The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-10-01


Eile of the now dominant party has entirely
failed eight millions of whites aref9 -daysen-
alaved. One-fOurth of the white pOpulationp pf
the country to-day bows down befOrss military
master.
The plea for this is that four millions Of
blacks must not be "serfs and outcasts " If
Ethis statement were true, it would be difficult
to answer, though even then the question might
be asked if the gain of liberty of four mil
lions of blacks is worth the loss of the liberty
of eight times that number of white men. The
statement however is entirely false, as those
who make it, know. There is not and cannot
be single slave in the South. There are no
persons to-day in any Southern State who are
deprived of appealing to the Courts of the
country. No man in the land being deprived Of
the privilege of suing for the recovery of his
rights; all men are to-day equally free to
live in comfort orto starve as they may prefer;
either to work or to remain idle. If the Con-
stitution were observed there could be no op-
preston, and consequently no slaves, serfs or
outcasts
1t must not, however, be forgotten that civil
liberty does not necessarily imply a right in
all persons to vote In no political society do
women or children vote, and yet the women
and children are surely not considered either
serfs or outcasts. In England, to-day, in spite
| of the recent sweeping Reform, large part of
the population do not vote at all, and yet it
cannot be pretended that the humblest English
man is not in the enjoyment of the highest pos
sible liberty, being safe and fully protected in
the enjoyment of life, liberty and prosperity.
In-the Southern States to-day, eight millions
of whites are in the name of liberty made
"serfs in the land of their birth" In the
name of liberty, the effort is being made to turn
over ten States to negro rule This may be
disguised as much as possible by the Radical
leaders. They may cry out that labor is
always the servant of capital, and that brain
will always be the master of brute force. This
is far from being always truo. Labor and
capital have clashed before now, and the
COuICoI udo DSCA UitltT duU UlVOuJ ohu IL 'i'N'
contest capital and intellect have not always
succeeded.
Men who but yesterday were slaves, igno-
rant and uneducated, with Gods mark upon
them, separating them from the other races Of
the world, are to-day given the bsilot. The
question is never asked if this wilr produce
liberty or license No two rsees of nearly
equal numbers; enjoying the same political
rights, ever have lived side by side in. har-
meny, without amalgamation. Races as oppo-
site as are the white and black race, cannot
amalgamate, but if they have equal political
rights, constant conflict must be carried on
for supremacy, ending in the annihilation OF
the one or the other or in war Of races,
stopped by some strong hand seizing theireins
of government
1t is vain for as to SPEAK of conciliation. The
black man and the white man to-day may both
desire it, but the law isfIed that members of
the same race will and must cling together.
The line of demarkation may not yet be made,
though there are demagogues who are striving
to effect this purpose, and how nearly it mays
be effected, it is impossible to say. Past i'm
pressions cling to the negro as well as to the
white man. but with political ambition devel-
oped, each race will endeavor to drive the
other from power. The question must eventu-
ally be one of the control Of State Governments.
In this State, the negroes registered compared
to the white men, are as two to one. Among
the white men excluded from political position,
are both the ablest and the most experienced
in the State Will not the negro sooner or
later attempt to take that mastery to which he
is entitled, if the doctrines Of the ruling party
are true? Will not this attempt be as danger
GUS to the liberty of the white man as it must
surely be to the liberty of the negro? Is it not
the first and the inevitable step towards
troubles which may affect this country for
generations to come, which may destroy its
prosperity, and deprive it permanently of its
liberty?
There is another result which must necessa-
rily follow "negro sufrage'fn the South, If it
is insisted on by the North. The acts of Con-
gress by which it is being forced on this sec
ton, are clearly unconstitutional. The Radi-
cal leaders who have any honesty, all admit
this IL the Radical programme is successful
a precedent is established which must result in
the overthrow of constitutional liberty through
the whole country. The party in power justify
their course, on the ground that it is favorable
10 liberty If liberty means the overthrow OF
all constitutional checks then is their action
In favor Of liberty. 1fliberty means shame
less violation of constitutional obligations,
then is it the party of liberty. If, however,
liberty means the production of the greatest
amount of happiness, then the party which
would violate the rights Of thirty-two millions
of people, is certainly the party of despotism
The party which would degrade States for the
purpose of obtaining and retaining political
power, cannot certainly be called the party
either of liberty or ofprogress. JOSIAH Qu1N-
oY, who ought to be good authority, IN New
England, declared long ago in Congress,
that two limits exist TO the power ol Inc
national legislature" Nature and the Con-
stitution." In the same speech he also said,
"Let legislators beware lest by the very
nature of their laws, they weaken that senti-
,ment of respect for them SO necessary to be
inspired and SO difficult to be reinstated when
it has once been driven from the mind
The Radical party will and, if possible, in
tend to violate both nature and the Constitu-
tion: Nature, in throwing two races into
political and social antagonism, and the Con-
stitution, in forcing first the South and after
wards the North, to adopt such system of gov
ernment as may suit the whim. will or passion
of the dominant majority. Congress by the
very nature of its laws, is weakening the res
pect necessary to beinspired, and by its shame