The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1867-07-17

i 3ttonal convention in framing the constitu,
tlonsof 1866 With an nutter disregard oftleii
rights as fcemen. Then again, tho acts
oflthe legislature making all kinds Of ad,
verse determinations towards tho blacks
requiring them to pay tho costs of suits al
law before proceedings can be commenced
and forbiding tho sale Of their own prodnct
and property without tho written consent 81
the white persons upon whose lands they
'Aay rssiaS. Ihese,faud sych iiko discrimt
nations against them arc well calculated to
arouse their suspicious and enmity and I
can say to the whites, that they need never
expect to exercise an influence over the
oolored race, until they learn to do thcm
justice. II is an unoontrovertible fact that,
every requirement mado upon us through
The Federal Congress may be traced direct.
~ back to tho indiseretions of our own pco>
pie, and am in favor of reconstruction
before wo can have the opportunity of com-
hitting any moro of these follics.
DO the whites of South Carolina expect to
establish claim to the friendship of tho
blacks by forming associations for the pur-
pose of inviting foreign laborcrs to take
them places amongst us-foreigncrs with
but little capacity for the maintenance Of
free government, and who hayo been reared
and educated to dispiso our republican in.
stitutions? Do they expect to prove TO the
colorcd people TINT we are their true friends,
when they see such advertisements in tho
public prints as propose TO give hundreds of
acres of land, free of charge, to foreigners
who may come amongst us to labor when
here ut homo, we havo thousands of our
former slaves, who havo worked for us from
childhood to old age, and sorne, now TOO
old and fecbc to support themselves, going
from house to house begging for their daily
bread. 4 ask, do they expect to provo q
friendihip thus =? If they do, then / can
tell them plainly they will DO mistaken. d 4
But thcrc is,a way TO acquire the confi-
dcncc and friendship of the colorcd race /;
1t 10 simple and plain and costs nothing,
and may be fully. designated i'm three words,
viz: Do them justice. This is Mi they ask,
and this is all that is required by tho mill,
tary bill.
would hero respectfully submit, with
due difference, to others opinions, q soyers
'eign remt dy for confscation in any shape
and tho spread Of all radical infections
amongst oW people: Let every wbito land
owner, at the earliest practicable moment,
sell4o worthy laboring blacks such PORTIONS
| ~ r,n hn o1,1 ::
reasonable time, and credit them for tho
purchase money. If this medicine is fairs
administered, few months will show
decided improvement in the body polite.
| Tho Southern radicals and myself are
travelling the same road, and am sure we
must, all, arrive at the point designated
IN company, but there is q very material
difference in our modes of travel; | have
learned that have duty to perform, and
am ready and willing 10 do it; on tho cons
,trary, if the radicals know their duty, they
are not disposed to perform AVID yill be
| driven to it.
Again, IL has been said, if the col1rcd
people are allowed unqualified suffrage,
Northern Radicals will contro! them politi~
cally, and yet, these very pcrsons who have
| arrived at this conclusion, tell us they are
opposed to q convention through which
alone tho colorcd race are TO secure their
rights under the State governments. Under
such circumstances, wonld thcro be any
thing very strange if this were TO prove
truo; and ought the colorcd pcoplc to be
condemned for this, when we, who should
naturally bc their friends shall have pro.
| tessionally refused to ooncedo them the
rights of republican froemen? We have
already refused through Tho Legislature,
last winter, when the bill Of rights was not
so lengthy or quite so imporiously demanded
as now, but Imagine that although it
may require on effort on The part Of some to
foot the bill with the interest added, there
are others who. arc wise enough 10 thank
God, that the demand is no greater. t
Some have said, that 1 have instructed
tho colorcd people in reference TO- matt ers
which it wcro bottor. thoy should never have
known. would ask, if it has como to
this, that the truth must be suppressed in
order that the poor ignorant colored race
should bo cheated of their just rights? Arc
We of this great and chivalrous State Of
South Carolina, to resort to triclcry and
deception to keep ono class Of our citizens
from acknowledge Of their dues, and TINT
they may destroy themselves legally, moral.
ly and politically? Iappcal TO every liberal
minded man to bring these questions homo
to their own hearts, and am confident the
verdict must be, "Lct justice be done
though tho Heavens fall" and let a'fhe
truth, the whole truth and nothing but the
truth" bo told, and we could then with cons
| fdcnco, fear not, to'lcarn our destiny in tho
hands Of arighleous God.
In conclusion, let me say, that do not
fear or regard the scorns orsneerso Of (would
beg aristooraoy, who would assume too
much dignity to stoop to do justice whom
God has set his mark, and in bestowing vast
domains, as o proper set off, has deprived
them Of f,suilicientmental comprehension to
look beyond the limits Of their own manors.
The day Of such lordlings is past In South
L <t a Fl r.