The Orangeburg news. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1867-1875, 1868-05-16

Ill South Carolina cannot to-day, and will not
hereafter, be able to pay the taxes imposed
upon them. l.i #. ..As;-f - s,T5 ir.so:
i"Many of you arc able to form some
reasonable conjecture rs to tho number
of paupors who will assert their claims upon
the charity and sympathy of the State You
have already had some experience with re-
ference to ono race, and am persuaded you
will not have the slightest difficulty in making
you calculations. Not even a negro father,
sun or husband, is required to contribute a.
dollar towards the support of tho paupcrs of
his raco"
lie next addresses himself moro especially
to the colorcd man, and remarks:
elf there be any colorcd man who intends
to be industrious. frugal aud moral-to elevate
hi,nscl and family-to that man desire to say
one word: Let him acquire real estate and
loarn to read and write, SO that he may be
placed III the category of the,white man who
owns taxable property, and if;i ann not totally
mistaken i'll the opinion have derived from
successful and critical examination of the new
Constitution, hc will be unable to retain his
property three years. It will be taken from
him by those of his own race who arc idle.
thriitlcss, and do not mean to work Hence
1t is that | call upon all respectable colored
men, who entertain hopes of future prosperity.
to dcnouncc that Constitution aud join his
natural, ancient and true friends in opposing
its ratification"
Next, after exposing the deceptive features
III the Constitution proposed Oh the subject of
the homestead claim, and the annuling of all
debts of which slavery were the consideration,
and after some comments upon the dangerous
organization Of the judicial power of the State,
he concludes thus .. s.
s.lnrsmy gment, Constitution with such
cnospiities in it will to boil rs,ses,
and more fatal to the blacE talc wiiite.
The colorca nai, ,yhe his Iaired property
has really more interest in prevent my that
Y jSpnstitpti9ns fioln becoming tho fund
sS ~ q 'ha. g allow lsssH S'5S asiaaed by.hos,
who woall make him believe that it is hi.
interest to oppose the people who have reared
and nurturcd him through life. So .l,nbrois
and complicated is the machinery of tina,
Constitution, consisting, as it does of the most
minute details, and 81 burdcnsomc will be the
government which it inauguratcs, that you vii
be crushed by it. You cannot bear it, AS well
might the heavy harness of the mailed warrior
be put upon the lines of IN infant Us for these
burdens to be imposed upon the impoverished
people Of South Carolina None but people
rich and highly educated can live under that
Constitution. Try it if you will, but tel
you, gentlemen, that antagonism will be ex
cited between the two races and conflict may
be the result. Under it peace and harmon,
arc utterly impossible in South Carolina"
We have thus suggested to your honorable
body some Of the prominent objections to your
adoption of this Constitution. We waive nj
argument upon tue subject of its validity. L
is Constitution dc .tacto, and that is tn,
ground upon which We approach your honora
BILE body i'll the spirit of earnest romonstrance
That Constitution was the work of Northorr
adventurcrs, Southern rcnegradcs and ignorant
negroes. Not one per ccntum. of tho whit,
population of the State approves it, and mo-
two per ccntum. of tho negroes who voted fol
its adoption know any more than II dog, hors.
or eat what his act of voting implied. Thai
Constitution enfranchiscs every male ncgr,
over the age OF twcnty-onc, and disfranchise.
many of the purcst and best white men of tho
State. The negroes being in a large numeri
cal majority, as compared with the whites, tho
effect is that the new Constitution cstablishc,
i'll this State negro supremacy, with all its
train of countless evils. a superior rice,
portion, Senators and Representatives, of tn,
same proud race to which it is your pride tc
bclong--is put under the rule of an inferior
race-the abjcct slaves Of yesterday, the flush
ed freedmen of to-day. And think you thnt
there can be amy just, lasting reconstruction
OH this basis The Committee respectfully
reply, i'll behalf of their white felow-citizcns
that this cannot be. We do not mean tu
threaten resistance by arms. But the white
people Of our State will never quietly submit
to negro rule. We may have to pass under
the yoke you have authorized, but by moral
agencies, by political organization, by every
peaceful means left us, We will keep up this
contest until we have rcgained the heritage of
political control handed down to us by an
honorcd ancestry. This is IL duty we owe