Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1871-04-07
Gstter from Hon. G. G. Memmiuger,
CHARLESTON, March "a, 1871.

ted by your Excellency, have thought it
due to you, that should, as soon as it was
in my powcb submit to you tho counsel,
which, in my opinion, the present exigeuoios
of our State call for.
The remedy for any existing evil must do
pend upon the exact character of the evil
and the first step to be taken towards pro.
per application Of a remedy is to observe care
fully the nature and cause Of the evil The
leading fact which has probably induced your
action, is the formation Of combinations, in
many OF the upper counties Of the State,
which exhibit themselves in acts of violence
upon those whom they deem lit SUBJECTS for
extraordinary visitation. There can be no
difficulty in ascertainipg the cause Of these
combinations 1t is undoubtedly the convo.
tion that the existing Government of the
State is utterly corrupt; and that it has fail
cd in all the duties which are required at it's
hapds-thut there is no adequate security
for lite or property, and that the taxes laid
by the Legislature must cventuatc in virtual
confscation of the entire income Of the citi
zchs.
Is this conviction we'll founded
!. The corrupt character Of the Legislature
of the State has been so distinctly cvinccd,
that it may be set down MS an admitted fact.
2. The failure to discharge the duties of
government culminated in the action of the
Legislature at its last session upon the Chcs.
tcrfeld election. This action, following upon
the previous election laws, which refused any
check upon the majority satisfied the white
people Of the State that they had 10 rights,
recognized by the Government, and that they
must, therefore, protect themselves in the
best way they could. The aru,ing of the
colorcd militir and exclusion of the whites
from any parti, .,ation, placed one class dis.
tincty above the other, and plainly exhibited
to the whites that force would take the place
of law.
3. The wastecul expenditure of tho public
money, and the corrupt schemes for incrcas-
Ing tho public debt, which have found favor
with the Legislature, proclaim in the future
an indefinite increase of taxes, while corrupt
officers foment these evils, and render hope
less my effort ut amendment.
4. The formation OF secret societies among
the colored people, under the name of Union
Leagues, bundled them together in n secret
organization, and while these societies render
useless any appeals to the better judgment
Of their members, they naturally suggest
like organization among the whites as their
only means OF defence.
These various evidences have settled con.
viction in the minds Of the whites, that they
must seek protection outside Of the existing
Government, and as your Excelency doubt.
less sees these evils must result in anarchy
or civil war. unless some remedy be speedily
applied. The active cause Of all this evil is
clearly the Legislature of the State There
it oil originates; there it has its abode, and
from thence it must be removed before peace
or security can cnsuc. The character of this
body must therefore be changed Instead
of representing ignorance and vice, it must
represent knowledge and virtue. This it
cannot DO until you change its constituency
There is no possible method of reforming an
agency, whilo the principal continues the
same-and ignorance ond prejudice will ncv
er select for its agents the wise and the good
Our troubles result from this cause, and from
neglect OF the great American aphorism, that
taxation without representation is tyranny.
In our present system of State Governments
those who pay the taxes have no voice in the
Government. This investigation clearly
points to the only possible remedy, to wit: 4
change in the constituency which cleo Cts the
Legislature. Let this bc improved, and the
Improvement OF the other follows Of course
A more intelligent body of voters, and one is
directly, responsible to pay the taxes which
supposed by their representatives would speed.
lily provide remedy. Under their auspices,
on intelligent and vrtuous Legislature would
ngain make its appearance, and the laws of the
land and tho public officers appointed to ad
minister thcm, would again command public
confidence aud ensure the peace and tran
guilty of the State.
All this can be obtained by simply follow.
ing the lead of that State which our present
rulers would regard as the fountain of po!iti.
cal wisdom, and amending our Constitution
80 as to conform the qualifications of voters
to that required in Massachusetts, Let the
voters be only sucl, as can read and have paid
some tax for the support of the Government,
aud the representatives will at once change
their character. Such qualification in the
voters would discriminate only against iguo.
rance, and would place it in the power of eve
~ man to take part in the Government, what
ever may be his race or color.
The difficulty Of such an amendment arises
from tho fact that it must find sufficient favor
with tho existing authorities to command
two.thirds vote This difficulty is real; but
is it not worth the effort to overcome il !?
Without some such change the State must
inevitably drift into anarchy or civil war, aud
surely We already have had sufficient exper.
rlence OF the evils Of war to induce every one
to sock their avoidance If you, sir, would
commence tho movement by an earnest up.
peal to the Legislature, Immediately to sub,
init tho call OF o Convention to tho decision
Of tho people, is not at all improbable that
the movement may succeed.