Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1867-08-07

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tuition, but the leaders there hate it, and in
tend to destroy it, and the cenvulsion through
which we have passed has thrown the oppor
turity OF making the effort into their hands
and the present military bills and the ont
which is net yet promulgated as law, are th'
means adopted to accomplish their design
These bills are proposed Tor our acceptance
/ There is remarkable feature in these meas
ures, that while force is employed to execute
them, they are yet nominally submitted to u:
for our acceptance or rejection.
Iobject to the whole scheme, because it is
unconstitutional. A distinguished man-par
don me, ought to say notorious indiydu
al-said 10 me few days ago, that ough
MOTTO waste time toprove the unconstituton
aliis of these measures-a thing every man
wo1,an and child in the country knew-ant
yet.Ee was for accepting He spoke truth
fully. That lettering gray haired candidate
in Pennsylvania for perpetual irfamy, who i
building for himself a monument of maligni.
ty tint will overtop the pyramids of Egypt
said the Constitution had nothing to do with
it. shall never get done shuddering, and
horrors will never cease to rise up in my
mind, when see men taking an oath to sup
port the Constitution, and then legislating &c
] put in force measures which are outside of it.
a great many Of our own people fippantly
say the Cor slitution is dead. Then your
rights, and hopes for the future and all hope
lor Your children are dead. / ask every man
if the Constitution is dead, why are we al
ways, every day, and at every new step re-
quIred to take all oath TO support it?
Now, affirm that these military bills are
not only contrary to the Co. s,itution, but di-
rectly in the face Of the amnesty oath you
were required to take after the surrender
The Government thought proper, in accepting
your Submission, to take Jour oath TO support
the Constitution Of hc United States and the
Union or he STATES. Why was that oath re-
quired if TIE Constitution was dead
But ii is said the Constitution does not ap-
ply tc us. Tlcn dout swc.r 10 support it.
But it is said again that We are not in the
Union. Then why swear to support the
Union Of thsse St,tteS? Wha, Union" does
that mean? Whe" you took that oath was il
the Union o. the Northern ,Stt,teS alone that
you swore to support? What business have
you with tlat Unicn? No, it is the Union
of all tie States known to the Constitution
th..t ycu hive sworn to support.
But the; say that OATH vas prescribed by
tue President, AID that he is not loyal. Then
| must ariwer fool according to his folly,
and trainr according to bis treason. What
do they re1uirc who passed these bilis-ibis
military Juggeruant? They require every
man W % re.ist..' his name tc vote, TO sicear
to supp0yt tie Constitution, and counsel and
persuade others 10 Go so-and still it is sain
the Constitution has nothing to do with il
They ay he scheme is outside cf the Con-
slitutbn, and yet in tie prccass of carrying
it cut they require al oath to support the
Constitution and to COUNSEL and persuade
Others, 10 90 SO! That is more than Mr..
John5n ever required in the oath which be
prescfbed.
| ut ,s,ny business TO support the Cons;itu-
tlJD, 'nd 'ny-vur 'rfr,i Il.
othen TO do so. Some Of you who favor the
accelanc- of the military bill, take au oath
to this effect, and still intend 10 vote for o
convention which you adE.it to j contrary
to he Constitution How is this? Ii you
have n conscience, have said enough. Ii
y"u Vote for the Convention ycu arc PER
JURED! Tremendous applause. o, |
piy the race OF colorcd people who have
never been taught what an oah is. nor what
the Constitution means. They are drawn up
by a selfish conc.ave Of traitors to :ril ct 4
deaih-bloS upon Tie lif. Of tie Republic by
swearing them to laisehood They are TO
begin their po.itc1I life by perjury to accom-
pilsa treason! Would not visit lie penalty
upon them. They are neither legally nor
mtra y responsible, but it is yOu-cGlicated,
designing wrltc men--who thus devote your.
selves to the urh1ly wotk-who are the gnil
ty parties! You pra'c about your loyalty
| look you i'll the eye and denouncc YOU
Applau e. You arc morally and legally
pcJured traitors! You prrjlre yourselves
a!.d perjnrc the poor n gro 10 help your trea-
son! inlnense applause.l You can't es.
cape ii You may boast of it now, while
passion is rife, but the time will come when
tie very thought will wither your soul and
make yor hide from the face of mankind. =
/ SHALL discharge the obligation of the am
nesty oath. 1t required me to support Ike
Consultation and the emancipation Of the ne
gro, and do. ! will not bind my s5u TO
new slavery, 20 heil. BY violating it. talk
plaialy, but l simply want tn strike through
the iucrus,ation Of the hardened conscience,
and make ,nen feel and realize their true sit.
uation.
have proved that these military bills VIC
atc the Constitution, and that you, in carry
hg them out, violate it ard youT amnesty
path and your registry oath. And what is
your purpose? IL must be great good you
seek to induce you to commit so much crime
md folly.
Sometimes men wink at what is by strict
echnicaities wrong in the individual, 10 &C.
,omplsh some great good to the public. l
10 not recognize the correctness of such ac-
ion but what do you propose by trampling
lpon the Constitution and violating your own
solemn oaihs? Is it to save the State and
preserve liberty2 This is not the object. but
he purpose is az infamous as the measure
escorted to TO Effect it. You first propose to
.brosate yonr State governments by authority
If the s. called Congress-a mere conclaye uf
portion oil tho members Of that body. By
yholn is this dictated? Tho principle that
ghoever forms government should form it
or MemselrcS as well as for others, is a cor
Get one; but the men who propose this for
IS do not live in any of the ten States TO be
ifected by their legislation. Itis not made
0 suit either black or white, or any other
lass OF our people, but to suit Themselves
,hlle they arc not affected by it; and if you
CT upon their proposition, in manner to
nit yourselves, you will not be accepted by
hem; nay, you violate the Constitution to
uJrcyt tic Governmsnt. And by carrying
Ut these measures you disfranchise your own
eople. Suppose we concede, for argument, !
hat 1t i, right to eutranchisc all the negroes
this be right, by what principle Of law or
,orals do we dsfranchise the white people +? ,
0, but you say, the whites have been
ebels.n Then they should oil be disfran-
hised, and not part Of them. Besides, the {
ovcrnment you are to frame is to be o civil |