The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1867-07-17

Now, listen to the words of Wash
ington, that greatest of warriors and
statesmen, and father of his country.
Said he:
81 have long considered negro
slavery a most serious evil, both So
cially and politically, and L should
rejoice in any feasible scheme to rid
our States of such burden"
On another occasion he said:
81 can only say that there is no
man living who wishes more sincerely
than 1 do to see plan adopted for
the abolition of slavery; but there is
but one proper and effective mode by
which it can be accomplished, and
that is by Legislature au,horiiy, and
that, so .fn' as nly Sutrage rM 90,
shall ncreybe 'Uanting. = JTashinqton' S
Letter to Robt. Norris, april II, 17SG
| have quoted the words of these
fathers of our republic, not to prove
tho wrong of slavery, bat to prove
their position rs regards iberty-thc
liberty of the negro. L believe that
they believed i'll the equality of man
III the natural and inalienable rights
of men; that they were sincere when
they met in solemn conclave, adopted
and gave to the world as Il declmInion
of governmental principles, as of ma
tlonal independence, that groat and
impcrishable Declaration of Indie
pendence. whose birthday we are
now, with much propriety, cclebrat-
ing, The most remarkable passage
III that declaration declares that We
hold "thesc truths to be self-evident:
that all men arc created c1unl, and are
endowed by their Creator with GER
tain inalienable rights: i. e., life, Ii
bcrty and the pursuit of happiness:
that to secure these ends govern
ments are instituted among men, dc
irving their just powers from Tie
consent of the yorerncd" Such was
the doctrine OF the founders of our
Government; and let us rejoice,
to-day, that they lave handed down
to posterity this doctrine. Four nil
lions of loyal people are happy, to-
day, IN the enjoyment OF that liberty
which Washington, Franklin. Jeller-
son, Henry, Madison, Adams. and u
host of others, hoped and prayed
that they should enjoy long years
ago. In Heaven, the prayers Of those
noble apostles of liberty have hcen
answered. In HIS, when the Con-
gress of the confederation was in scs-
sion, and when the vote was taken
upon the question rs to whether the
word white" should be inserted be-
tween the words ''frcc inhabitants. y
eight out of eleven States there rep
resented voted against the insertion
OF the word; voted against such in
vidious distinction being made merely
on account of color; voted as recoe-
nizing the manhood Of the negro.
Again, in 1877, when the celebrated
ordinance was under consideration
by similar majority, the States, by
their delegates, declared against any
such distinction being made on ac-
count of color
Again, in 1889, when our Constitu-
ton was under consideration for
adoption, and there were thirteen
States in the Union, eleven of those
States declared against any distinc
ton being therein made OH account
of color.
All the States, by their Constitu-
lions, allowed colored men to vote,
up to the year 1920, except South
Carolina and Georgia. The Consti-
tuition OF South Carolina had the fol-
lowing remarkable clause in it:
"The qualification of IN elector
shall be, every free ,chHe man, and
no other person, who acknowledges
the being of n God, and believes in q
future state of rewards and punish
ments, and who has attained the age
of one and twenty years, and has fifty
acres of land"
Again, colored men fought as we'll
as did white men in the revolution
for independence. Indeed, the first
man who split his blood for inde-
pendence was full-blood African.
Christopher Aturk was the foremost
of IL band of men who, upon Boston
Commons, resisted the insults OF the
British soldiers. Many colored regi-
mcnts were enlisted and fought
bravely during the revolution. The
great battle of Red Bank, upon the
Delaware River, was won by the
bravery of colored soldiers. Along
with the white soldiers, they suffered
from cold and hunger Along with
the white soldiers, they fought and
bied for American independence.
Again, when England the second
time waged war with the Colonies, in
the years 1Sl2-13. colorcd men show
ed their patriotism and bravery. At