Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1868-12-16
wills Menafd, and Negro Suffrage.

:; The negroes. Of the Second Congressional Dis
.trct pf Louisiana have elected Wills Mcnarj, o
fellow-ncgro, as their Representative in Congress
from that District; and Wills Menard, the negro
has duly repaired to Washington to take his
seat in Congress, which assembled fortnight
ago. But, alas, for the reward of the long op.
pres ed race tho white brother Republicans of
Wills Menard are not willing that he should
sit by them or among them. And the last
Session of the Fortieth ConGrsss,of that great
country, the United States af America, is
disgraced by the appearance of negro, claiming
will be wo know not. The Hon. Wills Menard-
will, most probably, be induced not to press his
claims, but to retire modestly to his native sugar
plantations; and the whole affair will be hugser-
muggered in true Republican style. But how
then? For, according to the Republican creed,
the great cause of equal tights will not be finished
until the colored man is seen in every department
of the government. Bah! Reconstruction, and
Republcaniam and Equal Rights arc all lamenta-
bic failures in this country. And the lesson
taught by the whole matter, is negroes should
no. be allowed the suffrage. "a eh5
And in overy possible and impossible way
should Southern people continue to fight against
this. damnable outrage of negro suffrage. The
Presidential election is over, and the Reconstruc-
ton laws are in force; but, notwithstanding all
this, let us. not cease to fight against negro suf-
frage In the wide world there is not single rood
of ground, nor has there been single chapter in
history from the creation of the earth down to
the day in which VIC live, which presents q res
pccrable claim of the African to be trusted with
the administration of government, or with par
ticipation therein. The maddest act q people ever
committed-we wish to-day, to put ourselves ever
lastingly upon this record was the taking Of the
negro from the corn md cotton fields, and making
him voter. He was, beyond question, unfit for
the trust. Nothing but the selfshness of party
feeling, stimulated by reckless disregard of the
public safety and the public welfare, could have
led to his being trusted with this important and
responsible privilege. If it wero reasonable to
imagine him capable of participation in govern
ment, no honest statesman could have urged his
immediate exaltation to that privilege. Alltruth-
full and wise men must concede that be
should have been subjected to the trial of period
of probation before being so trusted, and that
upon indications of capacity elected by such Pc
riod Of trial should have depended the question
whether he should ever enjoy the righs 0f voting.
But the Radical, party ignored all reason, all
justice, and committed the great crime Of making
the negro equal participant with the white race in
all matters of government. The negro had never
civilized country-not even his own-had never
iinyented any nything-had never improved anything
but had only distinguished himself for destroy
ing civilized country that had, through unto
ward circumstances, fallen into his hands. And
yet the Radical party of America admitted him.
when just out of state of slavery, to participa-
ton in system of government which the Cau-
casian race had been for many centuries endeav-
oring to perfect. This was the groatest national
crime ever perpetrated.
The negro himself knows that heis not fit. The
philaathropists and partisan hypocrites know he
is not ft. Then why have they tantalized him
with an empty privilege right which is but to
vex his life with hopes thatareJneyer to be real
lied and honors never to be enjoyed?
But independently of injustice to classes, these
Radical rulers have inflicted serious injury upon
their country. They may say in reply that they
have only done this thing towards their follow
white citizens of the Southern States, who arc
rebels and not worthy of forbcarancc but mas
much as they are citizens Of the United States,
IN injury which As.aiAa ii.A;- n~--~---.-t--a
impairs their prosperity is an injury to the United
States, its public character and its material re-
sources Such IN unprecedented degradation o.
the constituent body must degrade equally the
representative body, taking from it responsibility,
capability and reliability. The world, to the ex-
ten: of the degradation, loses confidence in the
State, capitalists will not trust in it, enterprise
will not survive in a land SO degraded in its gov
ernment, aud all The occupations Of man una
voidably decline under the decay Of the vital
principles Of confidence, capacity, wisdom, aud
virtue in the State.
These views the Southern people have main
tanned, and will continue to assert. They will
never by their own free will and consent submit
to the ajulteration Of their Governments by the
negro element. They consider it essential to
proper government, to the general prosperity of
white and black. that government should. be
efficient, intelligent and virtuOus, and that this
wo cannot havo with n degraded constituency.
We feel convinced that these truths must soon
be confessed by all parties, and that the State
and national welfare will irresistibly demand
their enforcement in spite of the corrupt politi-
clans, deprlved hypoc. Is, and raving madmen,
who have conspired stoeruin thecepptry.