Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1868-03-25
Awake from Lethargy!

that the Supplemental Reconstruction Bill, (No.
i, we believe,) had passed both houses of Con-
grcss and been submitted to tho President. The
President has not vetoed it. He has been too
much occupied, wo imagine, with graver matters
to spare time for writing veto messages he has
found "ut that this sort Of business is sheer waste
of timo and paper. Consequently, this new Re-
construction Bill is now u law; law "outsido
Of the Constitution" but, nevertheless, for all
Radical purposes, iar.
This new Bill provides that majority of votes
(in.tead of as formerly, majority Of registered
roter,) shall ratify Constitutions. And that reg
istered persons shall vote anywhere in the State,
after ten days residence, registration being proved
by certificates, affidavit, or other evidence. And
that State elections shall be held simultaneously
with the election for the ratification of the Con.
stitution.
Under this law, it ia intended by the Radicals
that all the newly-fOrmed negro Constitutions Of
the excluded States shall be of necessity ratified,
and all this asgrant, tyrannical and unconstitu-
ton alogisation forced upon the Southern people,
,oheher they ,rW or NOT. In the first election for
ratification of new Cunstitution-and the only
one as yet-in the South, that of Alabama, tho
negro Constitution was defeated by majority Of
twenty three or twenty-five thousand. This was
previous to the passage of the Reconstruction
Bill No, 4 and now this new Constitution for
Alabama is to be re.submitted to the people, and
if majority of tho votes cast shall be in favor of
the vile instrument, it will be declared the Con-
stitution Of the State, and the people forced at
the point of the bayonet to respect it.
Under this new aspect that Reconstruction has
assumed, it very clearly behooros the people to
awake ut once from their lethargy, and abandon
the heretofore-pursued policy Of doing nothing.
Until the adoption of this last bill in the long
series of Radical nbominations the failure to cast
ballot was vote in opposition to reconstruction.
But our insolent and unscrupulous rulers have
now changed ,hoir tactics and all who now fail
to vots cast their ballot, indirectly, in ffvor Of
the rat6cation Of Constitution which will es-
tabli,h negro suffrage, negro juries, negro officials
of all classes, and negro domination in general.
cast their ballot, indirectly, in faror of the rat-
fcatiop e. nc...titution ,chich will estabish ne
gro suffrage, negro jnries, negro cffeials Of all
CLASSES, qnd negro domination in general. For
heretofore It required that majority of the reg
istered voters should vote upon the question; Mt
present, the necessity is simply that majority Of
the ballots cast should be in favor Of ratification.
Under these circum stances, we do not consider
it necessary to do more than barely lay the Gaze
before the white people. That i, as regards their
o,cn rotes. Certainly both the Judgment and con-
science OF every patriotic man will carry him to
the polls at the coming ratification election. But
this is not the whole duty Of the white people.
They must struggle powerfully to prevent the
freedmen from pursuing course in this coming
election which will involve both whites and blacks
in a terrible calamity. We have never doubted
the moral power Of the white race over the color
cd people, who are 70 nearly associated with them
a. employees, if the whites would exert it. The
negroes should be approached kindly, but firmly
with such arguments as address their interests,
their safety, and their very means Of living. They
should be told that it is not q question Of negro
equality and negro rights that is involved in the
Radical Constitution, but of white rights and
white equality and that evory one of them that
votes for this Constitution declares himself the
enemy of the white race, nnd must be go held and
treated in every relation Of business and politics.
No man or woman should lose any opportunity to
talk to and advise the colored people of their du-
ties in this crisis and Of tho dangers which beset
them in following the lead Of strangers and ad-
venturers.
Of course every hope of success depends upon
in auancing tho nesrno. {largS numbers of them
ut lcast) to vote against this Constitution. The
negative vote Of every registered white man will
avail naught Except US a protesO without we can
induce many negroes to join us; for it must be
Carolina, the negroes are 25, 900 in the majority
The time is short but if every man will go ear
uestly to work, perhaps we avert the unutterable
humiliation of enduring the impending evils even
for day.
AS We remarked last week, we have faith to he
l=ve that through the instrumentality of tho
Democratic Clubs already formed and forming in
variou. sections, the most important service to
the State will be performed.
But let it be remembered that in the formation
Of these Clubs, not single day is to be lost.
And. Notwithstanding this last and most un-
prnciped Reconstruction Law of the Radical
minions in Washington, if the people will do
their duty--if they will fully appreciate and act
in this crisis \. becomes men anil patriots-the
Constitution prepared by unprincipled demagogues
and ign GRANT negroes may be defeated.