Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1867-12-14


class OF voters not qualified for the exercise of
the elective franchise, we weaken our system
OF government, instead of ad,,mg to its strength
and durability" "I yield to no one in at
tachmcnt to that rule Of general suffrage Which
distinguishes our policy as nation. But
there is a limit, wisely observed hithclto.
which makes the ballot privilege and trust,
and which requires of some classes time sui !
table for probation and preparation. 70 give
1t lndiscrminatcly to new class, wholly un
prepared, by previous habits and opporuni
ties, to perform the trust which it demands, is
to degrade it, and finally to destroy its power;
Tor 1T may be safely assumed that no political
truth is better established than that such in
discriminate and all.cmbracng extension of
popular suffrage must end at last in its over
throw and destruction"
repeat the expression Of my willingness
to join in any plan within the scope of our
constitutional authority which promises to bet
ter the condition of the negroes in the South,
by encouraging them in industry, cnleh,cn
ing their minds, improving their morals, and
giving protection to all their Just ri ghts as
trccomcn. But the transfer of our political
inheritance to them would, in my opinion, bc
an abandonment of n duty which we owe alike
our children.
The plan of putting the Southern States
wholly, and the General Government partial
", INTO the hands of negroes, is proposed at a
time peculiarly unpropiticus. The founda-
ton OF society have been broken up by civil
war, Industry must be recognized, Justice
re- established, and order brought out of con-
fusion TO accomplish these ends would re-
quirc all the wisdom and virtue of the great
mcn who formed our institutions originally.
confidently believe that their descendants
will be equal to the arduous task before them,
bnt it is worse than madness to expect that
negroes will perform it for us. Certainly VIC
ought not to ask their assistance until we do
SPAR of our own competency.
The great difference between tho two faces
in physical, mental and moral characteristics
Will prevent an amalga,nation or fusion Of
them together in one homogeneous mass. If
the inferior obtains tho asccnlancy over the
other it will govern with reference only to its
own intcrests-for it will recognize no cou,-
mon interest create such tyranny as
tins continent has never yet Witnessed -
Already the negroes are influenced bv promi-
scs OF conlscation and plunder. They are
taught to regard as an enemy every white man
who has any respect for the rights of HE own
race. Ii this continues it must heccypo worse
and worse, until all order will be :NIhvcrtcd,
all industry ccaac, aud the fertile fields of the
South grow up into wilderness. OF all the
dangers which our nation has yet encouraged,
none arc equal to those which must result from
the success of tire effort now making to Afri-
canIzc the half of our country
| would not put considerations Of money in
competition with justice and right Eut the
express Incident -. reconstruction" under
tho system adopted by Congress agsmvatc
what regard as the intrinsic wrong of the
Of the measure itself. It has cost uncountcd
millions already, and if persisted in will add
largely to the weight of taHalinr, already TOO
oppressive to be born without complaint and
may finally reduce the Treasury Of the nation
to condition of bankruptcy. we must not
dclude ourselves. 1t will require strong
army, and probably more than two
hundred millions of dcllsrs rer annnm, 70
maintain the supremacy Of negro governments
after they are established. The sum thus
thrown away would, if properly used form a
sinking fund largo enough to pay the whole
national debt in less than fifteen ycars. 1t is
vain f, hope that negroes will maintain their
ascendancy themselves. Without military
power they arc wholly incapable Of holding in
subicction the white people of the South.
submit to The Judgment of Congress
the public credit may not be injuri.
ousIy affected by q system Of measures like
this. With our debt, and vast private inter
ests which are complicated with it, we cannot
be too cautious Of policy which might, by
possibility, impair the confidence of the world
in our Government. That confidence can
only bo retained by carefully inculcating the
principles of justice and honour on the popu-
lar mind, and by the most scrupulous Glclity
to all our engagements of every sort Any
serious breach of the organic law, persisted
in for considerable time, cannot but create
fears for the stability of our institutions
Habitual violation of prescribed rules, which
we bind ourselves to observe, must dcmoralizc
tho people. Our only standard of civil duty
being set at naught the sheet anchor Of on,,
political morality is lost, the roblic consc; ,.ncc
swings from its moorings, and yields to every
impulse of passion and interest. If weren't
date the Constitution, we will not be cxpcc.
ted to care much for mere pccuniary oblira-
tlons The violation Of such pledge as wc
made on the 22d day of July, 1861, will as.
surely diminish the market value of our 9th.
or promises.
Besides, if we now acknowledge that iN~
national debt was created not to hold the
States in tho Union. MS tho taxpayers were
led to suppose, but to expcl them from it, and
hand them over to be governed by negroes
the moral duty to pay it may seem much less
clear. say it may seem so; for do not
admit ths this or any other argument in fa-