Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1867-08-17
p O LITI Q a l.
From the Anderson Intellgcnccr.]
LETTER FROM HON. w. H. TRESCOTT.
HAzLEwooD, (ncar Pcndcton,)
August l, 1867

your Representative, have held towards you
during the last few eyentful years, hus now
boon dissolved by no act OF yours or nlinc-
There is no longer State Legislature, in
which could represent you, and even if there
we're, am us you know, one of those who, by
the Reconstruction Act, are prohibited from
voting or holding Office in the State, or in the
United States. OF this do not complain
am sure that if those who are situated like
myself, could only feel that their disfranchise
ment would purchase the restoration Of your
rights, they would chcerfully accept their ex.
clusion from political privilege. and would find
in your peace and prosperity, ample compcn-
sation for the honors aud Offices to Which they
arc forbidden to aspire.
[ am aware that it has been said in very
ungenerous spirit, that those who arc disfran
chiscd, are actuatcd in their advice now, by
the desire of concliating the favor of the Fed
eral Government, and thus recommending
themselves to Radical Congress, as fit per.
sons to be relieved from their political disa
hility. But surely it requires only ordinary
Intelligence to perceive that such course on
the part of one ambitious of future public hon.
or, in South Carolina, is fatal us we'll as fool.
ish. Whatever such q man may hope must
como from you, uud the mercy Of the Govern
lnent, which made him an exception to his
fellow citizens, would be more fatal than it's
wrath, to his influence aud reputation. Iso-
lated from the sympathy of his own people,
separated from the honorable association of
those with whom lie had sacrificed and suffered.
the disability from which he would be relieved.
is nothing to that corplctcr and inmovcablc
disability which would be registered in the
hearts of his indignant uonntrvncn. But the
men who have been DISTINGUISHED. are not OBJ
scure men You know them, you have known
them for many years. Through the long PC
riOd of your trial. to them you entrusted your
honor in the field and your interests in the
council Foryou they met danger aud death,
imprisonment aid foverty. Their famc hangs
like trophy over the gf,iyes or your cni,a. on,
and their words arc recorded iu history as
your vihdicution to posterty. 1t you believe
that such men can .bctray the honor of South
Carolina, can sell their place in the affections
Of tho State, for the poor privilege of votes or
honors, which will be rcpro,ch to their
names forcvcr--if at the gravcst crisis of GU,
fate, we can forget all We have done aud suf
fcrnd together, and break our own counsel
with angry crmination lit is not worth while
To discuss our future. Our failure has, in
deed, become i.noninious, and it matters lit.
tic who completes the degradation OF this
once famous Commonwealth.
I know that you shrink, with very natural
aversion, from renewed participation in
"politics." Dishcai tened by the past, en-
barrassed and disgustcd with the present, you
are tempted to stand apart, and let the future
tnkc care oe itself. The necessities of daily
life press hardly upon you, and you have
scarcely the time or temper, to meet promptly
and rcsolutely the difficulties which surround
you. But this is not question of politics,
1t is question of lifo Or death, Of home or
exile. 1t will not be one month after the ad-
iournmcnt of the Convention, SOON to assem-
bic, before you will feel the consequences OF
its action in your courts and in your churches,
i'm your schools and at your iircsidcs, in your
taxes, and upon your labor What sort of SO.
oioty, that is to be, in which for the future
you will live, move and have your being, do.
pends upon the Constitution which that Con
vention will frame. 1t may be very painful
It may make tho heart sick and the head
weary to ioin in such work but Mt such a cri
sis the only question, with every man, ought
to be, what is his duty to himself, to his chill
drcn, to his State !
For the purpose of the argument, which
wish to address you, only very brief refer
encc to the past is necessary.
In 1860, the State of South Cnrolin;
severed her connection with the United
States, Joined tho other Southern States in es
tablishing a pcw aud independent government
and for four years maintained that indcpcn
dence before the world. At the end of thes
four years our armies were disbanled, on
treasury empty, our people exhausted. Witt
the surrender of General Leo, the Confedcra
cy, Of which we formed part, ceased to ex
ist, nothing remained but the States of .whicl
It had been composed, and they were occnpic'
and held by the military force of the victo
rious United States Government. The mos
ardent secessionist, who claimed for the Stat
the right to withdraw from the Union Of he
own free will aud accord, never pretended tn
Same right to return and six weeks after tn
suraeudcr, there was not anywhere within til
former territory of the Cohfedcracy, eithe
ability or intontion,sto resist the power of til
United States The' question thenssa,.s
immediately arose, was, AZ %offi oof oiv;na 'sr'n 70
States to hc restored tsrr1J tt,r 80 Jnoss;ble mndor
or wAasaso sasof heFCtSng FCtSngress, chance to recover
IN lost ground, and to tako the lead in
Southern reconstruction We are, indeed, SO.
fnr Impressed with the idea that in this view
of the question he stands in strong position,
that we 3feAf bound to advise him to make the
m9staoE his opportunity in bringing the issue
before the people Of tho Northern States for
their .fsoberi second thought upon tin the
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