The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1867-11-08
VOLUME III-NO. 1919.

and how often must such be the case.
arising from inter-marriage, inherit
ance or trade-.the cacsc of the
Northern man must be decided
by the same ignorant tribunal.
Nor is this yet all. The highest pre-
rogative Of government is the taxing
power, and the efforts of the wisesi
statesmen have been expended to
guard this great power against abuse.
No power has been more jealously
watched than this. No power has
given rise to so much strife and blood
shed in the history of the world.
The contest between the mother coun-
try and the colonies originated in her
assumption of the right to tax with
out representation. BY the Recon-
strnction !AAcc:.Ss. Acc:.Ss &c Congress, 1ne TAX
ing power is placed in the hands of
those who own no property, and is
taken away from those who hold the
property and must pay the taxes.
The war that has always existed be-
tween capital and labor is decided in,
favor of the latter, and the wealth Of
the country is prostrated at the feet
OF those who have nothing at stake
but their daily wages and their daily
bread. How will this power be ex-
ercised? Can it be supposed for O
moment that it will be exercised in
any other way than to impose such
burdens upon the taxpayers as will
amount, in the end, to practical con-
fiscation of the small remaining sub.
stance of our people? But we must
forbear. Such are some of the i'm ,
mediate conse 4uences of the Recon-
struction Acts upon the people OF the
South and upon the whole country. -
We have said, and we repeat, that
we desire peace; but the policy now
proposed cannot give us peace. It is
contrary to the voice Of reason and
the law of nature. Instead of peace,
! nnder the Reconstruction ACTS, we
shall have strife and bitterness. In
stead of the South recovering from
her poverty, and contributing her
share to the common wealth and pros
perity of the country, she will become
more and more impoverished. The
blight of misrule will cut short her
har-ests and dry up her resources.
The law of violence, which has pre-
vailed for more than two years in
reconstructed Tennessee, will extend
its sway throughout the entire South,
and we shall reap, like her, the har-
vest of crime and blood multiplied
two-fold.
We have shown that free negro
labor, under the sudden emancipa-
ton policy of the Government, is @
disaster from which, under the most
fayorable circumstances, it will re-
quire years to recover. Add to this
the policy which the Reconstruction
Acts propose to enforce, and You
place the South, politically and
socially, under the heel of the negro;
these influences combined would DIR ag
to hopeless ruin the most prosperous
community in the world What do
these Reconstruction Acts propose2
Not negro equality, merely, but negro
supremacy. In the name, then, Of
humanity to both races-in the name
of citizenshipunder the Constitution
in tho name of n common historY'in
the past-in the name of our Anglo
Saxon race and blood-in the name
of the civilization Of the nineteenth
century-in the name Of magnnnimi-
ty and the noble instincts of man
hood-in the name of God and
nature, we protest against these Acts,
as destructive to the peace of society,
the prosperity of the country and the
greatness and grandeur of our COM
mon future. u
The people of the South gre power
less to avert the impending ruin. We
have been overborne; andthe respon-
sibility to posterity and & the world
has passed into other har s
Mr.. Townes submitted resolution
relative to voting at the d aproaching
election for delegates to Conven.
ton; which was laid on the eble.
A resolution of thanks q T. S.
Nickerson, Esq, for the usev of his
hall; and to Mr.. SuperinteA dent
Wright for attention to the members
of the Convention-were rl,ieni-
mously adopted.
Mr. ID. Is. DeSaussure introduced
q resolution-which was unanimously
agreed to-returning tho thanks Of
the Convention to the President
Hon. James Chesnut-for the faith
f..1 II. n.