The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1867-11-21

high position our most intelligent white
citizens are excluded from the jury, while
the ignorant negro is elevated 10 that rs.
sponsibie position; the jury lists are made
up from the lists OF registered voters,
which, as we have said, are more than
two to one il favor Of the negro. Not
only, be i, remembered, is the negro ad.
mItted to the jury'box, but the white
man is excluded ,herefrom. Think you
that when the great masters OF the com.
mon law OF England pronounced their
encom'um upon the trial by jury, that
they contemplated for a moment such an
instrument as an ignorant negro panel
Think you, that when the trainers OF the
Constitution Of the United States incor.
porated into that instrument the provision
that the trial by jury should always be
held inviolate, that they intended to en-,
graft upon it such an enormity as negro
Jurymeo, fresh from the Gotten and rice
fields o! the South Think you, that
when John Rutledge and bis illus.rious
compeers signed that instrument on the
part OF South Carolina, that they intend
to forge chain which, in a period no
longer than ordinary life time, would
drag their grand children (who were then
playing around their knees, and some OF
whom are now liviug.) for trial before a
jury Of their own slaves !
Talk OF additional humiliation, talk OF
confiscation, complain Of clemency 10 reb.
els, after this God forbidl The Cow
ernment Of the United States has enforce
ed against the Southern people the most
s,upendous act Of confscation that has
ever been enforced in the history of ma.
tons; their property in slaves has been
conhscated to the amount Of three thou.
sand millions OF dollars other personal
property. in the shape Of cotton, provis.
ions, stocks, plate and money, has been
captured or destroyed, to the value Of one
thousand millions Of dollars and from
these causes their land has been deterio.
rated to the extent Of one thousand mil,
lions OF dollars-makiDg in the agpre
gate the enormous sum OF five thousand
millions Of dollars. These overwhelming
pecuniary losses fall exclusively upon the
Southern people. The political evils com +.
P!ained Of will, Of course, fall chiefly up,
on the people Of the South, but not ex
clusively upon them. Fasten negro su,
premacy upon the South, and it must be
felt through all Of her relations with the
Nor,h-whether commercial, political or
social. Should a Northern man-and
how often mus! such necessarily be the
csse-be brought to trial in the State or
Federal Courts at the South. his life or
liberty must be passed upon by ignorant
negro Jurors. Should the most Difficult,
and complicated questions Of property
arise in Southern Courts-aud how often
must such be the case, arising from inter.
marriage, inheritance or trade-the cause
OF the Northern man must be decided BY
the same ignorant tribunal. Nor is this
yet all. The highest prerogative Of Gov.
eminent is the taxing power. and the Of.
forts Of the wisest statesmen have been
expended to guard this great power
against abuse. No power has been more
zealously watched than this. No power
has given rise to so much strife and blood,
shed in the history Of the world. The
contest between the mother country and
the colonies originated in her assumption
ofthe right to tax without representation.
by the Reconstruction Acts OF Con
gres', the taxing power is placed in the
hands Of those who own no property, aod
is taken away from those who bold the
property and mus. pay the taxes. The
war that has always existed between cap
ital and labor is decided in favor OF ,b,
latter, and the wealth of the country il
Frustrated at the feet Of those who have
nothing at stake but their daily wages
and their daily bread. How will this
power be exercised : Can i. be suppos
ed for moment that it will be exercised
in any other way than to impose such
burdens upon the taxpayers as will a,
mount, in the end, to practical confscs
ton Of the small remaining substance ol
our peoplel But we must forbear. Such
are some OF the Immediate consequences
OF the Reconstruc.ion Acts upon the peo.
pie Of the South and upon the whole
country. ...' "'''
We have said, and we repeat, ,ha, we
desire peace /; but the policy now propos