The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1868-04-15
Address to the Colored People.

recent State Convention in Columbia was
the following address to the colored peo-
pie of South Carolina. 1t should be read
TO every colored man in the State, as set
ting forth the true position of the white
race in these peculiar times. We learn
that Gen. Alexander former chief of ar
tillery under Gen. Longstreet, and now
professor in the University Of South Caro-
lima, is the author:
The convention of the Democratic par
ty of South Carolina feels it high and
bounden duty to speak to you caudidly
and earnestly, and with no further apollo
extent identical.
You have been suddenly put in position
TO exercise certain powers. the abuse Of
which may result disustrously to you and
to us 1t is impossible that your present
power can endure, whether you use it for
good or ILL., The white race already out
number You in the South. Disease has
made the mortality among you twice
what.it is among the whites, and the rate
/ is daily increasing. Emigration has car
rcd off thousands Of yonr color to distant
States, while it already begins to fill their
places with whites from Europe. Letenot
yourpride, nor yet your pretended friends,
liattcr.you into the belief that you ever
can or over will. for any length of time,
govern the white men Of the South. The
world has never seen such a spectacle, and
its whole history. and especially the his
tory of your race. gives no ground lorthe
anticipation. Perhaps, however, you cx-
pect to attain power by the aid of :he
Radical party ut tic North. The Al
mighty, in his wisdom (perhaps toprevent
the amaIsamation Of the separate races
which lie created ana MARKEDLY has i'm
planted in every human breast senti-
ment called The prejudice OF race; and
when this feeling is once aroused. it is
one of the strongest and most universal
passions Of our natures. When your race
was among lis is slaves, this sentiment
slumbered, and only. u compassion tor
YOU Influenced every honest hcart-those
among your maa,ers-to treat you kind
"; those who believed you wronged TO
desire to set you free. When you were
sctirce, compassion ceased to exist. When
undue power WAS given you by The Radl'
cal party (irom motives which all men ap.
prcciatctl and dcspiscd,) prejudice of race
sprang up The whites of this State ell
dcuvorcd to allay there, ut least-by
inviting YOU TO Il course and q compromise
which would have given it nothing ia
feed upon. But their efforts resulted in
such utter failure, that il would DC morti-
iving had it not been q Christian duty to
make the effort. Every step Of your po
ltica career. so far has cultivated this
prejudice, until it now speaks aloud i'll
England and is already rapidly changing
the politics Of the entire North. This is
the odium which must soon prove the
death of the Radical party. 1t is too
strong to be resisted, being the operation
of Il law of nature DO you not see it
even in your white Radical friends in
spite OF their industrious efforts to conceal
il. Sc long as they have use for you? Is
it not apparent, also, in the officers, and
even the private soldiers, OF the arm:,
whose bayonets still prop mp your power
only because they arc paid TO do it.: DO
YOU hatter yourselves that your Loyal
Leagues" .:an prevail against it? Blood
is thicker than water and the league
which the Almighty has organized is one
to which there will be no traitors, when
oncc an issue is fairly made
To repeat, then, as we began: Your
present power must surely and soon pass
from You. Nothing that it builds will
stand and nothing will remain of it but
the prcjuoces it may create l. is, there
fore Il most dangerous tool that You are
handling Your leaders, both white and
black. are using votes for nothing but
their individual gain. Many Of them you
lave only known, heretofore. to despise
ard mislrust, until commanded by your
earucs to vote tor them. Offices and sal
aries for themselves arc the height OF
their ambitions; and so that they make
hay while the sun shines, they care not
who is caught in the storm that follows.
Already. they have driven away all capl-
tai and credit from the South; and while
they draw eleven dollars Il day, thousands
among Won arc thrown out OF employ
ment. and starvc simply for lack OF work.
What few enterprises are Carried on are
only the work of Southern men, who have
faith that the present state of affairs is
but temporary. The world does not offer
better opportunities for the employment
OF capital than are to be found III the
Sontli but will your RADICAL friends send
their money here to invest? Not one
dollar. They would just as soon venture
on investments in nayLi or Liberia, rs
commit their money to the Influence of
your legislation. Capital has learned to
shun it as a deadly plague.
We, therefore, urge and warn You, by
all the ties of our former relations, still
strong and binding in thousands OF CASES
by Il common christianity and by the mn-
tuol welfare of our TWO races. whom Prov