Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1868-09-02
lie. Us Stick to the Letter of the


The most important plank in the Democratic
platform, to us of tho South, lis this:
"a That we regard the reconstruction act1 of
Congress, so-callcd, as usurpations, unconstitu-
tional, revolutionary and voidsD
Aud by these reconstruction acts" alone are
the negroes Of the South empowered to vote.
Consequently, if these are "nsurpatioua, uncon-
stitutional, revolutionary and void" how can
Democrats recognize the right of the negro to
votc2 What Southern State, in its sovereignty,
hos given him any such right? Not one. And,
according to Democratic doctrine and the Demo-
cratic platform, he can, legally and constitution
ally, have no such right until it is bestowed upon
him by his State in its sovereignty. And holding
these viows We emphatically endorse the follow
ing wise md timely suggestions, which have been
published in Charleston lately, in pamphlet form.
The author of this pamphlets not. yet known.
We now submit his viows to our readers:
~. STATE CONVENTIONS.
We would suggest that the time has arrived for
calling a Convention of the State of South Caro-
lima, to regulHte thc,right of suffrage, as apPer-
tains to the Sovereignty of the State and is guar
anteed ly the Constitution of the United States.
If it has become expedient for the. Southern
States to take part in the coming: Presidential
Election, and for that purpose 1.-The Democratic
party has nominated Electors, those Electors must
be elected BY. tho votes of the citizens.
hequeston inevitably presents itaelf, Who are
the citiscns7 Or In other words, Who are to cast
tho votes Of the people of the Southern States,
for the President ofths United States2
Under existing circumstances, this question can
only be-decidsd-by State Conventions. = 80!
The Platform of tho Democratic party declares
the Reconstruction Act, to be Unconstitutional,
revolutionary. snd void" it aiao declares that
"the Constitution is the foupdahon aadlinitaion
of the powers Of the Goyernmeit.". se.iY $;
The United States supremescourt has. decided;
that under the Constitution the Negro is-nOta
citizen. 80 ~ . -
The suffrage is the highest prerogative of the
citizen, whereby he has the right orto be
elects,l q ruler. 10 who has the right to elect
President hasth correlative right to bs elected
President. = S".,tr|>. r.
The Negro not being citizen under the Con:
stitution, cannot exercise the right of suffrage
he has no m0te right to vote in the coming Prdsi
dontial election thensa woman or an unnatural.
ICED foreigner. 80 ~ -
The ReconstructionA Acts and the XIvth amend
ment Of tho Constitutions have, contrary to thi
Constitution, attempted to confer upon him thu
right Of suffrage, andit becomes absolutely necss
sary, for the Southern States to decide, before
tering into the election whether they win stultif
the Platform Of the Democratic, party, now read,
to sustain them IN thsir Constitutional rights ;-t'
decide whether ey-willj join that powerful party
| and maintain Constitutional white mans Gov
ernment, or abandon, the country to Radical Ne
gro rule.
It needed not tho assertion Of Radical repre-
sentatiyei in Congress, more jacobibical md blood
thirsty, or possibly only more mad and dnrini
than tRercst, that they acted " outside of tn
Constitution That was palpsblo to every souns
mind. ..,-.,-- ~;
! The history and progress ofthcir rcvolutionar.
and unconstitutional Acts need no citationj theJ
are too we'll known. Their consequence; 1t is al
important for the Statesmen and tho people to un
derstand. They have resulted in bringing abOu
san issue between the Democratic and Radica
parties, in the approdching Presidential Election
| son the Constitutional ground, maintained and L
be defended by the Democrats, that the white mal
aloneis citizen and entitled to suffrage, again,
the revolutionary assumption by tho Radicals, o
the citizenship aud political, civil and socia
equality of the Negro with the.white man.
Civil and social equality sRasH sqF bSss }SfR
equality. If the one Is established, it will onl.
require time for the others to follow. Let the po
litical equality of the two races be fixed, AM
oommingling Of blood must inevitably follow unde
. Democratic form of government. We have ex
amp!es Of this sure and ruinous result in Mesic,
and the South American Republics.
Under the government of Great Britian,.it ha
been hindered by the abnormal distinction of clas
irscs, which.belOpgs to that form of government
There the Negro has naturally fallen into hi
fstatus by the side of the white labourer, who be
ing unpervertod by the false doctrines Of nltrc
Democracy, and sustained by the example of thu
higher classes and lis own natural selfrespect
! has not done violence to the laws of God and ma
ture BY comminglng the blood of his superior with
that of an inferior race. 3.
The liberty and equality ideas of the infde
theory Of government, if allowed to work out it.
natural consequences, will inevitably result in ou,
country, in the degradation of the higher, the de-
.e.ioration of the lower and the final ruin ofbott
races.
If these views bertrue-and they arc taught and
proven by history, sncred and profane-it.is q
question of vital Importance for the people of tbi.
whole country, and especially of those statcs
wherO the Negro constitutes a large: portion Of
the inhabitants, to DECIDE his status; and this can
t only be done by the interposition of tho Sover.
eighty of tho States, against the attempt to cot
aside the Constitution of the United States and
the State Constitutions by tho sword. The Con-
stituhop Of the United States, has made this q
white mans government, and the people of the
States adopted the Constitution.
The Reconstruction Acts have attempted, in do
aance of the Constitution, to make tho Negro the
participant in the Government; and tho Radical
party which passed those Acts, arc about to use
tho Negro vote to sustain their unconstitutional
rule and absolute despotism.
The most hideous deformity of government ever
known, combination of the white infitel with
the fsrOcious and brutal Negro savage, to rule
this country, the land of Washington, for purpo-
ses Of ambition and lust; against this hidoous
monster in the'fofm2of government, the religious
convictions of the people have been aroused, their