The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1868-06-24
The JOURNAL OF Commerce ard the
South Carolina Remonstrah

The Journal OF Commerce ard the
South Carolina Rcmonstrah
'g'Thes New York Journal Of 1op.-
aserce thus refers tog this paper. We
publish theH extracts to show the
effect North of conservative utter
ances aud views South: &-.-
1.-The South Carolina remonstrance
is prepared by Committee of Five
well.kpowniold citizens of the State,
headed by the fighting ex-rebel CT. val
ryman, Wade Hampton. 1t opens
with searching, dispassiopate ex-
animation of the new constitution;
and proves that the instrument is in
tended to establish, not the equal
rights. but the supremacy of the
negro race"
''The South Carolina conservatives
are not impracticable about negro
suffrage. They recognize the fact
that much must be done for the
negro in the new state of things.
The ground which they take is that
upon which we recently advised con-
servatives everywhere to make their
stand, in order that the principle of
negro suffrage might have what all
thinking men must admit to be d
fair, even favorable trial. The
pamphlet says: '.'A'
sion of this trust to the colored
people, we believe that nine-tentbs
of our people are willing to concede
it to them, duly qualified. We can
not admit universal suffrage, because
the great body of the colored people
are utterly untitled to exercise it with
intelligence aud discretion; and be-
cause it would make the negro domi-
nant, and thus bring about fatal
antagonism between the races. We
cannot deny italtogether to the black
man, because that would be neither
right nor polite. Hence the policy
of the mean between the two ex-
tremes, which has met with general
favor in this State. The conserva-
tive party of South Carolina now
stands and gathers strength, day
after day, upon this proposition.
This is manly and right. 1t will
not avail with Congress. But it will
serve to correct, authoritatively,
wherever it is read, injurious reports
which have been put in circulation
of the hostility of Southern con-
servatives to negro suffrage as prin-
ciple.
On the subject of negro suffrage,
the Louisiana conservatives do not
express themselves as clearly as the
South Carolinians. But we Judge
from the following that they would
not object to it, with such qualifca-
tions as would be insisted on by
white men of intelligence and spirit
everywhere, and no where more
strenuously than in the Northern Re-
publican States:
''We did not oppose the execution
of the reconstruction laws, though
convinced of their unconstitutionali-
ty. If those laws only contemplated
that the negro should be protected,
the Convention transcended its
authority by peryerting them, and
making them the instruments by
which negro supremacy is successful
ly established. The negro has our
sympathy. For the protection of
his person, his freedom, and the
enjoyment of his property, we do
not demonstrate against any just
guarantees that may be required.
That, for these purposes, before the
law, he should stand as the equal of
the white man, we prefer no COM
plant. We are willing to be reason
ably taxed for his education, and
would not look with disfavor upon
the efforts by the State Government
to test, by favorable legislation, his
capacity for sef-improvement."
Negro suffrage being fixed fact
in the Southern States, the conserva-
tiyes, while they put their protests
on record, are also. as we have point
ed out in former article, disposed
to make the best of their circumstan-
ces. and are alternating large numbers
of negro voters from the support of
the extreme radical party.
THE FIRE OF YESTERDAY MORNING.
The fire on Meeting street, reported
in yesterday mornings issue rs
raging, was finally subdued and con-
fined to tho destruction of the two
l.. IL