The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-08-12

must therefore, on this question Of reconstruc.
ton take one OF 5 "a p,ase,s Me Tans ISn
coin and johnson upon the same ground, viz that
the President of the United States had the right,
terms Of readmission for the South and must adait
that at any time after the proclamation OF 1862 oneentn
of the people of South Carolina could have
loyal State Government restored the state 20 the
Union made rebels and traitors OF the rest OF the
community. Or must assume that there were GER
tain relations therent to character as sovereign
Union And then the Presidents scheme of reconsruc-
ton disturbed these relations, and xloiatea our
rights as openly and recSiessy as aSo % Act d;sran-
chises certain citizens; the proclamation aid tne
same by confning the privilege OF Vonng 70 aS pot
on Of the people OF said sease VINO ae n, 1t ta
spest reference to the requirements OF the state Con-
stu,ion for the assembling OF such oody; the Proc
did the thing Inn hae ao
that the rebellion had deprived the OF tne Stle
of South Carolina OF all civil government The Act ap.
ttha presdent as Conmandern-Chief appointed Pro
ysiopa Governor and as far as the Consunon OF the
state of South Carolina concerned tnere Is NOT an act
~ Gov Perry while officiating Provisional Governor,
lawful regular than an order scklcs
And further upon this assumption 1t impo: sble upon
any sound ground OF to say
whence the President derived his right to prescribe
telms on behalf of the United States, wherea Pro
ysonal Governor, appointed by the President and
Convention, irreguarly and unawfuy convened found
their authority accept them behalf of the State Or
finally we must that the President held posses
sion Of the southern States as conquered territory over
the army and navy And this is tho ground upon which
the President did place his proclamation Mhereas,
he saws 'he President Of the United states ls te
Constitution made the ComnnnderlnChef OF thg Any
and ma well as chief executive officer OF the Untea
states "Whereas the rebellion which mas Deen "seeo
&c &C. but whose organized and armed forces nave
nouv heen almost entirely overcome has, IN It's reVo
ionarv progress deprived the people OF the State OF
South Carolina Of all civil government ana Wnereas
r. and s nS So to the people
South Carolina in securing them the enjoyment OF re-
pubican form of government" &c, &c. linen tne ac-
ZION Of the President was the acnon Oh ny ;masd
bv the exipency but which could estaohsn no
notcsl relations with the United States unlt hga oeen
confirmed by the law'nakng power thereoi: ~ na
that Congress- could have confirmed the President ac
tion ana IL would have been e1ninenty wse had tney
done go; but they did not and would not and tne
hcb he deserves all honor but which could not posi-
bly Give us right to claim readmlssion. IL.
Now the Reconstruction Act does give us TINS rlgnI
1s nroyisions may be harsh, but once comphed VIII,
o piobt ia established by the law Of tho land 1t has
tern5at,I the contest between the confnctng powers
of the Executive ana Legislative Departments o. u
governments 1t has been passea M wiz at s o1i nrac
onstitntional forms IL has stood the Test ior al
Heal nnrposes of examination before the supreme
and # is now in active unthecked hMiui opessUn r
say that because we nave no. .ha The whole question
~ issne has been-who has the right 10 adInt us aHo
on what terms and that this question Is only now
BY the passage OF OF the tSs AGs Northern people
passed Congress after prolonged discussion and oy
large and decided vote. In SPECIAL sesso caea ioi
purpose mas S oesR parysher
man Fesseuden Wilson, Frehnghuysen, Cona1, tne
most influential Of the Republican press nave
that it was meant to be, and would De- ueatso na
~ ths tyo wear, of angry STRIFE the necessity resto-
alton of the southern States to their ural place ~
tSs Union has been forcing itself upon all the great IN
terests of the country Conscientious Oh loeisn M ai
AZ domestic policy urge the healing OF our nternal oV
sons and reasoning must do, upon the prooa-
bilites before U.S. there is no just ground Ior
that fits provisions are complied with WY ps er ct
and promptly executed. But suppose It is not noS
tbis practical aues ion well worth your considerauon
II there is san in Congress malignant wL ano Seu @
win to asOy ysa ae will
that power make your refusal TO obey an excuse io
petratngf , .,,,,1, vota aoainst
Convent;on ia that II you refuse to call Convention
the present military government wiz pe contnuea, @
that government Is Gc.sr than any which the conVen
Nov in the rst place, what possible assurance haYe
Won that You reject Convention, the present mhtar
government vii be c,ntinuedf Are not al tne PfVp @
6es The other wsy as @ nassea sS Il wss because
those who passed wished the restoration OF the SCUM
on these terms and in this way, and beieyeo tnaE n
