The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1867-04-10
j. g. ANDERSON, S. Co. WEDNESDAY APRIL H. 1867
VOL. 9.

. sand1re-instated with the Government at
! Washington, and until you secure repre-
4 lsentation in the Congress of the United
s; States While the Constitutional Amend
ment was proposed to South Carolina as
a State, and our own voition in that Ca
/ pacity could be exercised as is well known
4 to every gentleman here, | opposed Its
4 adoption. but the act of Congress recently
passed, has assumed that this country is
a conquered territory, a conquered peo-
i pie, and consequently that that body has
4 a righteto dictate terms. The power ex-
lists in that body to dictate those terms,
4 is secure for the next two years, and
when they place themselves a9uarely and
broadly upon. that platform, | Or ono, Go
not propose to go. to the Supreme Court
or'any where else, for the purpose OF dis
putting that power; but in good faith l
will accept the terms, humiliating as they
may be, and openly, fairly and squarely
urge their adoption before our people
! (Great applause.)
/ AssI have said to you these terms are
]humilatihg, and, in many respects, un-
generous and unjust. but when Congress
exercise their power in spite Of the Prcsl-
dent of the United States, and without
1 regard to; the Constitution which has in
vain been held up to them for the last
eightcen months. 1 see no other course
for MS to adopt as q matter of interest
than to yield I happen to be one of that
class of persons that are disfranchised
now. henceforth, and forever. [ have
neither the privilege of enrolling myself
asa voter or, casting my vote at the bal
lot box, nor of becoming candidate for
the humblest Office under this organiza-
'tion, and. therefore, the counsel which l
may offer upon the present occasion may
be regarded>as accepted by even those
| who are in the habit of distrnsting me as
| tile expression of an individual entirely
I Fdisintcrested and anxious only for the
welfare Of his people. (Applause.)
With reference to the DISTINGUISHING
clause, Think it was an unfortunate one.
According to an estimate made in the
region of country in which l reside, it ap-
pears that within the limits of Anderson
! District alone, about one eighteenth would
be excluded from the privilege Of voting.
|, 1 presume .tbat this rule willapply to the
entire State of South Carolina. Very
many of these persons excluded, enjoy
the esteem, respect and confidence
of their eir-feIlow-citizens. Many OF them,
indeed, are, in my humble Judgment,
required in the formation of our State
EGovernment. And the absence OF these
gentlemen in your Convention, when it
|.assemblee~for the purpose of preparing
Constitution. will be n source not only Of
regret to the people, but a misfortune TO
the State, because their wisdom would
enable them TO give such a direction to
public affairs rs would make them more
acceptable to the community at large than
those which We are likely to hope for
with the present prospect. 1t is better.
however that We should be excluded than
| that we should refuse to accept the terms
proposed, when there is q reasonable cer-
tainty that if we do not accept those
terms, other and harslcr terms will be
kpropesed, than those which are contained
| in the bill Looking, therefore, to the n-
terests of the great mass Of the people of
South Carolina, and believing that the
threat of confiscation will not be carried
Into effect if we accept the terms of this
bill; and believing that contiscation will
follow if we do not; knowing also that
we shall be benefited BY its acceptance,
/ say that as my humble judgment, in
terest-and wisdom dictate that we shall
concur in the measure proposed BY Con-
gress (Applause.)
would, therefore, say to every man in
South Carolina, who has not been dis
francbiscd, that rs soon as the proper
order has been issued, he should proceed
to register his name, andprepare to go to
the polls to vote for the best man that
can be selected to form q constitution
under which we and our posterity can
live.
/ believe that Congress made mis-
| take. and they will realize it, when they
l!eXtcndcd suffrage to the colorcd man. |
was in favor of giving to the colorcd race,
before that law passed, whenever its indi-
viduals could read and write, or possessed
property to the amount of $3.50, the cleo
tive franchise.
In the first place, if you open the door
for all to vote you give am opportunity
for bad men to exercise their. influence,
but if you had restricted the privilege in
the manner in which had suggested you
would have had u guarantee that when
their arguments arc addressed to colored
men they would have bad the good sense
to reject them. In the next place, If
Congress had created this limitation to
the right of suffrage, irrespective of color,
Iundertake to say that every man in the
limits of South Carolina would in five
years have qualified himself to exercise
the privilege.
Under the present circumstances, how
ever, you hold out no such indncement.
1 You have an opportunity to educate this
race. If you educate them you will make
them citizens who understand the
relations of society much better than if