The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1867-05-03

the churcn. All tnlS, ana ten times
more, you must endure from your
black political masters. And can it
be that the pride of Caroliua has
sunk so low, and been SO degraded,
as to vote for all this voluntarily, for
the purpose of getting back into that
Union which her citizens professed
to hate and despise so cordially a
few years since? Are they willing to
go to the polls and cast their vote
for n convention, with this destiny
staring them in the face, in order to
save their lands from confiscation?
No. They will be voting the ultimate
confiscation of their lands and their
political rights rs surely rs they are
voting away their honor rs men and
Carolinians.
There are in the State only ten
Districts out of the thirty in which
the white voters are in the majority.
and these Districts are the smallest
consequently two thirds and more of
the convention may be negroes or
Black Republicans. The Legislature
will be similarly composed. Do the
people OF South Carolina really think
OF these consequences, or are they
prepared to accept them? Better q
thousand times let Congress confis
cate your lands, than entail such n
Government and such degradation
and misery on yourselves and poster
ity. Do your duty, and leave the
consequences to God. Act like men
and Carolinians. Declare, by voting
against a convention, that you will
never voluntarily yield the right of
self government, or place yourselves
under the control of your former
slaves. Better--far better-to remain
as you are, under the military rule of
your conquerors, and await their. re-
turning sense of justice. I feel as-
sured that nothing but mistaken
appeal to base fear, and that das-
tardly virtue, called prudence, could
have wrought so wonderful q change
in the public sentiment of South Ca
rolna. And it is melancholy to see
the people proud, gallant people
scared into their own ruin and degra-
dation by the false cry of confsca-
ton, like the consumptive lunatic,
who had such terror of death that
he butted his brains out against the
walls of his cells to avoid it. In order
to save our lands from Congressional
confiscation, we are persuaded to
let tho negroes parcel them out
amongst themselves. -.
Let no one charge me with disloy-
atty to the American Union, or infer
from what I have said, that am not
IN favor of reconstructing the Union
Of the States. Ny whole political
life has been spent in fighting for
the Union, and trying to ward off
that fell spirit of disunion which has
brought all these unnumbered woes
upon South Carolina. 1 wish to see
the Union restored under the Consti-
tuition. l know the American people
never can be free and happy, great
and prosperous, without the Federal
Union; but I will never degrade my
self, or my State, or surrender my
constitutional rights or Republican
principles, to get back into the Union.
will live under n military govern
ment, no matter how absolute and
despotic it may be, and bequeath it
to my children, sooner than vote q
negro government for South Caro-
lima, which every man will do who
votes for convention.
vt is source of proud satisfaction
to he to see such Union men as Go
verfo Sharkey, of Mississippi, Go
verripr Jenkins, of Georgia, Gov.
Worth, of North Carolina, and Gov.
MarV In, of Florida, who never ceased
their Opposition to the spirit of dis
unioIEtill the Union ceased to exist,
stand Ag firmly, and breasting the
stormRf tyranny, oppression and de-
gradaf pn which has been hurled at
them, whilst leading secessionists and
disuni hists are counselling the peo-
pie to Fheir own degradation and de-
structPn, for the purpose of getting
back fhto the Union; and, in order
to accomplish their purposes, holding
up t&heir view the ''raw Head and
bloo& bones" of confscation. Such
coAasel comes with bad grace from
.sssSse who boosted, Mt the beginning
OF our civil or sectional war, that
they had drawn their swords and
thrown away the scabbards, deter
mined to die or live separate from
the vile, accursed Yankee nation.
Let no one charge me, either, with
unkindness to the African race. /
have always been their friend and
protector, and, as they show them
selves capable of exercising the right
of suffrage, by their intelligence and