Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1867-06-14
Ex-GOvCrnor Perry Reiterates His Views
DenunciatjOn of Negro Suffrage and tn
DIsfra nc |. isement OF Southern States.


To lie Editors 0fthe CoLunabia Phoenir:
There is one important and vital fact
which should be remembered by those who
are going to vote for Convention. The
Military Bill makes it obligatory on the
Convention to provide for unqualified ne
gro suffrage in the State Constitution. No
discretion is left with the Convention to
adopt or reject this odious feature. They
are not allowed to establish impartial suf-
frage, and require property or intelligence
in the voter, whether white or black. All
must vote who are twenty-One years old,
whether or not they have property, or can
read and write, OF are white or black
This fundamental error, this black Giro
jan horse" full of strife and woe, must be
introduced into the State Constitution.
There is no help for it if we go into Con-
vention.
If the Military Bill left it discretionary
with the Convention to form such Con-
stitution as they, in their wisdom, might
see proper to adopt, then there would be
some excuse in voting for Convention
But when ordered and required, in violation
of the right of sclf-government, to incorpo-
rate so mischievous and degrading fea-
tura in their Constitution, it does seem that
tie people of South Carolina, prompted by
the spirit of liberty, should cry out ''touch
not, handle not. the unclean thing !" They
must know that it will be impossible to
maintain q Just wise and permanent repub-
lican form of government where majority
of the voters are ignorant, stupid, deml-
savage paupers. They ought to see, too,
that the peace and quiet of the State can
not be preserved where there are two an
tagonistic races clothed with equal politi-
cal powers, and the inferior race superior
/ - in
lision in their contests for power. In two
thirds of the districts of South Carolina,
the negroes have the ma ority of voters
They may and will elect their sheriffs,
clerks, ordinaries and tax collectors. They
will send their own members to the Legis-
Iature, and elect their own Governor and
members of Congress.
If we lived in monarchy, or were to be
continued under military rule, then
both races might be properly governed and
made to do Justice toward each other. In
a republic, the people are the sovereigns,
and they must be wise and virtuous, or
their Government will practice the most
revolving tyranny and oppression, Look
at Mexico, where they have had republic
founded on a stupid, Ignorant, mongrel
population. Their government has been
nothing but a succession of bloody revolu-
tions and cruel military usurpations. With
out the highest virtue and great intelligence
on the part Of the masses of the population,
it is impossible for republic to stand
England attempted one in 1910, but 1t Was
a melancholy failure, owing to the lgnor-
ance and viciousness of the masses. France
has tried the experiment twice, and after
wading through rivers of blood, had to
seek repose in 6espotism. In both Eng
land and France, at the time those efforts
were made, there were thousands distin-
guished for their virtues and talents; but
the great masses were Ignorant and unin-
formed, and were swayed by their passions
and vices. But how infinitely superior were
those masses to the freedmen of South Car
DINA.
We have foretaste of negro legislation,
assisted by Radical cunning, in the plat
form adopted at their Charleston Conven-
ton. Before they had been allowed to cast
vote, or exercise the first political priv
| lege, they boldly proclaim that property
alone, and not person, is to be taxed. Re-
member this avowal is publicly made by
those who have no property to be taxed
In other words, the negroes are to pay no
taxes toward the support of the Govern
ment; but all taxes are to be paid by the
white race. Next they declare that their
children must be educated at our expense,
and their aged and infirm parents must be
supported by us. We must support, too,
their idle and vicious who become paupers.
The hearty, hale negro, man, who makes
his hundred or two hundred dollars per
annum, and spends it foolishly, must not
be taxed one cent to educate his own chill
dren or to support his own father or moth
er. They declare, also, that the lands must
be divided into small tracts, and that it is