Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1868-06-17
Col. J. P. Thomas Letter to Judge
A ldrIel-I

Democratic Party of this State on the suffrage
question, and having already published Hon
A. P. sA!drich's letter in reference to- tht
same, we, in all fairness, give place to TIE let
letter CT Colonel Thomas, vindicatory of the
position Of the late Democratic Convention
at Columbia 80
y Hes. A. p. rAnDRIcH-DEAR S1R 81 have
noticed Your communication to the Charles
Ion Mercury; of the 27rh Instant. AS yeu ap
pear to misunderstood the principles advanc-
cd BY the Democratic Convention that assem-
rblsd nhGalu1hbiainsApril last, L ask leave
with all proper respect, to-. explain the posi-
tiun, taken by. that Convention, and toVindi
cate The principles upon which that body
deemeIii it wise and just 10 rest the future pol
icy Of the State. And through You bepe
to rescli the minds of the people of South
Carolina.
I have no right to object to any man or
any jourIal taking position against the con.
cesson to the coi3red man of II qualified sut-
hage. Gentlemen and Journals, worthy OF
all respect, and consideration, have assumed
that ground. But Lido object to and protest
againssihe Misrepresentation of the principle
and poKcy Of the gentlemen who composed
the democratic Convention of April last
This srepreseutation--we will not say 1t Is
iptentional-has Come. again aud again from
that able, ont spoken and once influential pa
per-tbe Charleston Mercury--!to which you
have addressed your note. | submit now,
this statement, and trust that candid men ev-
erryyhere In 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 emancipated By
the act Of the State Copvention-or rather,
when the Convention for the State acknowl-
edged their emancipation-the colored people
became. ipso fdcto invested with civil rights,
as part Of he body polite. What, now, is
This body polite? 1t is defined; "a nation
Sor community, as constituted under govern
ment CT polity." Now, ceasing to be slaves,
these persons became free; being detached
from+a condition of slavery, they fell logically
into "a. condition of free citizenship, and, as
such entitled. to- all civil rights. As the Hon.
d.. II. Hill says:
In all society or government are rights to
be enjoyed, burdens to be borne, and trusts
10 he discharged.
Among the erights are the right Of proper
ty; the right Of locomotion the right to ap-
propriate and1dispose of the proceeds of four
own labor the lightto worship according to
conscience; and the right to protection from
society int be enjoyment of all these rights,
and the right to ,luyc all the legal processes
and remedies provided to make this protec-
lion .ffectual. These are called civil rights !;
and when we speak ofcivi!s quality, we mean
that these rights belong alike and eqna:ly to
all citizens, to all classes 10 all colors, to all
sexes, to all ages, and to all grades of intel
lect, society and worth. These rights neces
s rily attach to and become conditions of free
citizenship. The negro is entitled to all these
rights. And being now deprived ofthe pro-
teclion which, as a slave, he received from
.his-owner, good men, ought to rejoice that
he can still be safe under tue protection OF
tie law and being unaccustomed to assert
his riuh!s--a work which Was formerly per
formed by his master-all true men ought to
be ready TO aid him in that assertion"
now ask you to observe that the resolution
of the Convention goes on to say, for itself,
what it means by stating that the colored
people are members of the "body polite, u
for. after admitting the connection Of the col.
ore,l people with the body polite, it adds
"Ard as such, in person and property, en-
titled to full uud equal protection under the
State Constitution and laws" Can anything
b. palmer?
Bu. this is not a: : the very declaration,
Of which complaint has been made, is still
more guarded. Acknowledging tie distinc-
tion that exists between rights and trusts
between civil rights proper, and suffrage and
otiice holding, which latter are not included
in tie summary Of civil rights, the resolution
i,timates the qualified nature of this body
pollticship, by declaring "that as cllizens Of
Carolina, We declare our Willingness, when we
have the power, to grant them, under proper
qualifications as to property and Intelligence
tue right Of suffrage"
As Hon. B.H. Hill in another place re-
marks-and it will apply to South Carolina
also" The negroes Of Georgia are citizens
of Georgia. They arc free and Rave eqnal
rights, and shall eljoy them. They will be
REQUIRED 10 hear tue burdens only in proper
tion to their capacity. They will be emPow,-
cred to discharge the trusts, when time and
experience shall show they 'are capable and
worthy and the good Of society will be pro-
NOTED thereby; and this Georgia will detei-
mine for herself and MOTTO please enemies
or to keep traitors in party power"
When, now, the Mercury makes Governor
Orr's fatal admissions identical with the ad-
missions Of the late Convention, We ask if it
dues not msreprcsent the Convention? This
it certainly does We make no admission
that negroes are The sovereignty Of the State (;
md such admission does not follow from any
propcsitior of the late Convention.
The Mercury" says. We are not aware
of any law or any legitimate Constitution,
which has iaade negroo. portion of tue body
udlic in South Carolina We answer that,
as we have construed the term body polite, !"
II Has not any Law that MAIDS the negroes an
cieliient thereof, but it wEs the absence Of
law-the absence OF special enactment bear
Ing on Inc point. But, further, is it fair Tor
INV one to detach ths language quoted from
the context and draw his inference accord
ingly? ALI expressiops,l submit. are prop
erIy to be construed in connection with the
context-with what goes before and with what
follows. You will observe that the "Mercu-
ry," In its structures upon the action of the
Democratic Convention, does not follow this
established rule of construction, and, there
fore, subjects itself to the charge of special
pleading aud verbal quibbling in grave is
sue of State policy. Once for all, we ask
leave now distinctly to declare:
L. That We maintain, with President
johnson and the whole Democratic party
North," that the whole reconstruction pro-
pra,nme enacted and to ba enacted under' the
Military Bill of Congress, ia Unconstitutional
illegal and properly null aud void.
g. That we therefore, repudiate the admis'
siohs made by Governor Orr, in his address
to the so.called Constitutional Convention,
wherein he scknowle,lp d the legality OF that