and members of Congress.
If we lived in monarchy, or were
to be continued under military rule,
then both races might be properly
governed and made to do justice to-
wards each other. In republic, the
people are the sovereigns, and they
must be wise and virtuous, or their
government will practice the most
revolving tyranny and oppression
Look ut Mexico, where they have had
a republic founded on stupid, igno-
rant, mongrel population. Their
Government has been nothing but n
succession of bloody revolutions and
cruel military usurpations. Without
the highest virtue and Syeat intelli-
gence on the part of the masses of
population, it is impossible for n re-
public to stand. England attempted
one in 1910, but it was melancholy
failure, owing to the ignorance and
viciousness OF the masses. France
has tried the experiment twice, and
after wadiug through rivers of blood,
had to seek repose in despotism. In
both England and France, at the time
| cbC'oS CliOi - hClC lflciC " Gre
thousands distinguished for their viz
tues and talents; but the great masses
were ignorant and uninformed, and
were swayed by their passions and
vices. But how infinitely superior
were those masses to the freedmen Of
South Carolina.
We have forctaste of negro legis-
lation, assisted by radical cunning, in
the platform adopted at their Charles
ton convention. Before they have
been allowed to cast n vote, or exer-
else the first political privilege, they
boldly proclaim that property alone,
and not persons, is to be taxed. Re-
member, this avowal is publicly made
by those who have no property to be
taxed. In other words, the negroes
are to pay no taxes towards the sup
port Of tie Government: but all taxes
are to be paid by the white race!
Next, they declare that their children
must be educated at our expense, and
their aged and infirm parents must
be supported by us! We must sup
port, too, their idle and vicious who
become paupers! The hearty, hale
negro man, who makes his hundred
or two hundred dollars per annum,
and spends it foolishly, must not be
taxed one cent to educate his own
children or to support his own father
and mother. They declare, also,
that the lands must be divided into