The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1871-01-05

afresh, and reveled in the torture they inflicted
by the cruel pictures they drew OF wrongs,
which were either never endured, or as excep-
tional as child-murder in New England. The
more fercely ragged the mad passions of the
crowd, the greater their efforts to aggravate
and infuriate them. They told them every
conceivable story they could invent to make
them believe that we sought their ruin. Eve
ry brawl between white and black was magni-
fed into the beginning of war against their race.
They were told that we would prevent their
voting by violence, and on this pretext they
were armed by the State, the further to alarm
and excite them. They were told that we were
rebels, enemies of the General and State Gov
ernments. That the President, the Governro,
and the great Republican party were our enc
mics and their friends-that they would never
be hurt do what they might-that high taxes
were nothing to thcm-they didn't pay them
that it would be good for them if the landhold-
er should be forced to sell his lands down to
mere homestead-they would then have homes
through the operation of the Land Commission
and other causes-that all the accumulated
property here was the result of their labor
that it rightfully belonged to them, and that
the way to get it was to vote for what they were
pleased to term "the Republican party" mean
ing the ruling dynasty in South Carolina.
These were the arguments with which the
pretended friends and self-constituted advisers
of the colored people met the solemn peace
offerings of the whites, ratified by them by
larger vote than has been polled since the war.
To these appeals to prejudice, cupidity and
ignorance, we responded, that we were incapa-
bic of the frauds imputed to us; that the
whites were united in support of our measures,
and would so prove by their votes; that we had
neither the inclination nor the power to re-
mand them to slavery, nor could we in any
way abridge their rights, if we would that
we were not responsible for the introduction of
slavery; that South Carolina by statute twice
protested against it; that it had been continued
in obedience to q supposed necessity; that the
system, good or bad, had the merit of redeem
ing them from heather barbarity to make them
what they were; that we were honored by the
Almighty in being chosen for their masters and
teachers, rather than their Northern friends
that it was to be presumed He meant well by
them when he did so choose that the expert
ment of the two races co-existing In the same
State upon equal terms, in peace and amity,
had yet to be tried that we were ready to do
our part, but if they made our former relations
q ground of hostility, We could never be at
peace, since we could not change the past; that
the State could not prosper so long as the gov
ernment was administered by the one race, in
q spirit of hostility to the othcr that the mad
appeals to their passions and resentments could
only lead to violence and blood, if they yielded
to them; that we had proved our claims to the
protection of the laws, by accepting the terms
imposed by our conquerors, and that they, not
we, were rebels who rosorted to arms and vio-
lence against us in time of peace; that neither
President nor Governor could protect or en-
courage them in such course, without viol;-
ting his constitutional OATH that we had
right to claim the support of true Republicans,
because we had accepted the laws imposed by
them that if they brought on a war against
the whites they would be crushed out of ex-
istence before the white men of America, who
were nearer to us, in blood and nature, than to
them that the attempt to tax the whites out
of their property would certainly first ruin the
laborers, who were subsisted from their means;
that property holders would never submit to be
turned out of house and home, for the benefit
of few ofice-hoders, whose duty it was to
protect the rights of person and property that
such Government would be without the pro-
lection of the law, and would perish as it de-
served. In brief, we exposed the madness, the
folly, and the wickcdncss of such incendiary
teachings, and exhausted the resources of kind
ly persuasion, but they were, for the mostp
only the--morc rooted in prejudice, and the
more violent in its manifestation.
This summary of the arguments by which
the colored people were led to fasten upon the
State, for the next two years, the same men
who have so nearly ruined us in the past, de.
monstrates the existence among them Of a fatal
hostility towards us, which cannot now be over
come by gentle and kindly overtures. 1t is 30
violent in certain quarters as to threaten the
existence of society. 1t has been fostered and
famed, and kept alive, in very large degree,
by those whose duty it is to protect society.
Magistrates and conservators of the peace have
been foremost and unrebuked in incendiary
utterances and actions. 1t is allied not only
with demagoguism that demon whose province
it is to prostitute the spirit of liberty, but also
with agrarianism, which strikes at the founda-
tions Of civilized society. To this, add igno-
INSCRIPTIONS and selfish men, as q rule, and
some idea may be formed of the dangers of the
situation.
A danger known is more than half averted.
1t is not our province to suggest remedies.
These will be for your determination. Yet the
utterance of personal views may be pardoned
by your kindness to those fully in sympathy
with you and having common interest IN all
that concerns your welfare as people.
In the first place, let us set at rest forever all
doubtssabout our position upon the questions
of Reconstruction which have been practically
settled, and deal with them as we do with 9th
ey laws An accomplished revolution becomes
law. A contrary course isolates us from all
existing political organizations and shuts out
all hope of peaceful deliverance. Let us re-
tain, in some form, solid combination for
mutual protection and the preservation of
peace, law and order, under the lead of the
wisest, purest and best citizens in every COM
munity. Ccaseless vigilance caution and self
restraint, combined with adequate and visible
preparation for defence, will insure the preser-
vation of peace. There are declarations of
yirtuous purposes of late, from the Executive
of the State, and some of our Legislators. In
all the good that they do, let us accord to them
our hearty support. In some form, Conserva-