The Greenville enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1870-1873, 1870-07-20

'of these parts Of the world, and Of
the races which inhabit them, Is to
be decided by the Influences that
shall proceed from the United
States and China. . % I
Address Of the Executive COMMITTEES
ofthe Union Reform Party TO the
Voters of South Carolina. =
FellOao Cstisens-It is made our
duty to set forth in this form the
claims OF the Union Reform Par.
ty to your confidence and co ope.
ration, and we ask of you, as our
countrymen, children. of the State
'--our common mother having a
common interest and common des-
tiny, q patient hearing and a de-
liberate and dispassionate indg.
ment. The secession of. the States
and the sectional war which fol-
lowed, wrought a revolution in the
principles Of the Government, and
in the rights, powers and relations
of the General and State Govern
ments, partly changing their char
acter. The States were shorn of
their sovereign attributes, the
Union rendered. indissoluble, and
the. powers of the General Gov
ernment tcorrespondingly enlarged.
The people of South Carolina, and
those of her sister Southern States
as well, accepted amnesty and civ
il organization in 1866, thus con.
ditioned, and ratified their adhe-
sion to the Government thus
changed in its character, by the
solennity Of an amended oath of
allegiance administered to the vo.
ters at the polls, aud to all officers
upon their qualification. In 1867,
the United States inaugurated
What is known as the policy of re.
construction, which has resulted in
the restoration of South Carolina
to the National Union, with q Con.
stitution based upon the principle
of universal suffrage. In 1868,
the Democratic party arrayed it.
self against the whole policy of re.
construction, and declared the leg
islation Of Congress upon that sub.
ject as 4" usurpations and unconsti-
tutional, revolutionary and void"
Mainly upon this issne the Presi
dental campaign was fought, and
the people of the United States,
by overwhelming majorities, sus
tained the policy of reconstruction.
The fifteenth amendment to the
Constitution Of the United States.
engrafting therein as fundamental
law, the principle of universal suf.
frage, has been proclaimed ratified
by the requisite number of States,
and is receis ed and acquiesced in
as law, in the practice of all the
States of the Union. In tie
meantime, the people of South
Carolina find themselves in this
condition. With universal suf.
frage prevailing, two races COM
pose the people entrusted with the
franchise. Circumstances and the
Vaccinations of selfish and cor
rupt political adventures, have
created an antagonism between
the races. and arrayed, practical
ly, the whole of the one race in
political hostility TO the whole of
the other race. Nearly the entire
landed property and other capital
of tho State are in the hands of
the viii Q race, and the power of
the Government is controlled by
the colored, which furnishes the
chief labor of the country. Prop.
erty is the source of life to the
State. From it the proprietor and
the laborer alike derive suste-
nance. When property is made
productive, wealth is increased, ,
labor enhanced, employments mnl-
tipiied, the country prospers, and
the people are happy. To secure
these results, cooperation between
labor and capital is essential
The laborer and the capitalist are,
in effect, copartners, who divide
among them, in proper proper
tions, the products of the Joint
business. Legislation, after ssc,sr-
ing the mere personal rights 0f
the citizen, has no other legitimate
office than 90 to foster and con
serve the rights of property, that
tho whole people may prosper
1t is evident, therefore, that this
antagonism of races is unnatural,
nnwise, and deplorably injurious
and ruinous, in its consequences,
to both. Under tho industrious
manipulations of this unhappy an.
tagonism by the adventures who
created 1t, the people are burthen-
ed and beggared, while they grow
fat upon the means wrung from
the hard-earned products Of the
capital and labor of the Citizen
Not content, however, with the ex-
elusive enjoyment Of multiplied
salaried offices. fixed at a rate of