The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1867-12-11
Address Of the Conservative Git
zens Of South Carolina.


The Conservative citizens OF South Car
DINA have issued an address from which
we make the following extracts. 1t will be
read with interest:
We, therefore, feeling the responsibility
Of the subject and the occasion, enter our
most solemn protest against the policy of
investing the negro with political rights.
The black man is what God, and nature
and circumstances have made him. That
b., is not fit to be invested with those i'm
portant rights was no fault of his, but the
fact is patent to all that the negro is unfit
to exercise the highest functions ofthe cit
izen. The Government of the country
should not be permitted to pass from the
hands of the white man into the hands OF
| the negro.
| The enforcement of the reconstruction
acts by military power, under the guise OF
negro voters and negro conventions, can
not lawfully establish civil' government in
South Carolina. 1t may for time hold US
in subsection to quasi civil government,
backed by military force, but it can do no
more. As citizens of the United States,
we should not consent to live under negro
supremacy, nor should we acquiesce in ne
gro equality. Mot for ourselves only, but
on behalf of the Anglo-saxon. race and
blood in this country, do weprotest against
this subversion of the great social law
!, whereby an ignorant land depraved race is
i placed in power above the virtuous, the ed.
ucated and the refined.
In reference to negro juries it argues:
Think you that when the great masters
Of the Common Law of England pronounc
ed their encomums upon the trial by Jur.
. that they contemplated for moment sucl
an instrument as an ignorant negro panel
: Think YOU that when the trainers OF tn
!, Constitution of the United States incorpo
/ rated into that instrument the provision
: that trial by jury should always be held in
. violate that thy intended to engratt upol
. it such on enormity as negro lurymeI
fresh from the cotton and rice fields OF tn
4 South? Think you that when John Rut
ledge and his illustrious compeers slgne
4 that instrument on the part OF South Cal
4 olina, that they intended to forge chaI
- which. in period no longer than an ord
:. nary lifetime, would drag, their grandchl
y dren, who were then playing around the
3 knees, and some of whom are now llvln;
: for trial before jury of their own slaves
Talk of additional humiliation !? Talk
confscation? Complain of clemency
= rebels after this? God forbid. The 60
" ernment of the United States has enforce
y against the Southern people the most st
y pendous act Of confiscation that has ev
= been enforced in the history of nation
! Their property in slaves has been conhsc
10 ted to the amount of $3,0OO,O0O,O 90
e Other personal property--in the shape
~ cotton, provisions, stock, plate ana mon,
Us has been captured or destroyed to Il
ne value of $l,OO0,OO0,000 and from the
OF causes their land has deteriorated to 4
u extent Of ST 100000 900, makingin the
IN greeate the enormous sum of$5, 00O,0 ,0t
L It concludes as follows: 4.
n. What do these reconstruction acts pl
ng pose? not negro equality merely, but neg
ms supremacy. In the name then oil huma
is ty to both the races, in the name OF CT
ay zepship under the Constitution, in
Oh name of a common history in the past,
to the name Of our Anglo-Saxon race a
N blood in the name OF the civilization OF
he nineteenth century, in the name OF mag
ninnty and the noble instincts OF nanho
ny in the name of God and Nature, we prot
zen against these acts as destructive to
Try peace Of society, the prosperity OF
he country, and the greatness and grandeur
or oul, common future. The people OF
M Soath are powerless to avert the impe
cts ing ruin. We have been overcome,
to the responsibility 10 posterlty and to
lch world has passed into other hands.