Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1867-06-08

whom they have loved and honored through
lite' But this disgraccful sacrifice docs not
stop with the convention 1t must be contin-
med IN tho Government of the State, and in
hlllng all the Offices in the State Every
Judge on the Bench, from the venerable Chief
Justice down to the youngest member of the
judiciary, must throw aside his gown, and will
no longer be permitted to administer Justice
IN South Carolina. All who have served in
the Legislature, or filled the office of Justice
OF the Pence, are excluded from any partic.
patton in the administration of the Govern
ment. In the place of those Judges, Cover
nors, Legislators and distinguished men, who
are disfranchised and declared unworthy of
holding office, the negroes arc substituted
It's not surprising that the radical members
of Congress should wish to exclude from the
councils of the nation all representatives who
are worthy of being regarded as Southern
men. They have 80 long INDUCED in vulgar
and malignant abuse of the South, that they
would naturally feel unpleasant in having II
true Southern man listening to their billings.
gate. It's very likely, too, that Mr. Sumner
and others might not, from old associations
and rcuemhrances. feel exactly safe in utter
ing cnlumnies But that any honorable and
spirited Southern man should consent to vote
Tor such exclusion, is to me most passing
strange.
ne'voice, rejected Indignantly, last fall, the
constitutional amendment which only cx
cludes from office the leading men of the
Southern States, and reduced our representa-
ton in Congress. 1t did not disfranchise nnv
one or established negro suffrage. But now.
both these. dishonoring and fatally ruinous
principles nre established by the military bill,
and the people are ready to aunpt them -
what has produced this seeming craven and
covering spirit?
1t is urged that unless we vote for con.
ventIon, establish ncglo suffrage. and disfrnn.
cn'"' our prominent men, coniiScrton will be-
adopted by Congress A friend said. the 9TH
cr day, that this ought not to scare us for wc
were all broke and ruined pecuniarily, and
had nothing left to conlScatc. lie thought
II was too late in the day to dishonor ourselves
in order to save the remnant of our proncrty.
| think it any one will read the snccch Of
lloracc GrceIy, IN Richmond, on coniiscntion.
nc VIII see, as have always contcndcd. that
there is no danger on this subject from Con
grcss Mr. Greeley says that Tlnddcus Ste
Vehs Is the only prominent member of Con.
ErcsS who has ever suggested such a scheme
and that he has never, with all his ability and
1ntluencc, been ahlc to persuade others to
adopt it. He then gocs on to show that such
policy would not benefit the freedmen
whilst it would entail ruin and starvation ON
the Southern Stn;cs.
But we are told that if VIC do not adnpt the
military bill and vote for a convention some
thing worse will be imposed on tho Southern
States. In my opinion, nothing worse than
negro suffrage and negro government can be
forced upon us ltwoulh be t'ousnnd times
preferable to remain under military rule and
submit t" all the cxactions of military author
ICY. The officers Of the army are generally
: honorable men, men of our own race. and in.
tc'l'gent men, who have some regard for the
opinion OF the wnrt and their own rcpnta-
p i"n. they are acting, too, under the dircc.
ton OF the President aud his Cabinet, who
are wise and enlightened statesmen, and will
nave some regard for justice and humanity
which the stupid negro will not lave, when
ms sellshness and passions are aroused
There nrc some who advocate the voting for
convention as means of controlling the ne
ero vote. They seem to forget that tho con
vcntion is bound to establish negro suffrage
and that no discretion is allowed on this sub
Jcct. In my Judgment negro suffrage is the
nc pf"s ultra of all political and socinl evils
! nave, III former letters shown the f:al,cy Of
h'p'hg to control She negro vote in the future
ana VIII not repeat Mhat have already said
OH this subject
In all that have said, know that am
IN large minority at this time, as was in
1860, and that | have been ccugurcd and
abused now, MS / WAS then, for resisting and
lighting to the last moment. what believed
to he the ruin and DEGRADATION of the State.
Nlinoritics, which arc so frigltful to some,
have no terrors for nc. lave lived in them
all my life, and grown familiar with thcm-
lhieed, have a great respect and sincere re.
Y sWd for them in times Of political excitement
organic. They have generally firmnrss aud
prpcclIhc, which cnnnot always be said Of ma.
JoTics, however large they may be.
4 lwill conclude this article with an extract
fro, letter received. the other day, from a
nopc lady, Of South Carolina, whom never
hadthe pleasure of seeing, or correspondence
wlttbeforc. 1t was the Spontaneous cfl'usion
OF apirtcd and patriotic heart. She says
\ :" believe speak the feeling of at least
cVcrSW0mdn in South Carolina, when say
we htrtily endorse your views, and each and
eVer;y!Icntimcnt you express in your recently
pnbs'Aed letters. We pray you to continue
oSs t d2a ,saaHe B &aanSp6H phil "fwsn,
tty violcs. deaths were preferable, and may
Heaven I'd yovn recalling the manhood of
q our State y, aSensc of VIII; IS due it least
"A their race."