The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1867-05-08
THE TRUE BASIS OF ACTION.

The following remarks are from the Richmond
Fhig and are as applicable in this State as in Vir-
gnia:
Our newspapers and our people should all be
united, and should advocate the redemption of
Virginia by all Virginians, of whatever color, or
party antecedcnts and political crccds. Our in
terests are the same-our obligations and duties
Identical When we see our common country i'm
perilled by dissensions among ourselves, We show
moro selfshncss than patriotism by continuing
them-a blind selfshness, too, that promises no
good to anybody-a pervcrse wilfulncss for which
no justification can be offered We are all under
the military law, and by uniting and cooperating
as sensible people should. we can get from under
that law escape disfranchisement and confsca-
ton; get self-government, and be placed in practi-
cal relations with the General Government Every
rejecting man must know that, if the white people
keep to themselves vote against Convention, and
defeatit, when Congress again, assemblies, it will
pass another bill more stringent than the present.
under which the handful of ''loyal" whites and
blacks will be authorized to hold Convention and
frame Constitution whose acceptance By Con-
gress will be certain. Not only this, but that all
of us who shall have voted against Convention,
will be marked for perpetual disfranchiscment and
for conhscation.
But suppose the whites keep together, vote for
Convention, and, maintaining separate organiza-
ton, nominate their own peculiar candidates. elect
them, excluding all other representatives, frame a
Constitution, and then stilmaintaining their scpa-
rate organization, elect Governor, Judges, Le-
gslature, and all State oiicers-suppose all this is
done, will Congress ratify this work when II learns
that the original Union men and the negroes have,
by our refusa! to act with them, and by means Of
cur majority, been studiously and entirely cxclud-
ed from participation and representation We
shall not further elaborate these points, but leave
them for the reflection of our readers, with the
single remark that Congress will not, in our judg-
ment, accept any such work if opposed by the So
called "loyal" whites and the blacks, as opposedit
most certainly would be. II we sclfshly exclude
those clements, Congress will exclude US.
Our duty is plain 1t is to unite with all mon
who eau be prevailed uponto unite with u.s. vote
for the Convention, elect to it men who will follow
the provisions of the military bill, frame Consti-
tuition that will command the support of the scvc-
raj classes referred to, and that will be acceptable
to Congress, and elect Senators and Congressman
who can take the iron-clad oath. 1t is not worth
while to do anything unless do all these things
If we think to hoodwink and deceive Congress by
any Device, we deceive ourselves. The eyes of
that body are steadily fixed upon us, and its great
business is to see that reconstruction shall not be
effected in the interest alone of the Confederate
whites, and to the exclusion and injury of the
Union whites and the blacks. If we would get
back into the Union, we must get back on the ba-
sis of Union among ourselves. Let us all bear
this in mind.