people Ct the seeding States wona use uv Hon reject the
Convention it will be In order TO defeat the purposes
the act Is 1t ai likely that those who framed tne ae
thout reference to your wishes, win allow you 70 use at
| far the purpose of defeating their endsf you
refuse to vote for Convention, ore there no Voters
in the State to whom Congress could oy sr
be exclusive rpht to VOTE and who would very ready
ali Convention Suppose a new law, which should
extend the disfranchsement to .an who participated
rebellion and where woua eoyernment has said
cali Convention frame your Own Constituuon, pro
yded IL be Republican, insert certain provisions Wnsn
we think ths late civil war senaers ,d cagns hack
- 70 vonr old places in the Union. You reply no,
va ili have no Convention dictated constitution we
not back to the onion W on $ yEun Not coe
sesv yon can be brought back forcibly military
Government is costly experiment ut best give power
he freedmen and they will soon place the state IN ioya
roIatona with the Union. And when you nave reeced
tSis nan of reconstruction you viii ind, 100 ate tnat
Won haye misunderstood the temper and unaeraIea @ e
ppnbcan pary was divided on this 1ery measures that
The more violent and extreme wish and shi wlsn 70
ursue barsher course. Will not your rejection OF this
sss e. T. Essssss sonp.ss as gaur Utter
p hat your rejection of the Convention
Mt SoowsS bv any such vindctiys tne
present @ % fs ary government which is SO
sI ba.ssr tsan sny you can ame but the armed rep.
resentatye Of the very power you Wlsn W GSu,to
ha purpose Of avoiding the consequences Of
the Reconsruchon Act, that the military com.nsndef. .
who js tho creature OF the Act 1tse-who e1sss soey
Nnf 1t-V
nossd Il on you-ther can will join you In carrying
out your purpose2 This is no matter OF uu'
of experience You know already what tas mnafy s9a
ernmept is and what is there that the c 1
restore you to the Union which WI
notdo-nay which not done The Act py pro
vision has conferred upon the freedman the privilege
,f5aoe which neither you nor the military commander
can afe away; and within the last few months the or
ders issuing nom military headquarters haYe IN anuc
nation of the Convention, declared that the coorea yoer
Ia entitled as an equal Of nny other czen 70 Ae ous
,anasa ride In pblic conyeyances sit on Jur1es and
hold Offices Indeed, in the very Last order apponune
Registers, he has been put IN once oes
mus be and is simply absolute power, responslo.e
to you and bound by the very law which createa H. 70
do for tho negro all that You WIZ not 90 OF
fsa to cal Convention for fear that the Consotunon
And this brings me to the third reason urged against
the vote for the Conyenfon-that you 90 eau Gon
yenton YOU will have to recognize and incorporate no
your State Constitution the principle OF universal SUI
sge-that this principle viii place the control OF tne
state in the hands Of the numerical msorty which Is
coored and that the legislation Of the State will in CON
sequence be used to the injury and degradation OF the
white citizens, who are helpless minority.
The first and most practical reply TO this argument s
numerical majority which you feaf VIII eitner exercise
its power and call Convention against your wishes,
and IL SPITE p fSS t. votes asn II is obvious HsS ha
same influence which could induce them TO act
with Won 10 prevent Convention would induce them to
act with yon in the Conyenon when called An organ gan
ply resstance to the action Of Congress- and the excite
ment Of fas antsgonism between the races without
single advantage in the contest you will thus inaugurae
But what is the real danger before you Let us look
fully in the face. It is true that Convention W is
called one Of the conditions imposed Is that the Const
tution which 1t frames shall include provision for uni
yess suffrage It is true also. think that universal
suffrage great misfortune, that the privilege ofVotng
is not only privilege but very nesponsibe duty,
which no one white black. should be permitted to
share who is not qus ed by character and
exercise it wisely and conscientiously This highest
right Of citizenship has been given to large portion of
the population Of the State, who ara not mt for It, by
power which you cannot resist and which does not in.
tend to be resisted No action Of yours in voting against
q Convention can deprive them Of It
assume, upon the general statement, shhouSn
doubt its correctness that there are in South Carolina
about sixty thousand black votes to about forty thou.
sand white Ones But this black vote Is not and cannot
be ade combined majority, except in cases OF gen.
ers popular election tor delegates to the Conyenuon
for Representatives the Legislature cannot act TO-
eether The disparity in numbers is local. For exam
Die il there is majority Of five Thousand negro voters
In Beaufort or Georgetown District the majority OF the
5;r,,;pt ohad in fhs