Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1867-05-01
Another Letter from F.x-Gov. Perry.

Of government" Section {, Articlc ", Con
sttution of the United States Of America.
Under this authority, the Congress of th'
United States, after excluding from tEel
seats the Senators and Representatives o
ten Southern States, has established in all o
the excluded States a military government
absolute and unlimited in its powers! 1t ]!
we'll known that these States have exhausted
their power and resources in a gallant ant
heroic struggle for independence and self
government. They now lave no alternative
but UNQUALIFIED submission to the military
despotism thrown over them: 1t is to bf
hoped, and it is generally believed, that the
military commanders in the Southern State:
will exercise their despotic powers wisely anc
humanely. 1t is the administration OF gov
ernment. and not the form Of q government
which makes it odious and oppressive. a
despo.ism, wisely, justly ald virtuously ad,
ministered, is the most perfect government
that can be established. 1t is the govern
ment of God. established Ivy him forthe gov
ernment of the universe.
Five or.six months ago, South Carolina
with all the other Southern. States, rejected
with scorn and Indignation, the constitution
al amendment, which proposed to exclude
from office their leading men, and reduce
their representation in Congress, unless they
permitted universal negro suifrage e. Now, it is
proposed by the military bill not onlyto exclude
this class ofpersous from office, but to dlsiran
chise them and exclude them from voting IN
all elections, and at the same time 10 enlran
chise their former slaves and give universal
suffrage to the negro. Strange to say, that
there are manv persons in, the Southern
States whose high seuse cf honor would not
let them adopt the constitutional amendment,
who are now urging the people to voluntarily
swallow the military bill, regardless OF honor,
principle Or consistency. l am happy to know
that tbey are sccessionists and never were
Union men,. ~ .
The inquiry is, which, .hen. shall we do !?
Whist have been writing, the telegraph
brings the glorious news that Mississippi and
Georgia have appealed to the Judiciary for
the protection OF their constitutional rights
as sovereign States of the American Union.
would to God that South Carolina stood BY
the side of Mississippi and Georgia, III this
tbeir last noble effort to maintain their dig
n;ty and honor as States and the Just rights
and liberties of their citizens. II this last
Grand. expiring effort in favor of freedom
sbonld fail. then the South will have to quiet
" meet the tyranny Of Congress; but, IN
meeting, she need not embrace the hlde"as
thing. When the military order is issued Tor
a.registration of voters let every man, not
disfranchised, go forward ard register, bis
name. When the elections is ordered lor a
convention, it will be the duty. of every voter
to cast his vote for the wiSest, best and most
trustworthy men, who arc eligible 20 as In
that convention. This much he is ced to
do for set-Drotection, and to keep 'he State
Governmentf from falling into tue hands OF
unworthy and, base men. He neea go no
further Let him then endorse on hls-licke',
+" No conrention' If he is patriot and al
honorable man, he cannot desire the change
which the military bill ccnte;apateS, and he
should not vote lie!
With the cunning Which always cfiracfer-
ICES the tyrant, Congress las enacted t'iat Inc
people themselves shall endorse the call OF a
convention. in order to give legal validity to
It's acts. Without this endorsement, the whole
proceeding might he regarded as forced on
he States by the military government and.
therefore, null and void. Hence, the trick OF
making the people endorse the cali OF con-
yen.ion. II is 10 be hope'l that they will not
be cgugh! by this cunning device, and that
thev NAV be able to influence their freedmen
10 act with them. But shon'd :i majority oi
the votes be for Il Convention, then il IS to
assemble, and M; Otherwise. Wien it as
sc,nbles, the honor and s.csliny oI the State
will l., in its keeping.
But if The pcop p!c ,shou!i vote I" 40 convrn-
ton what then? The horor ana dlsnity
of the States will, al least, not be. thereby
sacrificed by their ci:;zans. We shall remain
as We are. under military rule, till there is
a reaction at tic North. 1t has already conf
menced in Connecticut, and will, sooner or
later. sweep over the whole rt!t-wcstern
and Middle States Thea re shall De res;or-
ed to our rights in the Union, with hanor
uusuisd and tie right OF sniirage nDchang
ed. Let us await this Democratic triumph,
be i, hundred years, rather thai seek nc"
associations with cir Black Repabican iy
rants and opprcssors, and be guilty OF the
bascncss of abandoning our friends at the
North, who have nnbly ,ieterdc,! Our cause,
for two years past, and sacrificed themselves
in the struggle for Southern rights and con-
freedom.
If we are unwilling to bear the iiEatc which
we are subjected, for the maintenance of
honor and principle, then we deserve our
destiny. 1t is said that i VIC do not accept
the degrading terms now offered, worse Will
be imposed! Have we any assurance that
worse may not be imposed, if We do accept?
Like the woman who consented TO, her oTn
dishonor to save the tifc Of her husband, and
was then made to witness his execution!
There is no faith in tyra,.ts. Threats OF con-
fiscation are futile. Almost every one has
been pardoned, by taking the amnesty oath
or by special application: The Southern
people may be robbed and murdered, but
thsir property cannot be ,ouiisca:ed.
In order to debauch prominent Southern
men, offers have been madc-in Congress to
remove their disabilities, and it would seem,
not without success. Threats TO the many,
and bribes to few, is tho policy adopted
for radicaliz;ng the Southern States. With
universal negro suffrage and debauched pol
iticians we may bid farewell TO all hope OF
republican institutions. Virtue ard inlelli-
gence alone can sustain republic. iWhen'
the negro has acquired Intelligence to nnder-
stand his political rights, and property to
make him feel an interest in the proper ex-
ercisc Of them, he should be allowed 10 vote:
This principle has been adopted in most OF
the Northern States, and is wise and Just.
Rnt il is wicked to put ballots into the hands
of those who will be the passive tools OF their
employers, or the mischicvous agents OF
Black Republican emissaries..
Nothing can be more unjust and 'iniquitons
than. the discriminating disfranchisement OF
the military bill. a Union man, whose lille
has been spent in trying to maintain the in
tegrity of the Union, but who was member member
of the Legislature or judge ten or twenty
years ago. and who, after his State seeded,
fed or clothed SON in the Confederate ar
my, is disiranchisedl But the man whose
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