The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1868-04-19
% Z : COLUMBIA s. G.. SUNDAY MORNING., APRIL IT, 1865 3 II


fui, that in forming a Constitution,
care should be taken to prevent
rogues from being disfranchised;
whilst the same caution is exercised
to exclude the most intelligent,
virtuous and patriotic from the eiright
of Suffrage! It would seem that the
purpose of the trainers of this Con-
stitution was to found a community
of rogues and paupers in South Caro-
hnal And 80 astute have they been
in carrying out their purpose, that
they provide in section 10 that all
who have already been convicted
of felony shall be. allowed to vote.
SEC. 2 Of ART. 9-Prohibits the.
Legislature from 1evying poll tax
OF moro than one dollar on each per-,
son, and declares that this tax shall
be applied exclusively to the public
school fund! And no additional poll
tax shall be levied by any municipal.
corporation. In other words, the
property must pay all the taxes Of
the Government, and persons shall
pay nothing for their protection of
life and liberty. The idea is that
vagrants and rogues are to be sort
of noblesse, exempt from taxation, as
was the cnse Of the aristocracy in
France previous to the French Revo-
luton.
In order to secure the school fund,
section Is authorizes the Legisla-
ture to punish those who may em-
bezzle it, by declaring them disquali-
fed for holding any office of honor
or emolument in this State. But,
then, true to their purpose of vesting
Sall political power in the hands of
such persons, it provides in the same
section, that the General Assembly ;.
''by a two-thirds vote, may remove
the disability upon payment in full
of the principal and interest Of the
sum embezzled." If man has stolen
money from the public, he may still
hold Office under the Government,
! If he will "give up like gentleman"
the money stolen!
SEC. 16-Provides that no. debt
contracted by this State in behalf Of
the late rebellion, in whole or in
part, shall ever be paid. Why should
the non n-property holding negroes,
Yankees and Southern renegades in
the Convention prohibit the property
holder from paying these debts ii
they see proper to do 80, and pre-
serve untarnished the honor of their
State. This war debt was contracted
with honest creditors, many of them
widows and orphans, and why should
it not be paid? The property hold
ers, who assembled in Convention in
1855, and who would have to pay
this debt. never thought OF repudiat-
ing it.
SEC. of ART. Establishes q
Uniform system of free public schools
throughout the State, and provides
for the division of the State into
school districts. This will do very
we'll in New England, where they
have dense population, but is Who'll
| ly unsuited to the sparse. population
Of South Carolina. In many of the
school districts, four miles square,
there will not be child to be edu-
Gated. In majority Of them there
will not be children enough to make
a respectable school. The expense
of shch q system will be at least
! 2l,UOU,UUU. LII cOntemplatcS ana
forces the education Of the white and
black children in the same school.
This, no one, who has any regard for
the morals, manners and future re-
spectability of his children, will
tolerate. They who are able may
employ private tutors for their sons
and daughters, but the poor children
will haua NO o1tarnativa Init RI on I'm
these schools or be uneduoated.
SEC. Makes it compulsory for
-! ch:!a-e: bct"-ecc:z. .shae ages vi Biz
and sixteen to attend school for two
years. The compulsory system may
suit the genius of despotic Govern.
ment like Prussia, but is at war with
the spirit of our free institutions.
There are many parents who are not
able to spare the services Oh theil
| children at home. and many hthare