The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1867-04-18
Another Letter from Ex-Gov. Perry.
We publish below another letter

we puDiish below another letter
from Hon. B. F. Perry, OH the po-
liGcal situation. It is needless to say,
from the position taken by this jour
nal jim many leading editorial articles,
that we are opposed to that Gov.
Perry, and will take occe sion to make
some comments upon the present
communication:
"The United States shall guaran-
tee to every State in this Union q
republican form of government. -
Section A, Article ", Constitution of
the United STATES Of, america.
Under this authority, the Congress
of the United States, after excluding
from their seats the Senators and
Representatives of ten Southern
States, has established in all of the
excluded States q military govern
ment, absolute and Unlimited in its
powers! 1t is well known that these
States have exhausted their power
and resources in n gallant and heroic
struggle for independence and self
government. They now have. %
alternative but unqualified submis-
sion to the military dospotism thrown
over them. It is to be hoped, and it
lis generally believed, that the mill
tary commanders in the Southern
States will exercise their despotic
powers wisely and humanely. It is
Che administration Of q government,
and not the form of a government,
which makes it odious and oppres,
sive. Ardespotism, wisely, Justly and
virtuously administered, is the most
perfect government that can be estab-
lished. It is the government of God,
established by him for the govern
ment of the universe.
Five or six months ago, South Ca
rolina, with all the other Southern
States, rejected, with scorn and in
dignation. the constitutional amend
ment, which proposedto exclude from
Office their leading men, and reduce
their representation in Congress,
unless they permitted universal negro
suffrage. Now, it is proposed by the
military bill not only to exclude this
! class of'persons from Office, but to
disfranchise them and exclude them
from voting in all elections, and Mt
the same time to enfranchise their
former slaves and give universal suf-
srage to the negro. Strange to say,
that there are many persons in the
Southern States whose high sense of
honor would not let them adopt the
constitutional amendment, who are
now urging the people to voluntarily
swallow the military bill, regardless
of honor, principle or consistency. I
am happy to know that they are
secessionists and never were Union
men.
The inquiry is, which, then, shall
we do? Whilst I have been writing,
the telegraph brings the glorious
news that Mississippi and Georgia
have appealed to the judiciary for
the protection of their constitutional
rights as sovereign States of the
American Union. Would to God
that South Carolina stood by the side
of Mississippi and Georgia, in this
their last noble effort to maintain
their dignity and honor as States and
the just rights and liberties of their
citizens. If this last grand, expiring
effort in favor Of freedom should
fail, then the South will have to
quietly meet the tyranny of Congress;
but, in meeting, she need not en-
brace the hideous thing. When the
military order is issued for q registra-
ton of voters, let every man, not
disfranchised, 60 forward and register
his name. When the election is
ordered for convention, it will be
the duty of every voter to cast his
vote for the wisest, best and most
trustworthy men, who are eligible to
seats in that convention. This much
he is forced to do for self protection,
and to keep the State Government
from falling into the hands of un-
worthy and base men. He need 20
no further. Let him then endorse
on his ticket, "No contention" If he
is o patriot and an honorable man, he
cannot desire the change which the
military bill contemplates, and he
should not vote q lie!
With the cunning which always
characterizes the tyrant, Congress has
enacted that the people themselves
shall endorse the call of convention.
In order to give legal validity to it's
acts. Without this endorsement, the
whole proceeding might be regarded
as forced on the States by the military