Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1867-04-20


In spite of all thcs', no sentiment of hostility
or desire to degrade the humhlest man of the
South. Our people did not want your lives
your blood or your lands. They fought for
the liberty of the owly, and desired to lit men
up and not to pull them down.
] am sorry to say that difference arose be-
tween the Preside It and Congress. Under
malign counscls the President took position
in opposition to the great majority of Congress
aud the people, AMI your people under the
lend of your prominent men, and the press
looked to the President, and you believed he
would carry his policy, and in that you made
arcnt mistake and to your cost have found it
out by this time. Some of you even now lonk
to the Supreme Court, and in this you will be
disappointed as you were in your dependence
on the President Some others look to the
formation of a political party at the North,
such IA promised you such grcat things before
the war. Y"u will Gnd them, Let NC tell you,
as pnwcrcSs to help you as wns the President.
will say to you US General Grant said to Il
Southern man who consulted him as to whnt
was best for him to do: "Go, he said, and
see the Republican leaders in Congress, con
suit with them, they have the power now
You made a mistake in consulting with
Democrats; the more you consult with them
the more exactly will the majority in Congress
become. The South cannot count on any aid
from them, and the looking to them for asss-
tancc will l'c the cause Of their defeat
Congress has described the terms of recon.
structinn. These were not intended to dc.
grade, or humiliate any man. ! would cut off
my right hand before l would vntc with any
such motive. The intention of Congress was
to settle the whole controversy on pcrmanc
and solid basis. Unless it was settled right
it would never be settled and to be settled
right it must be settled on basis of Justice
aud humanity.
y"n are asked to adopt the constitutional
amendment And what does that provide
1t declares, first. who shall hc citizens of the
States, and by Il every colorcd man in Amer
icn is to day, as much citizen rs the Prcsi.
dent of the United States.
Q That no state shall pass any law alrdg.
ing the privileges Of any citizen. I}y this is
mcant that every citizen, black ~ ,rn:tn.
North or South. nntura'izcd ar native. shail
have equal protection under tie hw ara NO
state shall have power to take this from INN.
and Congress Is clothed with rover to cntu, &C
this provision, and the means to don't; and
thus Is the question settled forever. 1t is M,
proposed AS Il measure of degradation but ms
means OF lifting np and protecting the poor
and dependant
Persons who, having taken nm oath to sup.
port the Constitution, afterwards engaged in
rebellion, shall not be permitted to hold Office,
hnt this can he repealed by twothir,ls vote
of Congress, with reg ,rd 10 classes or persons
affected by it. | say when this urrsiion is
S''tl'd, as ! believe it will be very shortly,
th's" disabilities will rapidly disappear i
have fought for thirty years To- emancipatc the
black man, and have seen his rights planted
IN basis solid and enduring. No one can
take them from him. While have fought
for them. ] tell you frankly have no heart
to take rights from any Of my fellow citizens
trust these disabilities will vanish i, few
months want to src all free and protected
N their civil rights. an il favor OF schools,
and the education of Che blacks us we'll as the
whitcs-of internal improvements and manu-
factures on all your great streams /; animated
by these sentiments. do not want to sec any
individual, however lie may have acted, dis
.ianchscd, Eumilatcd or dc4 4radcd. In this
spirit mean to act. have never failed,
since the close of tho war when called upon,
except in single instance, to give my name
and influence to aid those who stood in need
W ~ ]h"N WV 'iSh VI NY
lists as you call thcm-are among the foremost
in asking pardon and forgiveness, and in blot
ting ont the memories Of the great struggle
see around nc everywhere evidences of the
final triumph of the carise less than two
months ago the reconstruction bill was passed,
and from all parts of the country intelligence
is coming up that the people will accept it,
and will form Constitutions in accordance with
its provisions, as we'll MS do all other shings re-
qnirct Of them, and believe that by the 18th
Of March next the tencxcludcd States will be
represented in Congress
You are to discuss this question among
yourselves, and in doing this there is one
thing you ought to learn, and that is you have
always been too intolcrnnt in matters of pol
itical opinion. You have different churches,
and different forms of religious belief, and
you tolerate them, but in differences of opin.
ion on political matters you have been exceed.
ingly intolerant, which regard as a fault,
and trust this is also to pass away forever,
and that men of all creeds and shades of opin.
ion will be permitted to como among you and
discuss with the same freedom on political sub
jects. as on any other point of controversy -
told Won 7 woa Radical Ran,hl;oo, b.. r