The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1867-11-20
sg9olitiital.
Debate in the Conservative Con-
vention.


- The Charleston Nens contains full re
: bort of the. debate in the late Conserva
tive Convention, and which was partici
pated in by many of the leading mel
present, and lasted moro than FIVE hours
THE eloquent and forciblc speech of Hon.
JohM A. 1NoL1s clearly comprises the
honest statement of facts, and we have
,sheGgGt that our readers would be pleased
to peruse his remarks unabridged. AS
: chairman of the committee which report
ED the address, Judge INaLIs felt con-
strained to defend its uttcrances, and this
he didsin the following manner:
Ma. PRESIDENT !. cannot even think
about this subject without feeling my
heart beat more rapidly; and it-is;of such
transeendant Importance, and the occasion
Son which. We have assembled is so solemn
in character, that I alFendeayor neither
hy.word; tone or mannert to quicken the
pulses of any member of this Convention.
ipfopose to say but little as the Chair
nan of the Business Committee, 1T does
not become ;iie to permit the vote to be
taken without one word. .:..sssS-52--
The question has been made whctherit
is wise for this Convention to act at all.
If.this be the prevailing opinion, it is fu-
tile to discuss any particular form OF ac-
tom enter2upon the consideration OF
this point with the most profound dePres-
sion I ever felt In my life. The discovery
that hero, insa body composed OF repre-
:sentati1es from the various Districts OF
South Carolina, there exists such exten-
siive and powerful opposition any action
at all, is Of itself % reason that there
) siluuld be action. It has been we'll said
that. unless the action of this Convention
can be unanimous-unless;th the .preconcciv-
= ed Impressions and prcjudices of individu-
rais can be yielded to the general senti-
mont; of the body, it is better to so home.
Speak with one voice, or be silent. AT
,sach acrisis as this let US speak not with
a.slouble tongue in South Carolina.
Mr.:President, it is not enough that tins
:. .Conventioisshould do something that will
do no harm. We came here for posi-
tive purpose. We are not here to issue
ssucso idle I!.oughts TO the Northern car
@Dusht, the State of South Carolina-l
shall always call her. a Statc--stand with
her hands; hanging and her tongue dumb.
) In the. presence Of what Fact does she
;stand2 a fact withou.. d parcllcl in the
HISTORY of ttewnrld. For scarcely before
:the3iiik with (which .it is recorded is dry;
/. tile & Government of South Carolina will
pass into the. hands Of. the negro race. L
: wjll!Bot insult your intelligence by asking
;;if:yoa take il, the full import OF that
.Fayt.-s
: Mr.. President; it is within ten years OF
-cascentury since South Garolina assumed
: 10. herself, as political community, the
-csown.of sovereignty. During that time
the Anglo Saxon has rnled her destlnles,,
shaped her fate, made her honorable, and
;ciothed her2with majesty. Nowthat race
, IS to be as effeectually blotted out as it
: every individual whose skin is white was
murdered and lid from view: Sir, is there
a corporate town, in South Carolina in
:. which the negro will. not have it i'll his
powereto elect d municipal government
the sIntendent and Wardens? How many
Districts are there in the State in which
every officer Of the District Police-the
Sheritfs, Clerks, and Tax Collectois-may
notbe negroes? That is not all. In
: twenty-four out Of thirty-one Districts,
the Legislature will be in the hands of
the black race They can elect their own
men, and will they not do it? What
people ever had power ahdd id not use it
What follows? They will make your
laws, or transform those already existing
to suit their interests or their whims. Nor
is that all. The Legislature of South
Carolina is q great electoral. body. 1t
chooses your Judges; and will negro
legislator choose q white Judge if he can
!. find. black one to answer his purpose
Will he choose white Senators and mem.
: bers OF Congfess? VIII he choose 4 white
/. Governor and Lieutenant-Governor!
80 am stating the fact in the presence o.
= which we .stand-the fact that the voters
: are two t0sone, and that the whole power
of the Government. executive, Legislative
and judicial, will, in two or three months
pass into the hands Of the negro race
This is the fact which controDts us. We
have como together tor conference and
: consultation, and, in the presence of the
appalling fact, OF that repulsive fact, at
which all that is white in the skin, manly
and pure in blood rccoils, shall we dc
nothing? After a,century of glory, after
"a century of fame, when the name ol
South Carolina has become a synonym Of
honor in the ear of the world, she stands
in the presence of this fact-Degradation
And shall she not lift UP her voice in pro
test against the mighty wrong? [Grea
applause.1 Does not an individual asscr
his manhood by protesting against wrong
And if it is becoming to the selfrespec
of the man, is it not equally due to tn
selfrospcct of the State +? Ifitis the nat
ural -utterance, the outpouring Of one'
manhood, the very thing is good: l
so+ ha otherwise than rood When