Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1868-06-10
Remarks of Gen. NJ. w. Gary,
AT THE DEMOCRATIC MEETING AT EEGEFIELD
G. H., ON THE 1sT JUNE.

Fello,O- Citizens: There was Resolution
adopted at the Convention of portion Of the
Democratic party Of this State, in Columbia
on the 4th day Of April, which consider as
worthy of-your serious consideration. The
said Resolution reads as follows: 80
- Resolued, That under the action of the
State of South Carolina heretofore taken, we
recognize the colored population Of the State
as an integral element of the body polite,
and, as such, in person and property, entitled
toa full and equal protection under the State
Constitution and laws; and as citizens Of
South Carolina, We declare our willingness,
when we have the power, to grant them, un-
der proper qualifications, as to property and
Intelligence, the right Of suffrage"
regard this Resolution as fraught with
grave consequences to the people of thisState
Ifacquiesced in, or adopted by the citizens
Of the State, it is the initiative steps to their
future additional ruin and degradation. I
am willing to concede to the emancipated
slaves full protection to their persons and
property, the same protection that the laws
Of this State gave to free negroes before the
war. am opposed to giving to the negro
| the privilege of voting under any circumstan-
ces, and I here declare my unwil!ingness to
grant it to him under any qualifications as to
property Or intelligence, either as 10 Offices of
the State or of the United States. I am in
favor of Z" a sOhite mans government; )" gov
ernment under the dominion and management
ofSthe sons of the Caucasian race, who have
ever been the irresistible leaders of refined
aud elevating civilization. There has always
existed conservative spirit as to the bestowal
offthe right of suffrage upon subjects, in every
country, ancient and modern. 1t has been
especially so in England, and in the States of
THIS Union. From the formation of this Gov
erpment, the Indian and negro have been ex:
cluded from the exercise of this prerogative.
The Athenians were so jealous of this privi-
lige that if stranger dared to vote, he was
punished with instant death. The Constitu-
tion limits and restricts the rights to natural
ization to every one, except free s7site aliens.
Tkisis the highest evidence of the judgment
an feelings of those who formed it, in regard
le capabilities of the negro to enjoy this
franchise. A century before the Declaration
of:Independence, or the adoption of the Con-
stitution, the negroes had been regarded a,
beings of-an inferior order, and unfit to asso-
ciate with the white race, either in social or
political relations. The results of recent sci
cntifc investigation, have conclusively dem
onsssated the truth Of bis inferiority, and that
scale of creation. That he has been ever ex-
cludcd from the social relations with the
whites, is evidenced by the laws passed by
the Province of Maryland as far back as the
year I'LL, and by Massachusetts, as remotely
as 1886, prohibiting his intermarriage with
the white race. This law was kept in the
code of Massachusetts until 1886. The same
laws existed in Rhode Island until 1922.
AMI the exclusion of the negro has been uni
form in the laws of all the States Of this
Union. This uniform legislation is the result
of tho observation and experience Of years
upon the capacities Of the negro. 1t is evi-
dent that God has created these unfortunate
people for different purposes, and under diff
ferent circumstances, from those of the white
man, and the attempt to elevate him to the
social and political status of the white race
is to triGe with the DEGREES of Heaven.
The history Of the world shows that the
African negro race iker has belonged, or
been acknowledged as belonging tothe family
of nations, and that they have never been re-
cognized in any country as having national
character, or civil or political polity. The
fate of; the Roman Empire should adnonish
the people. of this State not to confer the
rights of citizenship upon emancipated slaves:
When Justinian set aside the distinctions
which the Cgsars had SO scrupulousy guarded,
in reference to citizenship, aud at once made
the liberated slave citizen of Rome clothed
with its privileges, he destroyed the national
pride of the government, and the former
proud boast of "civis Romanas sum-" be-
came an empty name and a withering sarcasm.
That there exists conservative and ex-
elusive sentiment in the hearts and minds of
the American cirizens, in regard to the exer.
else of the elective franchise, is conclusively
eyinced by the recent Know Nothing Party" )"
which sought to exclude the Germans, Irish
and other foreigners from. participating at the
ballot box with the native born Americans
Their party watchword was, that none but
Americans should rule America" The regent
elections in Ohio, Connecticut, New Jersey,
New York, Deleware, Pennsylvania, Michi-
gan, California, Minnesota, and Kansas, show
that this exclusive sentiment, this prejudice
against the black race, and affinity for the
white, has lulled into forgetfulness the. bitter
preiudices that had been nurtured for years,
and assuagcd passions that had been stipu-
lated by four years bloody war. The issue
presented to those States was negro suffrage,
without any restrictions or qualifications, and
it was denied to the negro.
Shall it be said that the Democrats Of this
State will be satisfied with lower standard
of suffrage than the before mentioned States
have adopted? Shall it be said that the
South Carolina Democrats surrendered prip-
ciple for a degrading and ignominious policy 2
When you surrender the prejudice and pride
of race, y0u surrender the 'a0le qaest'0" at
issue. It is not a question of property or