Port Royal commercial and Beaufort County Republican. [volume] (Port Royal, S.C.) 1873-1874, 1874-02-19
PrepoaGerance OF Race.


land County, at which you spoke and
gave some excellent counsel, that much
interest and alarm were manifested by
them at the influx Of white emigra-
ton.
This is but the carly current of that
emigration which frequently cautioned
the people concerning in 1866, at Hilton
Head, and among the Sea Islands. and
spoke of it at the great reconstruction
meeting at Epping Hall, (now United
States Court House Charleston, 176S,
and more particularly. as the club meet
ing af Republicans at Beaufort, the same
wear, Il being then in the United States
Army stationed ut Hilton Head and
subsequently at other times when you
were present.
remember the club meeting particu-
larry, as the suggestions made by Inc met
with determined opposition, and one ci
the most prominent lea31fS of the party
there at the time arose in the meeting
and adyisodthe people that there need
be no fears of any such thirg ever takiug
place, as it was simply impossible ever
/ to outnumber the colored peoplein South
Carolina and Mississippi, where the
black now had the preponderance. You
must remember this and the Beaufort
club meeting. spoke of General Am
ncsty, and this too, was "pooh-poohed. "
| simply desire to say that this tide OF
emigration having now set in will go on
to completion-that Is, it will not cease,
till the white population in the State,
sufficiently outnumbcrs the blacks, to
secure to the whites the basis Of 4 ruling
clement.
The object of the 8 Oranges or emf,
grafton in this State, as you very well
know, is to ucutra,izc the black ruling
element, by reducing or exceeding Its
majority. And my candid opinion Is,
that the whites in the SOnih generally,
and South CIrolina in particular, prefer
a; agricultural, mechanical, and labOring
elements the blacks, to the whites and
that this emigration scheme never would
have been organized had they from Tn"
pas: and present asp, ct OF thing, not
been lca to believe that We, the black 2,
were Influenced, controlled, and led III
our political actions without pricip|e or Il
will OF our own, and that so long Is We
outnumber them, they would uever get
chance to participate in the political
affairs of the State. This is my sincere
conviction, after much observation and
intelligent inquiry.
But the thing is now done, and is q
fixed fact that in five years, if not less
tilne than THIS, the black popu'a!ion q
include all people af co.orl viii be IN The
manority in this Safe:
What our race requires is, proper in
formation to rightly direct it. This has
been to long neglected, and should have
been given by those who led them IN pol
itics.
What desire now to say is, that it is
your duty, as it is that Of every fnteiIi'
gent man among Us, who asplrcS to a
leadership, loves his race, has the capac-
i.y. and is vcr>cd in the great principles,
politics, science, and consequently, the
philosophy OF popular succession, 10
warn Eir people Of a great approaching
reality, which sooner or later viii verify
Itself in history.
Tha! having prospectivcly lost the
popular prcponderaDcc, and consequent
certainty Of representation IN all the
departments Of government, local, State,
1ni national. our only hope and chance
Of its future security, is i'll the principle
of cuG,ulattre rotimg, which secures mi
nortty representation a. well as ma ajorl-
ty.
Let our Legislature be wise enough
now, while it is in the power OF our race
to do s0. to take such meaSuerS as to
SO mr.. 10y constitutional Enactment, the
rich, Of minority representation, winch,
while imme Iiitcl Y secures to the whites
of tho SAFE irrr pc,:iiyc ol FaIt:, Il !'r0
Yrt, representa- OH, Or representation IN
PROPORTION to NUMBERS, Ii secures ID the
LiaCA~ race the saline ratio CG rcprcSclI-
cation in coan,ics where the whites have
he m%ioriry; and when they saul pre-
panlGra,c III poru,a'Dn III the State,
Which thcy most aasurGtiy viii, at Ia
distant day.
The white race is true itself; and it il
useless and doing injustice To bU!h races
70 conceal the fact thal in giving liberty
AMI cpua;ity of rights to lhn blacks. they
hld no desire 10 see them rule over their
own raca. And the blacks may a. well
know thi. atnnce : that there Is 40 schc!na'
that can be lail 10 measure that may be
cntGIcI into, nor expense - great wilcn
they will not incur to change such a
relation between the blacks ant whites
a t.,Ng'T,