Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1867-04-06

the contrary assumption, that the people of
each of these States shall haze no Constit,,-
ton, except such as may be arbitrarily dicta-
ted by Congress- and formed under the re-
sraint of military rule. a plain statement of
facts makes this evident.
In all these States thcrc are existing Con
st,utions, formed in the accustomed way by
the people. Congress, however. declares that
these Constitutions arc not loyal aud rcpub.
lican," and requires tho people to form them
anew. What then, in tho opinion Of Con
gross, is necessary to make the Constitution of
State loyal and republican p The origin.
al Act answers the question: 1t is universal
negro Suffrage question which the Federal
Constitution leaves to the States themselves.
All this Legislative machinery of martial law,
mcnt is nvowcdIy for that purpose, and none
other The existing Constitutions Of the
States conform to tho acknowledged standards
Of loyalty and rcpublicanism. Indeed, il there
are degrees in republican forms of govern
ment, their Constitutions arc mere republican
now than when these s'tatcs---tour Of which
were mrmbcrs of the original thirteen first
became maA.hcrs OF the Union
Congress does no, now demand that sin
gle provision of their Constitutions he changed
except such IA cUn!inc suffrage to the white
pep l!atinn. 1T is apparent. therefore, that
unicss these provisions do not conform to the
standard Of rcruh|iranism Which Congress
! seeks tn establish. That there may be no mis-
take, it is only necessary that reference should
be made to the original .tct which declares
"suah Constitution shall pr,yilc that the r"c.
tive franchise shall he e"i"ycl by ali such per
sous as have the qualifications herein stated
for electors Of delegates" What class Of per
sons is here mcaut clearly appears in the same
section. That is to say 50" the male citizens
of said State twenty one years old and upward
of whatever race, color, Or previous condition,
who have been resident IN said State for one
year previous to the day of such election
Without these provisions no Constitution
which can be framed in any one Of tic ten
States will be of any avail with Congress.
This, then, is the test Of what the ConSti.u
ton Of u State of this l'uion must contain to
make it Kcpuh!lcan. Measured by such II
sing the Union have Republican Cnnsti,u
tons? If, in the exercise of the constitutions
al guaranty that Congress shall secure to cv-
cry State Republican form of Government,
universal suffrage for blacks as well rs whites
is sine q"0 ran, the work OF reconstruction
may us we'll begin in Ohio rs in Virginia, in
Pennsylvania rs in North Carolina.
When [ contemplate the millions Of our
low,citzcns Of thcSouth, viii, 10 altcrna
! tive left but to impose upon themselves this
fearful and un,rcd experiment of complete
negro cnfrancisemci't aud white disfranchisc
mcnt, it may be almost as complete or submit
indefinitely to the lgor of martial law, with
ont a single attribute of frccmcn, deprived Of
all tho sacred guarantees NJ our Federal Con
stitution, an Threatened with even worse
wrongs, if any worse arc possible, it seems to
nc their condition is the most dcplorHblc to
which any people can be reduced. 1t is true
that they have been engaged in rebellion, and
that their object being II separation Of the
States and Il dissolution of the Union, there
was an obligation resting upon every loyal
citizen to treat them as enemies, and to wage
war against their cause.
Infcxibly opposed to any movement imprr.
ling the integrity of the Government ! did
not hesitate to urge the adoption of all meas
urcs necessary for the suppression of the in
surrection. After long and terrible strug-
gle .hc efforts Of the Government were tri-
umphantly successful, and the people of the
South, submitting to the stern arbtrancnt,
| yielded forever the issues of the contest los
tiliiicS terminated soon after it bccnnc my du
~ to assume the responsible duties OF the
Chief Executive Officer of the Republic and
at once endeavored to rcpress and control
the passions which our civil strife had cngcn.
dcred, audi 10 longer regarding these crring
millions enemies, again acknowledged them
as our friends and our countrymen. The war
had accomplished its objects. The nation
was saved, and that seminal 'ciplc of mis-
chief which, from the birth Of the Govern
ment, had gradually but inevitably brought
on the rebellion, was totally eradicated. 1hcn,
it seemed to ne, was the auspcious time to
commence the work Of reconciliation; then,
when tho people sought once more our friend
ship and protection, considered it our duty
generously to meet them in the spirit Of char
ity and forgiveness, and to conquer them oven
moro effectually by the maenanimity of the
nation than by tho force of its arms. yet
believe that if tho policy Of reconciliation then
inanguratcd, aud which contemplated an early
restoration of these people to all their political
rights, had received the support of Congress
every one of these ten States, and all their
. | ppnpln would nf tl,io ,nnuont H.. c,,,I oIo