Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1867-06-12
Letter from Hon. B. F. Perry.

the knob of door and calmly awaited ais
fate-Mobile Register, 18th.
Letter from Hon. b. F. Perry.
To the Editor of the Columbia Phenir:
There is one important and vital fact which
should be remembered by those who are going
to vote for convention. The military bill
makes it obligatory on the convention to pro
vide for unqualified negro suffrage in the
State constitution. No discretion is left with
The convention to adopt or reject this odioas
feature. They are not allowed to establish
impartial suffrage and require property or in
teIligence in the voter, whetherwhite or black
All must vote who are twenty-one years old
whether or not they have property, or can
read and write or are white or black. Tnis
fundamental error, this black " Trojan horse, !
full OF strife and woe, must be introduced
into the State constitution. There is no help
for it if ne go into convention.
If the military bill left it discretionary with
the convention to form such constitution as
they, in their wisdom, might see proper to
adopt, then there would be some excuse in
voting for convention. But when ordered
and required, in violation Of all rights of self
government, to incorporate. 30 mischievous
and degrading feature in their. constitution,
it does seem that the people OF South Caroli-
ma, prompted by the spirit of liberty, should
cry out, "touch not, handle not, the unclean
thingw They must know that it will be i'm
possible to maintain just, wise and perma-
nent republican foIm of government where
majority of the voters are ignorant, stupid,
deni-savage paupers. They ought to see,
too, that the peace and quiet Of the State
cannot be preserved where tber- are two an
taeoristic races clothed with equal political
powers, and the inferior race superior to it in
numbers. They must come in collision in
their contests for power. In two.tbirds ofth
districts of South Carolina the negroes have
the majority of voters They may and will
elect their sheriffs, clerks, ordinaries and tax
collectors: They will send their own MEM
bers to the Legislature, and elect their own
Governor aud members of Congress.
live lived in monarchy, or we're to. be con.
tinued under military rule, tbcn both races
might be properly governed aud made to do
Justice towards eaca other. In Republic,
the people are the sovereigns, and they must
be wise and virtuous, or their Government
will practice the most revolving tyranny and
oppression. Look at Mexico, where they
have had Republic founded on stupid, ig
norant, mongrel population. Their Govern
mcnt has been nothing but succession of
bloody revolutions and cruel military usurpa-
IrUus.A TruUuI H1er--rTr r1C anu griat
intelligence on the part of the masses Of pop
u!ation, it is impossible for Republic to
stand. England attempted one in lG40, but
it was melancholy failure, owing to the ig-
norance and viciousness Of the masses. France
has tired the experiment twice, aud after
wading through rivers Of BLOOD had to seek
rcpose in despotism. In both England and
France, at the time these efforts were made,
there were thousands distinguished for their
virtues and talents; but the great masses
were ignorant and uninformed, and were
swayed by their passions and vices. But how
superior were those masses to tue
freedmen of South Carolina.
We have Il foretase OF negro legislation. as
sisted by Radical cunning, in the platform
adj pted at their Charleston convention. Be
fore they have been allowed to cast vote, or
exercise the first political privilege, they bold
ly proclaimed that property alone, and not
persons, is to be taxed. Remember, this
avowal is publicly made by those who have
no rrope ty to be taxed. In other words, the
ncg.oes are to pay no taxes towards the sup
port of the Governments but all taxes are to
be paid by the white race Next, they de-
clare that their children must be educated at
orr expense, and their aged and infirm par
c,ts must be supported by us Wemust
support, too, their idle and, vicious who be
come paupers The hearty, hale negro man,
yho makes his hundred or two hundred dol
hrs per aunum, and spends it foolishly, must
lot be taxed one cent to educate his own
children or 10 support his own father aud
mother! They decsre also, that the lands
must be divided intosmal tracts, and that it
is not good policy fJ' one mau to own large
landed estate. In .ther words, every negro
must have home. The ways and means Of
getting that home will be explained hereafter,
in The convention )r Legislature.
It would reallyseem, from this programme,
the. the black rae are to be sort oil aristoc.
rcy.-in South Carolina. They are, by their
sperior numbers, to have the reins of gov
.fn:nent in tieir hands, and elect all the
State and District officers, to make all our
laws and to be exempted from taxation, like
the feudal ,o6lcsse OF FRANCE, prior to their
revolution in l790. The white man must
cultivate Lis lands, pay the taxes of the Gov
enment and obey thelaw made by the freed.
pen Phis is what the friends of convention
&c ionocently preparing for themselves and
,osterity! What worse can Black Repub-
lean Rump Congress" do for US?
But it is said that it is vain to think of de-
eating the call of convention. This is very
rue, whilst so many white persons are deter
lined to vote for it., and portion of the
ewspaper press of the Stste refuse to pub
sh anything on the other side. Ii the white
zee were united as they ought to be, by every
rincipIe of honor, patriotism and interest,
hey could very easily vote it down. In the
ountry, remote from the influence OF vile,
.adical emissaries, the freedmen know very
tile, at present, about the right Of suffrage,
nd care less. They will not 60 out to reg.
ter and vote, aud many of them will vote
18th their employers. But this will not be
,e case long. In all probability, the white
ole of the State will be larger at the ensuing
ection than the black vote. 1t will not be
, in another election.
In the last State Convention, which assem-
ed in Columbia in 1865, there were gath
ed togetherall theillustriousm ofthe State.
was body of men unsurpassed for their
isdom, virtue and talents. Not one of them
IN be member of the proposed convention.
hey are all excluded by the military bill,
ID deprived even of voting for members Of !
g convention. The proposed assemblage ,
i'll be composed of negroes, Northern men, /
aitors to the State, and a few gallant and =
'norable young men, who may possibly con-
mt to become candidates and be elected, in
me of the upper Districts. 1t will be mot
y, Heterogeneous collection of white, grey
ID black spirits around the political caul- l
on, into which is to be thrown the honor, t
fnt;nnal rinhts fannhina n mi =, ai.l laa and