The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1867-06-19
To the Colored People of South Carolina

| granted privilege which heretofore your
race has never enjoyed in this State. The
right of suffrage. when the number of free
blacks was comparatively small, was with
held by tho State authorities for various
reasons, nor could this class, from numcri
cal weakness raso power sufficient to force
recognition of this right. Through Pro.
yidcntial intervention and the force of cir
cumstanccs brought about by the late war,
and not by any legal or constitutional en-
actmcnt, has this great privilege been be,
slowed. And as the right stands upon no
tirmcr foundation than that which makes
might right, a change of political scnti-
mcnt may at any time wrcst it from you
and it is n duty that each and all of you
owe to yourselves and postcrity that in cast
ing your yctes you should have an eye sin
gle to your oountry's good.
Within n few weeks, both white and col
orcd, will have an opportunity afforded of
registering their names, preparatory to vot-
| ing at elections afterwards 10 bc held; and
it should be well understood that, unless a
mans name is registered he will not be nj
lowed to vote. After registration, The first
question which will be brought before yo,
will be, whether or not q convention Shalt
be held, and ut the same same time you vote
upon this proposition, you also vote for de-
lcgatcs to represent you in tho convention,
which convention will DO held, provided n
majority of the VOTES Of the people arc cast
in favor Of it.
~. Tho object Of the convention will be 10
frame constitution which will bcstow upon
the cclorcd race the samo civil and political
rights now and heretofore enjoyed by The
whites. If this convention is not held and
the State constitution should not provide for
this equality, the government Of tho State
must remain under military rule, and be
subject to whatever laws and regulations
the Federal Congress may choose TO i'm
pose upon us, without our having one word
to say i'll the matter Of its propriciy,
Should the constitution, however, make all
the necessary provisions to the end Of this
universal equality, aud tho State is rcadmit-
ted to her place in the Union there is no
power on earth that can deprive you Of the
rights and privileges thus bestowed, with.
out your own agency. 1t is, therefore, Of
the most vital Importance that, you should
vote for a convention, and for such persons
to represent you as will have the manhood
and Justice within them to comccde your
civil and political rights chccrfully.
great many persons who arc opposed TO
convention because they do not wish you
to be equal to them in all respects before
the law, have urged it against you that from
the want Of intelligence, &C., you be
induced may by Northern men to vote
against your own interests, SC, but
this argument, even if the prophecy
is fulfilled, would not change the mat
ter Of right, for being declared, consti.u
tionaIiy, Trccmcn, II would DC ~ violation Of
he principles Of Republican government TO
deny our class what is bestowed upon an
other, and if, afcr granting universal suf-
fragc, the colorcd people choose to vote rs
others dictate and to their own disadvan.
tagc il will only be their fault, and the con-
sequences must rest with them. Being
South Carolinians, it is impossible to scpa-
rate the true interest Of the cotored man
from that Of the white, whenever general,
civil and political equality shall have been
c'nstiIutionally declared, and outside issues
anil national politics should be let alone un.
til our own house is put in order 1t will
be moro than year before it will be ncccs-
| n
| for the Presidential election in tho mean
time, employ yourselves about matters
which affect you within the State, and when
you have secured your rights under tho
State Constitution, it will be timo then TO
look about for other issues. Let North,
South, East and West tako care of them.
sc9vcs and you take care OF South Carolina
Within the next twelve months the colorc,l
people from the very nature Of things must
learn a great deal upon political subjects
which they do not now understand, and
by keeping themselves aloof from party oh.
legations, they will certainly be better pre.
pared TO adopt n course for their future
welfare, and will, in The meantime, have
iHNiN o"e ~ SHptIlSHEC "HO JnC
whites arc their true friends.
Being of The same race and color, would
most earnestly implore, that you all be stim.
ulatcd with dcgroo Of pride, which will
impcl you TO act uprightly and honestly.
We should oil remember that, as slaves,
there was little Importance attached to our
characters for good or evil, but rs frcemcn,
it is with lis TO make out future, and if
thisltuturo is TO be one of prosperity, our
individual characters must be formed Ia
conducc to this result. Let us not give
place to too much outward show Of cxulta.
tion over our newly acquired rights, but
take them to ourselves as the natural pre-
negatives of frccmcn, and prove TO those
who are so ungenorous as 10 oppose our en-.
reimbursement, that we arc men CAPABLE Of
learning and performing our duties TO the
letter of law. Let us prove to the world,
that oil tho predictions Of our want of
honor and capacity are unfoundcd, and that
we, too, have been created by q righteous
God, with e'idowmcnts Of head and hcnrt TO
choose tho right from wrong whom placed
/ before lls Ry mama, oo,,oo