Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1867-12-14

This, to tho minds of some persons, is so i'm
portant that violation of the Constitution is
lustltiabic as amcans of bringing it about
The morality ,s always false which excuses a
wrong bccauseGt proposes to accomplish dc.
sirable end. We are not permitted to do evil
that good may como. But in this case the end
itself is evil, as well rs the means The sub
jugaton of the States to negro domination
would DO worse than .no military d'spotism
under which they are now suffering 1t was
believed beforehand that the pco',lo would
endure any amount of military oppression,
for any length, of time, rather than degrade
themselves by subcction to the negro racc,-.
Therefore, they have been left without a
choice. Negro suffrage was established by
act of Congress, and the military officers were
commanded to supcrintcd the process of clo-
thing the negro race with the political privi-
lcgcs torn from white men.
The blacks in the South arc entitled to be
well and humaney governed, and to have the
protection of just laws for all their rights of
person and property. If it were practicable
at this time to give them government cxclu.
s'vely their own under which they might ma
mage their own affairs in their own way, it
would become grave question whether we
ought to DO SO, or whether common human-
ty would not requl 20 ns to save them from
themselves. But, under the circumstances,
this is onlya speculative point. 1t is not pro.
posed merely that they shall govern them
selves, but that they shall rule the white race.
make and administer State laws, elect presi-
dents and members of Congress, and shane to
a greater or less extent tho future destiny of
the whole country. Would such trust and
power be safctin such hands?
The peculiar qualities which should char
actcrze any people who arc fit to decide upon
the management of public affairs for great
State have seldom been combined Tt is the
glory of whtolncn to know that they have had
these qualities in sufficient measure to build
upon this continent q great political fabric,
and to preserve its stability for more than nine
ty years, while in evnry other part of the world
nll similar experiments have failed But if
anything can bc proved by known facts--if
all rcakhhinfft-t'a t'an evidence is not abandoned
1t must be acknowledged, that in the pro-
grcss OF nations negroes have shown less ca
pacity for government than any other race of
people. No independent government of any
form has ever been successful in their hands.
On the contrary, wherever they have been
left to their own devices they have shown
constant tendency to relapse into barbarism
N the Southern States, however, Congress
has undertaken to confer upon them the priv
il"g" Of the ballot. Just released from slave
ry 1t may be doubted whether, as a class, they
Know more than their ancestors how to organ,
'%e and regulate civil society. Indeed it is
admitted that the blacks of the South arc not
only regardless of the rights Of property but
so utterly ignorant of public affairs that their
voting can consist in nothing more than car.
rylng ballot to the place where they are di-
rcctcd to deposit it. | need not remind you
chat the exercise or the elective franchise is
tue highest attribute OF an American citizen,
and that, when guided by virtue, intelligence,
patriotism, and proper appreciation of our
free institutions, it constitutes the true basis
OF democratic form of government, in which
t!nc sovereign power is lodged in the body of
The people. A trust artifcially created, not
for its own sake, but solely as a means of pro-
noting the general welfare it's Influence for
good must necessarily depend upon the ele-
vaatcd character and true allegiance of the
elector. 1t ought, therefore, to be reposcd in
none except those who arc lifted morally and
mentally to administer it well for if confer.
red upon persons who do not justly estimate
its value, and who are Indifferent as to it's re-
suits, it will only serve as means of placing
powerin the hands of the unprinciplcd and
ambitious, and must cven,iate ill the com
plctc destruction of that liberty Of which it
should be the most powerful conscrvator. |
have, therefore, heretofore, urged upon your
attention tho great danger TO be apprehen-
ded from an untimcly extension of the elec-
two franchise to any new cluss in our coun.
try, especially whom the large majority Of that
class, in welding the power thus placed in
their hands, cannot be expected correctly to
comprehend the duties and responsibilities
which pertain to suffrage. Yesterday, as it
were, four millions of persons were held in
condition of slavery that had existed for gen.
erations; to day they arc frccincn, and are as.
sulncd by law to bo citizens. 1t cannot be
presumed, from their previous condition Of
servitudc, that, as class, they arc as we'll in.
formed as to the nature of our government as
tho intelligent foreigner who makes our land
the home of his choice. In the case of the
latter, neither residence Of five years, and
the knowledge of our institutions which it
gives, nor attachment to tho principles of the
consti,. lion, arc the only conditions uron
which he can BE- admitted to citizenship. lie
must prove, in addition, good mora. ccs::.rac.
ter, and thus give reasonable y,G,,.., w.. .vr the
belief that he will be faithful to the obligations
which he assumes as citizen Of the Rcpub.
lie. Where a pcoplcthc source of ali po.
litical rower-spcak, by their sufragcs, thro'
the instrumcntality of the ballot box, must
be carefully guarded against the control of
those who are corrupt in principle and enc
mics Of free institutions, for it can only be.
come tn orr noliticol and eoo,l ,,o.o,, -