The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1867-07-10
From the Columbia Pheniz, July 8.
Gov. Perry Again.

4
We publish this morning, another let
ter from the Hon. B. F. Perry. 1t is a
courtesy due to his position and his for
mer services to ths State but we must
say, frankly, that we publish this letter
with reluctance, however opposed we
may be to any ostracism of the press, or
closing our columns against the utterance
of opinions adverse to our own, and to
the policy that we believe is the only TRUE
and conservative line of action that South
Carolina or the Southern States should,
under present circumstances, pursue
And we would say, moreover, in relation
to this communication, that, in our hum
BILE Judgment, 1t is destitute Of any afsh-
.ment to sustain the writer's position in
urging the people of South Carolina to
vote against Convention, when it is con-
ceded by men of every shade Of opinion
that such Convention will be held in
this State.
Governor Perry felicitatcs himself on
the "bright CLEAN of sunshi!e" which
emahxtcs from the opinion of the Attor-
ney-Geheral. We opine thut this CLEAN
will be very short:lived, if the Congress
organizes to-day in special session. A de
claratory supplemental Act, passed by
that body during the contemplated brief
session, will render the opinion utterly
worthless-yea; do more-willinves Gen.
Sheridan and the other commanders with
supreme power none of them have yet
assumed. No hope of relief there, should
quorum meet in the halls Of Congress
to-day. And even should there not be Il
quorum, Notwithstanding the opinion Of
Mr.. Stanbery, the work Of reconstruction
would go on, for the Acts have not been
pronounced unconstitutional by the law
officer of the Government, aud the only
point he makes is, that, in some instances,
the commanding generals have tran
scended their legitimate powers; accord
ing to his construction Of the laws. The
President is bound to execute these la'cS 10
their fnality, Of course, under the Attor-
nev-General's construction, but still they
aciN be erecuted, and neither Governor
Perry, nor at1y one who may be of his
opinion, has given us one good reason
why we should be obstreporous, and fight
against law; the execution OF which is
to be enforced, not by the civil, but by
the military authorities
Tropcs and figures, appeals to State
pride; and calling to remembrance gallant
deeds, are nit arguments. The men who
fought under Lee, Hampton, Longstreet,
Kcrshaw and other Southern leaders, and
who, as Governor Perry says: undertook
to conquer four 10 ore, and fought gallant
" through a hundred fields Of battle" are
more likely to follow the advice Of those
leaders than the counsels of one who,
staying at home, very properly, no
doubt, opposed persistently: even to the
bitter end; and with all his ability, rs con-
ductor of press. started for that very
purpose, and as a legislator, that cause
for which those soldiers fought to whom
he now appeals, by their votes at the
ballot to oppose reconstruction OF the
Government There is, we must be per-
mitted say, an inconsistency in tho pub
lie and political course of our distinguish
ed correspondent. that is unaccountablc,
if we look for its existence to any ordna-
ry causes.
But the bugbear Of negro government,
the dark and dismal spectres of "San Do
mingo" and Jamaica" are again held up
in ali their fearful ghastliness to alright
our people. On no grounds whatever can
such appreheusions exist: Even the
writer himself intimdtes, when speaking
of the history of Africa, that the long as.
sociaton of the race with the whites OF
the South has endowed him with "a low
dcgree of civilization" But we are dis
cussng facts, and it is facts we have to
deal with now, and we would ask where,
in two years they have been emancipatcd,
have the freed people given any reason
for the apprchcnsions expressed by Gov.
Perry. They are building chtrches and
schooLhousses many of them are pro
fessire Christians, and large number OF
them n!elIigent-suficien to- control the
more unehllg ghtened among them and the
sombre forebodings imdulged in by Gov.
Perry, SO far as we can discover; have no
foundation whatever, that we can per-
ceve-and, therefore, we regard them as
the offspring of the gloomy imaginings of
despairing mind: Were it otherwise,
however, our esteemed correspondent has
failed to enIighten us how all these terri
BILE evils could be arrested by voting
against Convention'-the only remedy
he proposes, the only panacea for the
itigation Of present or future woes.
10 our plain, common sense, and, per-
haps, limited understanding, tho course
recommended by Governor Perry, is that
which, if anything could DO IL, would
bcget the state of affairs he apprchends
and deprecates.- It woufd at once create
an anlagonism between the two races
and would inflame and excite that popu-
Ia,ion. who have been and are still being
taught that the whites of the South will
not concede to them tho rights and privi-
legcs conferred upon them by Congress
and tho Government 1t is easy to tore.
see that this antagonism, fostered and
promoted by bad men and politicians