Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1867-10-02
To be, or not to be! That is the question: %
III Au1 n,r

In all the Southern States. the registering
ordered by the military acts is nearly COM
pleted; and in two of them, the election for
convention is to be held by the registered vo-
ters, during the ensuing month. The oues
ton now properly comes up for consideration
what course should the white race in the
South pursue?
BY the exclusion Of portion Of the white
population from registry, and by the admis
sion Of all the back,-a majority of black
voters is secured in four States. How many
of the other six States in the South, may be
placed under negro rule, by the aid of white
affiliation, time only can show.
1t is impossible to exaggerate the dangers,
ahich now hang over The South. Some Of
the Northern people, doubtless, do not realize
the cruelty of forcing contest between the
negro and the white races, for the political
mastery of the South. They profess to see
, reason why wdite men and negroes, should
not mingle in peace aud friendliness together,
in the halls of legslation-in the jury box
at the polls-cr in the muster field. A black
man, and white man is the same, but for his
skin. Tho great majority os the Norther;.
pelple, however, know better than this. They
know that there are one hundred and twenty
differences in the mere physical structure Of ]
tue white and the black man n;-and that in
their intellectual and social endowments, the
difference is still greater. The despotism OF
the military act. was rot put over the waite
man OF the South, to elevate the negro over
him-becansc the negro is his equal hY nature
but because he is MT his equal. The cxul.
tstnn-the gratifcal;on-is in the humilia
tion, aad modification of: the white race,
forced uader the heel Of the inferior race Of
the negro. They expect conflict. They knew
perfectly well, that With anything Ike equal
numbers, the negro canno. ruie the white
man. Subection or ex;ermination, is certain
to Inc black. Bat TIE iendi>h spirit which
gets up the conflict IRON bate or policy, can-
no. BE- expected to be indifferent to its throes.
1t will rej3ice, to parpetuate the coavulsion
and blood, it expects 10 produce. To avoid
It, is impossible, if their policy prevails.
Their policy, however, may not prevail. 1t
cannot prevail without the aid of tue South
cru people. Negroes and Northern Radicals
cannot erect aud Carry ON government; over
the Southern people, which they refuse u
acknowledge or support. 1t will be dead
before it is born. SdppoSe, for instance, that
the. white people of South Carolina refuse
either to vote for o convention, OR to have a
single representative in the convention. l,
is filled with Northern Radicals and negroes
and they make constitution and govern
ment for the Stale of South Carolina. Can
they eaforce it? If left to themselves, we
doubt if single candidate for single Office
10 carry it out could be found. How long
will it stand? Just as long, as brute force
can perpetuaie it, and not day longer. If
it is enforced by the, military power of the
United S;ates-very we'll. South Carolina
will be no State, but military satrapy. Can
this last under the Constitution and Govern
ment Of the United States? If so, the negro |
rule will soon cad. il the general military
de>potism which must dominate over all the
United States But if this does not take
place, then the negro and his white coadju-
tors, must face the white people Of South
Carolina for the mastery of the State. There
will be but two pertles,-the negro party.
and the white mans party. We have nc
doubts of the result; but ought we of the
white race, to make ourselves i'll any way in
srrumcn!:i in bringing about such a conhicl ?
1t is done by military despotism put over US
shall we aid this despotism in its purposes ?
1t is done in hate to us;-shall we crafty the
malignitv, which seeks to debase us? 1t is
done to ruin our country forever; shall we
with our own hands, help 10 tear down the
fair structure of order, civilization and liberty.
bequeathed to US by our gallant ancestors?
The course for the wiite people Of the
South to pursue, with respect to the future
operations of the military acts, seems to US
most plain. Let them lave nothing further
to do with :bem. Let theln neither go to the
polls, nor accept Of any position whatsoever
in their enforcement. By our registration,
We have accomplished the object of Increasing
the majority required to hold the convention.
Without majority of the registered voters,
it cannot be held. And now, whether we
vote against convention, or vote not al al,
he result is the same, against convention.
despotsm DEGREES it-let this despotism
carry it out. We should compromise our
selves in no way by supporting it. Our time
will come. The Northern people, are waking
mp to the ruin, convulsion and blood, the
obstruction acts" mus. bring upon them
selves. Our hope is in their enlightened self
interest; but our fate If evil, cannot be pecu
liar. Our ruin will be tho destruction of
free government in the world, with the fair
fame of an enlightened and gallant effort to
prevent it. Their ruiz, will be the voluntary
debasement Of the tyrant and slave, whose
very success renders lin cternally infamous
for evil. Let us wait. If we do perish by
resisiless power,-better that, with the con-
sciousness of beirg innocent of our own de-
basement and ruin, than to crawl beneath the
feet of the negro and Radical, like poor
earth-worm trying TO hide its slime from the
sun.-Charleston Mercury.
Gov. ORR.-Of the too many South Caro-
linians who are ambitious to make themselves
detestable in the eyes Of honest men of their
own generation and of all posterity, Governor
Orr has taken step which gives him the
foremost position. lie glories in his own
shame and the oppression of his people.
There was no species of humiliation and petty
tyranny that the inflated satrap, Sickles, did