The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-02-19
Alabama and Reconstruction.
PETITION OF THE WHITE PEOPLE OF ALABAMA
POWERFUL APPEAL.

SNAS
people OF Alabama, signed by several hundred
of her ablest men, presented to the Senate on
last Thursday morning by Senator Doolittle. 1t
speaks for itself:
To The Honorable the Senate and House Of Re
prcsentatiues ofthe United States in Congress
assembled: The aOhite people Of Alabama
send this their humble petition.
We beseech your honorable bodies to with
| draw yourcel ;es from the influence Of the pas
sons and contests of the hour, and contem-
| plate for brief period our miserable condition,
| and the vet more wretched state which is al
ready prepared for US. Surely it is only such
Influences that have prevented you from be-
slowing upon US single ray OF beneticent re-
gard.
According to the last census taken by the
Federal government, the white people Of Ala
bama largely outnumber the negro or colored
population. And we think we arTogate nothing
which your honorable bodies will not concede
| to us, when we say that nearly all Of tho edu-
cation, intelligence and clvllzatlon OF the state
nre found in our race. But poverty prevails
throughout the land; we are beset by secret
oath. bound political societies.; our character
and conduct are Systematically misrepresent-
| ed and malicned.to you and III the newspapers
of the North; the intelligent and impartial ad-
ministration of just laws is obstructed; indus
try and en erpiise are paralyzed by the rears
of the white men and the expectations OF the
black. that Alabama will soon be delivered
over to the rule of the latter; and many of
our best people are, for these reasons, leav-
| ing the homes they love, for other and strange
lands.
| Before the late unhappy war the white people
| CT the South contributed their whole just pro-
portion of the great and good men whose acts
| and characters constituted the chief renown OF
| the republic, Those OF US who endeavored to
withdraw the South from its partnership
| therein. did not do so in order to make war
| upon the Northern States or their institutions,
but for the purpose (vain hopeD OF peacefully
establishing another, not unlriendly, indcpen-
dent confederacY, in which, under almost iden-
tical constitutions, we might be more free
from discord. And however criminal, in your
opinion, VIC may in this have been. yet neither
our sins nor our sufferings havo reduced us to
uncivilized barbarians.
On the other hand it is we'll known to all
who have knowledge on the subject, that while Il!
The negroes OF the South may be more intelli-
cent and of better morals than those OF the
same race in any part OF the world where they
exist in equal density, yet they are in the main
ignorant generally, wholly unaoauainted with
the principles of free governments, improvi-
don't dsinclincd 10 work, credulous, yet suspi-
cious, untruthful, incapable OF selt-restraint,
and easily impelled by want, or melted by spe-
cious counseis into folly and crime. Excep-
tions, of course, there are, and chiefly among
those who have been roared as servants in our
domestic circles and in our cities. But the
general character OF our colored population ls
such as we have described. Whose fault it is
that they arc so-whcther ours, under whose
control they have certainly become better than
their brethren in their native Africa-or the
falllt of anybody-it is needless now to inquire.
We have to deal with tho incontestible tact
that in the main they arc unlettered and capri
cious barbarians, turned suddenly loose from
the condition of slaves, and eager to avail
themselves of freedom to indulge and crafty
their desires and passions.
Are these the people IN whom should DC
vested the high governmental functions or en-
acting and enforcing laws, and establishing
institutions to prevent crlmo, protect properly,
preserve peace and order III society, ana To
promote industry, enterprise and civilization
here. pnd the power and honor OF tho united
States? Without property, without INDUSTRY,
without any regard for reputation, WITHOUT
control over their own caprlces and strong pas
sions, and without fear OF punishment under
laws by courts, and through jurles which arc
created by and composed of themselves, and
those whom they elect, how can it be other
wise than that thoy will, to tho great injury OF
themselves as well as Of US and our children,
bring blight, crime, ruin andb1rbarlsm on this
fair land?
Docs any one say that your laws do not make
make, except to increase jealousy and intensity
autaconisn-t that white mon are also allowed
to vote with the black-when it is SO contrived
that the black shall have the predominanco
and dominion2 Wo entreat you to pause and
observe how your reconstruction acts arc BENG
executed hero.
or the negro population, whose numbers arc
many thousands less the registered voters are
over sixteen Thousand more than those OF the
whitc lace And white mon who bate us, and
others from sordid motives cooperating with
them, have by their own procurement or Inc
procurement of others, and not BY the lntcill,
gent choice of the negro voters, been electe
as their delegates for tho purpose, ana nave
framed aud now presented for ratification to
those registered voters T. constitution OF gov
ornmcnt, ell of whose best clauses are con-
tanned in our present constitution and in cvcry
other instrument of t kind. Bllt these arc
made dcusivc and useless By tile tllaDolcal Ill
cenuity of other provisions, made TO dslrall-
chisc ns even beyond thc cnactmants OF Con-
grcsa, and to insure over us and our chlltren
and all who come among us the ascendcncy oil
thc negro r,ca. and these same designing
and malig AIT enemies arc prepared, so soon
as that constitution shall DC ratified, TO organ
izo. arm. and invest with power, under the
forms of Law. Il iniliiia to be composed chcny
of those sinlc negro voters, Ill order 10 per,
petuate their lordShip over US by INC aid OF
bullets ana bayonets. We cannot DeheYc tliat
the maiorites of your honorable bodies intend
cd by your enactnente to effect such recon-
struction as this.
viii you, nearly three years after the war has
ended, when the passions 1t klndca should
have died ont in tho maSnanlnilty whlch great
success ought to inspire, suffer Whole state,
full OF your kindred civihZod, .wlnto lnbaDi-
tants. not only thoso who had opposed the
government, but women and children anu loyal
men wro had adhered to it, to be thus dellv"
cred over to tho horrid rule OF barbarian ne-
| groes d? Do not compel tho honorable ofi1cers
and brave mcn of the armies OF the republic,
to hold us down While such fetters are forged
III our view AMI yours, and then lgnominlously
fastened upon us. We are celnpatrloss o,
Washington and Henry and Jefferson and
Madison and Marshall and the Pinckneys and
Marion and Jackson and Clay anu Taylor
Are there no names among these potent
enough to arouse any respect for us III your
legislative hallsP ...,..
1t is said-and by flequent repetition you
are made to believe it true--that the ne
groes and self-styled loyalists cannot have JUS
tlce done tncm and are unsafe among us, ana
that We are still i'll 4 stale o1 reneiilon. Ihe
charges are false. Ever since tho war our
cuuris and upright Judges i'll them have admin
isiered Justice as inpaitiay as anywhere else
in Tho republic. Aud toward tho negro (who
aided the South as chcerIuly while he was in
tho Confederate lines as he afterwards aided
the Northern armies when anu Wnere tney nao
pow ~, VIC have been, 6oth ron n, mcmahon
and interest, humane and KIND. Inc SANDER
ers who say otherwise are OF those who are
seeking to enslayc us By your aid. They arro-
n. +l,a paat