The Orangeburg news. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1867-1875, 1868-05-16

dj iis to be thrown on the public md Provided
Eft9 by taxation.
Esl|s Heretofore South Carolina has pursued
we policy in refusing all divorces. The mar
Eri9ge contract is not like that of any other,
EwsicbI the parties may rcscind at pleasure,
wfhout Injury to society. There is third
and helpless children--who
aS deeply interested In all divorces. More
ossr, it tends to dcmoralize every community
fMtcrc it is allowed or tolerated. But section
f8ises the courts power to grant divorces.
IIis section was intended, perhaps, for the
:esAsecial 81 benefit of the negroes. 1t ought also
tosIhave legalized polygamy, which has like
sse,s great favor with this class of people
The settlement of n wifc's property, pro-
sysod for in section 8, might have been left to
TIP discretion and wisdom Of tho Legislature
Itisnn experiment, and if found nischicvous
SoltI Innwise, tho Legislature ought to have the
.plwcr of changing or altering the law. But
Tx ordinary act of legislation has been incor-
|spsated i'll the Constitution as fundamental
|laSnot @ be repealed
I "a ttached to thisDConstitution arc several
lso1 sinnpccs, and amongst them one which re-
pStiatcs all pledges Of faith and credit on the
sI@tlof the State to any corporation or private
Iiiy.lyidunl made since 1860 The honor aud
seEdit of South Carolina her good f,itl, and
INST solemn pledges, are thus treated as of no
consideration whatever. But this ordinance is
lsoIa par with that dishonor, dcspotism and un-
eapulous extravaganza, which pcryadc the
L stFnlc Constitution, and arc worthy of the in
liNIous sourcf whence the instrument has it's
fofsin
;IEc ordinance To create !, Board of Land
8lnniissioncrs authorizes the purchase of
TS lis for the purpose Of selling them out in
tracts to purchasers on credit This wild
ar, ruinous scheme is, likewise, for the nc
lsEes,S aud is likely to benefit no One, except
land commissioners and their friends.
sga Ii.y may be- sold but tho purchasers will
for them, and Tho loss will ulti-!
i III
State, and all the people in it, arc reduced t.
bankruptcy and poverty?"
Thus has it been shown, in the upuyc analy
sis, ow injuriuusly this Constitution mus,
affect the interests of the white man. and how
inconsistent it must prove with the peace and
prosperity Of the State. But, in addition t,
this, the Committee believe that it can b,
shown that the said Constitution is not the les:
injurious to the very class-to w.t. the black
! pc"plc-whom it seemed most especially tc
to have been designed to benefit On thi,
point the Committee ask leave to invite atten
| ton to the comments Of the lon. A. Burt, on
Of the ablcst lawyers of the State, and ma,
OF the highest character, and Of well known
| political conservatism. The following is hi.
language OH the subject of the provisions OF
the new Constitutions which confer the powc,
Of taxation:
can analysis of the provisions of the new
Constitution, which confer the power Of taxa
tion, have not doubt, will assure any candid
mind that no people on this continent can en-
durc tho burdens which it imposes. The prin
ciplc which peryudcs that entire instrument is
that all taxation, except for q single purpose
shall be imposed upon real estate and upon tho
income from the sale of merchandise. In es
timating the inequality of taxation, we canno,
omit the fact of the great divcsity between tho
two races which inhabit the State. At thi.
moment the taxable property is held by ono
race, and under that Constitution the political
power is vested exclusively in tho other No,
only arc the ordinary appropriations for tn,
c.l service Of the State imposed upon the
property hell by the smaller number, but tn,
other race, as race, is at the present moment
entirely exempt fer the support of public
schools. y very large number of the race
which own the taxable property are disfran
chsed-cannot vote, and cannot eye
hold the humblcst Office created by that
Constitution; while all others without rcfe.
renee to property, to educational ql,aiicu-
ton, to past citizenship, or any other qualifca-
ton, are allowed to vote Need l say that thi
is Il condition of things Which the world ncyc,
before witnessed Your ancestors proclaimed
IL sentiment Which has thrilled throughout
every American hoal +, reached to distant coun-
tries, and been Incorporated into their Consti-
tuition and laws. 1t is this, that taxation with.
out representation is tyranny Now, not only