The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1868-06-03
The Late Democratic Convention
>.,<i-..Its True Position Stated.

4uS AdGS OC1AOC4 cetAS OCAt AtCAC1Sh
4.sii---Its True Position Stated.
!. Hon. a. P. Aldrich-DEAR SIR: have
noticed your communication to the Charles
ton Mercury, of the 9th instant. As you
appear to misunderstood the principles ad-
vanced by the Democratic Convention
chat assembled in Columbia in April last,
ask leave, with all proper respect, to ex-
plain the position taken by that Conyen-
tion, and to vindicate the principles upon
which that body deemed it wise and just
to rest the future policy of the State. And
through you I hope to reach the minds of
the. people of South Carolina.
Ihave no right to object to any man or
any journals taking position against the
concession to the colored man of a qualified
suffrage. Gentlemen and journals, wor-
thya of all respect and consideration, have
assumed that ground. But do object to
and protest against the Misrepresentation
Of the principles and policy of the gentle
men who composed the Democratic Con-
vention of Aplillast. This misrepresenta-
tion-we will not say it is intentional
has come again and again from that out
spoken and once influential paper-the
Charleston Mercury-to which you have
addressed your note. | submit, now, this
statement, and trust that candid men eve-
rywhere il the State will understand the
points made:
When the April Convention recognized
the colored population of the State, as an
element of the body polite, it meant to
say, that when the slaves in this State
were elnancipated by the Act Of the State
Convention or rather, when the Conven-
ton for the State acknowledged their eman-
cipation-the colored people became, lpSo
facto, invested with civil rights, as a part
of the body polite What, now, is the
body polite? 1t is defined, GA nation or
community, as constituted under govern
ment or polity." Now, ceasing TO be
slaves, these persons became free; being
detached from condition of slavery, they
fell logically into condition of free citi-
zenship, and, as such, entitled to all civil
rights. As the Hon. B. Ii. Hill says:
ain ell society or government are rights
to be enjoyed, burdens to be borne, and
trusts to be discharged.
"Among the rights are the right of prop
erty;; the right Of loc2motlon; the right
TO appropriate and dispose of the proceeds
of our own labor; the right to worship
according to conscience; and the right to
protection from society. in the enjoyment
of all. these rights, and the right to have
all the legal. processes and remedies provl-
ded to make this protection etfectual.-
These are. called civil rights; aud when
welspeak of civil equality, we mean that
these rights belong alike and equally to
all citizens, to all classes, to all colors, to
all sexes, to all ages, and to all grades OF
intellect, society and worth. These rights
necessarily attach to and become condi-
tions of free citizenship. The negro is en-
titled to all these rights. And being now
deprived of the protection which, as a
slave, ne received from his owner, all good
tnen ought to rejoice that he can still be
safe under the protection of the law; and
being unaccustomed to assert his rights
work which was formerly performed BY
his master-all true men ought to be ready
to aid him in that assertion"
now ask you to observe that the reSo-
luton of the Convention goes on to say, for
itself, what it means by stating that the
colored people are members of the s'body
polite, for, after admitting the connection
Of the colored people with the body polite,
it adds-"And as such, in person and prop
erty, entitled to a full and equal protection
ander tie State Constitution and laacs."-
Can anything be palmer?
. But this is not all: the very declaration,
of.which complaint has been made, is still
more guarded. Acknowledging the dis.
tinction that exists between rights and
trusts-between civil rights proper, and
suffrage and Office holding, which latter
are not included in the summary of civil
rights, the resolution intimates the quail
fled nature of this body-politic-ship, by
declaring ssthat as citizens of South Caro-
lima, we declare our willingness, when we
have the power, to grant them, under
proper qualifications as to property and
Intelligence, the right of suffrage"
AS Hon. B. II. Hill in another place re-
marks-and it will apply to South Carolina
also-"The negroes Of Georgia are citizens
of Georgia. They are free and have equal
rights, and shall enjoy them. They will
be required to bear the burdens only in
proportion to their capacity. They will
be empowered to discharge the trusts,
when time and experience shall show they
are capable and worthy and the good of
society will be promoted thereby; and
this Georgia will determine for herself, and
not to please enemies or to keep traitors
in party power
When, now, the Mercury makes Gov.
Orr's fatal admissions identical with the
admissions of the late Convention, we ask
if it does not misrepresent the Convention?
Thisi certainly does. We make no ad-
mission that negroes are the sovereignty
Of the State; and such admission does not
follow from any proposition of the late
Convention.
The Mercuru SAYS: q We are not aware