Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1873-08-28

admit the tui. iol:e Of this obstae,o.
The negro, Us !: rae. preiels 70 live
by idleness and theft rather than by
labor. When the present generation
of negroes-who acquil ed their dis
ciplinary habits in slavery shall
pass away, the troubles alluded to
will increase with every future gen.
Grafton. This brings lis face to face
with a great problem. And l say
here now, if there lis not sufficient
craftsmanship in this country to de-
wise laws which shall compel the ne
gro to quit stealing and go to work,
then the best thing we can do is to
pick up our children and hunt another
country. 1 would give the negro
every right to which he is entitled
under the laws, but he is entitled un-
der no law to become the destroyer
of his neighbors' property, nor to
keep the white race Of the South in
poverty and bondage.
The first thing to be done is to Sc
cure Aon,e government for home affairs.
This is our right and our necessity.
We must yet control Of our own labor
and regulate our own industry Mas
sachusetts and New York cannot do
these things for us wisely or well.
With State governments for State
affairs every other good will follow
Without this every evil is inevitable.
Well, go on and tell how we are to
have this great boon of self-govern-
,nent for our own affairs? I will.
1t can only be obtained by securing
a proper Interpretation Of the Con-
stitution of the United States s now
amended, fixing the proper limits ol
the Federal and State governments
This is the great work oil the country
and it must be done in the neat tou'
ycars;; and it must be done at Wash.
iagton.
Now, my friends, take breath and
listen to me, for want you to com
prehend the biggest idea of tie age
and one which holds in its keeping
the future of yourselves and of your
children for veal or for woe. What
does the Fourteenth Amendment
mean? Does it mean that citizenship
oc a. Tinted States is the 7,r5na1,9.a
citizenship in this country; er does
it mean that citizenship as 1t hereto
fore ecisted, is only extended to the
'emapcipated race2 Does it NEAR
that a man is a citizen OF a State be.
cause he is first citizen Of the United
States; or does it mean he is a citizer
Of the United States because he il
first a citizen of some one of the
States? ),
Protection to the citizen is the duty
of the Government. That protection
must extend to all civil rights, such
as, to hold property, make contracts
sue, give evidence, inherit, bequeat;h
and e Everything which pertains to the
security and.enjoyment of life, llber'
!. ty and property. Now the govern
ment n of which a person is primarily
a citizen, is bound primarily to ex
tend this protection, and must have
the prin,oay Jurisdiction to that end
If then, the Fourteenth Amendment
has made citizenship of the Unitet
States the primary citizenship, theI
the primary protection of that citi
zenship is with the Federal Govern
ment, and the primary jurisdiction t'
extend that protection is in the Fede
rsI Government. Bus if this primar,
jurisdiction is in =. the Federal Govern
ment, then the State governments cal
only only, exercise such jurisdiction subor
dinate to, and under the supervision
Of the Federal Government.
In these few brief words I hay