The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1870-03-18
friday March Is, 1870.
THE RIGHT TO VOTE, AND TIE
RIGHT TO HOLD OFFICE,

Thc right to vote carries With 1t
necessarily the right to hold office.
The voting class form the body pol
itic; they arc the State really and
essentially. They are the sovcr-
eigns; for suffrage is the highest
act of sovereignty. Suffrage sets
the complex machiuery of govern
mcnt in motion, and keeps it in
operation. Itcreatcs the executive,
the Legislative and the judicial
they who make the laws and they
who administer them. Can any
thing he morc absurd then, than
to deny to the ruling class, the
right 80 select from their own body
those whom they may deem
worthy to hold the Offices ils their
gift? Negro suffrage is a fixed
fact, and it is too late now, to dvny
all of it's legitimate consequences.
If the negro is the ruling power i'll
the State, can we deny him the
right to choose his ofticc-bcarcrs-
to choose them especially from
those of his own class? Not only
has he tho. right, but we are pre-
pared to show that between his
own race, and those who arc prop
erly denominated "scalawags" and
"earpet-baggors," "---mcaning BY the
one mere unprincipled adventurcrs,
and by the other those who are
rccreant to the instincts OF race
1T is right which he should prop
erly exercise in clcvating the best
representatives of the black race
to Office.
Not only is the right of the
black man to hold Office a lcgiti-
mate consequence Of the right to
vote, but it makes less inroads upon
timc-honored prejudiccs-it is n
step less in advance; less rcvolu-
tionary in fact and in scmblance-
than was the concession of univcr-
sal suffrage. To make t4le bond
man the master-the newly ell
franchiscd the sole dispensers Of
'officc-to make the ignorant rule
the intelligent, and the roor con-
troll the property of the rich-:tllis
this was SO contrary to the prin ci-
pies Of right reason, and the first
instincts Of our naturc-tlat grant
ing this, We may we'll conccdc-
eoncede without n murmur-cvery-
thing else involved. We concede
the !: principle in its length and
breadth; we have no reason tc
sticklc at any Of its Legitimate
consequences. Negro suffrage has
been established, we shall not gain
say the right of the negro to hold
Office: We go farther, we prefer
the negro in Office TO the rule OF
the cnrpet-baggcr and the scalawag
land this for two. roasons-rea
sons Which involve the whole qucs.
tion of competccy-that lie pos
sesses moro, OF ability and integ.
rity. ."e,r j'n"r'!a = 81. ..*@i.,"~
LIST, The black man in Office viii
naturally be the best representative
Of his race, and surpass the carpet
Dagger and the'scalawag In intelii
gence and ability. BY the carpet
bagser we do not mean Norther,
men who have come to settle witt
US permanently for "weal or woe
we mean mere adventufors-tht
'bummefs'' Of the camp. They
have not the stamina to compete
with solid men at homo, but arc
mere "waifs" Of the storm, throwr
dpt the surface by the currents
of revolution. They are insignifi
can't, inert and powerless for good
as the scalawags tihemse!ves--:mer
who turn against their race, aht
sacrifice their self.tespect, and The
good opihion Of their 'neighbors fol
the Inst Of Office, Do you want lte
verify these conclusions 2 Turl
to our late Legislature itself
Who were its controlling spirits
Wright DsLarge, Elliott, Whip
pers-hoetbsru men; come Of them
it is true, but the best representa-
tavesief j. ,Yaps with whom they ART
identified in interest Il and blood
and to, whdAeuiadvancement they
are plsdginpg sap theiE y h;}sss beat energies,
Bat ID. Wha;,vsrss the mos
honest and, saussryatiYsaR Rspubli
cans, In TINT same Legislature,
We believe no one doubts the Ren
esty Of Wright, and vs. Have MAR shSsFssi
no allegation "a against ths 6tksffss fs
They arsialsaa tbbdn dnfostaeo6sss4a
"A =. IL