The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-04-27

make prompt :remittances. "A great many OF
these accounts have been standing for year
and more, and it is absolutely necessary now
! that they should be paid. -. :. - =
GOVERNOR PEKRY's LETTER.
! Governor PERRY's advice to the people Of
i the State is this: That, as a Military Govern
ment has been established over them, until q
Convention has been called and a new Constltu-
ton framed by it has been, submitted to and aDy
approved BY. Congress, they should use the
privilege given by the Reconstruction Act re-
fuse, to, call a Conyention, and, by thus per-
petuating the. Military, Government, avoid the
necessity Of universal suffrage, and gain time
for the coming reaction Of public opinion ll1 at
! the North, to repeal the Act and restore the
States to what he believes to be their constitu-
tional7rights. 8 - ss. s,.' .1 Y. .'1'!s@..
This advice the Governor bases upon three 7r
assumptions. no, IONS which he states with emphatic
distinctiveness: TF1..e. - .:' . : =.
|. ..That it isto be hoped, and it is generally
believed, that the military commanders IN the
Southern States will, exercise their despotlc
powers wisely and 'humanely. ~ a ',s des-
potism wisely, justly and yirtuously administer
ed, is the most perfect government that :'sn be
established 1T is the government Of God
|estabished by him for the government OF the
universal ~ =: fe s't~ss' 80 y
This certainly does seem to be strange con-
clusion for people who, the Governor says,
thought four long bloody years for what they
| believed;to be-. q. sacred right, proclaimed by
all the American people in their Declaration OF
Independence and it is correct conclusion
it is still strangerth that the Governor should de-
sire a re-aetion at the North to set aside "the
most perfect government that con can. be estab stab
hshed.'n' e.sz Il q: ;:
And this brings us to: the second assumption
in the Governors argument, and that is, that
if we vote s.no convention BY = majority, then
universal suffrage viii not be established, and
the present Military Goyernmentawill continue
untiI some indefinite good time which is coming
To this we would Say: ~! q
l. That there is not the slightest prospect Of
such vote being: in the majority. Tie col
ored ~ vote oftha State VIII be. an unit for the
Convention and the white vote will be divided,
the only practical result being that as
the freedmen believe that the call Of the Con-
7ention is necessary TO the establishment by
State legislation Of their newly acquired rights,
they win regard this effort to avoid Conyen-
tionF as a symptom Of bad faith ON our partand
| as proof Of; our unwillingness to dothem jus
tc1, and VS. viii lose the opportunity to secure
that harmony Of political action between the
two, classes which is so absolutely necessary to
the we'll being of both. - = 80
| 2. In the next place suppose such vote to to
prevail what guarantee have we that the Mill
tary Government, as it exists now, would be
| continued? If is SO agreeable.to us atpresent
that. we will defy the reconstruction actto pre-
| serve it, cannot the same Congress which made
t what it is, make it what it chooses, so Us to
com pei us to call Convention to get rid Of it
And does Governor PERRY suppose for an in
slant, that the power which has kept us out as
long as it sow fit, cannot force us to come back
whenever it sees fit? g.
|. 8. And even if this Military Government is
allowed to continue, how does that save US
from universal suffrage? -s,9a. :.
Sec. G Of the Military Bill provides "That
until the people of said rebel States shall be
by law admitted to representation in the Con-
gress Of the United States, any civil govern
ment which may exist therein sLall be deemed
provisional only, and in all respects subject to
the paramount authority of the United States
at any time to abolish, modify, continue, or
s'upersede the same; and in au elections to any
Offices Under such provisional government, all per-
sons shall be eatitledto cote under the provisions
of the 6ttA. section Of this act" -.s, -
Now, until the registration is effected and
the Convention called, all elections have been
suspended, but when the registration has been
completed and no Contention called. who will
be entitled to vote for Sheriffs, Ordinaries
and all municipal Offices, even if we,
take i: for granted that no legislature
win meet? Indeed is not universal suf-
frage inaugurated by the very vote Convention
or no Convention, and how will emo Conven-
ton" benefit us, unless the Governor considers
that it will be benefit to have oil the Legis-
latiye power of the State vested in the Militia
ry Commander, and all the administration off,
GERS selected by universal suffrage?
The third assumption of Governor PERRY is,
that the reconstruction act is violation OF the
constitutional rights of the State, and ought,
therefore, to be rejected. We cannot discuss
the principle here involved at present, but we
ask the Governor if it is correct, how can we
with any more consistency accept the Presi-
dents policy of reconstruction? Is the appoint
ment of Gen. S1cKLEs as Military Commander
any clearer violation of the constitutional rights
of South Carolina, than his own appointment rs
Provisional Governor? And is the imposition
of universal suffrage any more direct lnterfer-
ence with the rights of the State, than Cover
nor PERRY's Proclamation, calling, under the
Presidents direction, o Convention ofthe State,
upon a basis of representation in express direct
violation of the provisions Of the State Consfl-
tuition, and which the Governor himself claimed
did by his mere will and pleasure, "abollsh the
odious Parish representation" and change the
constitutional character of the State?
We have had occasion, and we hope to
have still further occasion, to express sincere
ly and fully our admiration of the good sense
and good temper of the military commander OF
thi, District, but we certainly have not reach