The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1874-05-20
No Aid from Congress.
SHlRKING THE RESPONSIBILITY OF
RELIEVING OUR GRIEVANCES.

What the judiciary Committee qt thr
House 9t Representatives, Say 0l
the Prayer Of the South Curo!ian
TarpHysrs.
As briefly noted by telegraph, Mr..
Tremainc, Of til" subcommittee Of the
House judiciary committee, presented
on Tuesday to the full committee re-
port on the memorial Of the Taxpayers
Convention of South Carolina asking
for relief against alleged miSgoveru-
mcnt in that State. The report was
adopted by majority of that commit
| tee.
The committee say they cannot re-
sisr the conviction that the extraordi-
i nary condition Of the people Of South
Carolina is owing in 4reat degree to
the extraordinary events that have oc-
Cured. and the great changes that have
been produced within the last few
years, for which her present citizens
or the majority thereof are not proper
ly responsible, and which arc beyond
the reach and contro! Of Con.re>s.
The cnmmittnc refer in this connec-
ton to the late civil war, and TO the
organic changes in the Constitution Of
the United States. not for the purpose
of rcopenins the wou"dS caused by
that war, but because it is the duty Of
statesmen who are invoked to apply
remedy to existing alleged wrongs to
ascertain the nature, extent aud origin
Of these wrongs.
The result of the war was the dcstruc-
tion Of slavery, and the loss to the
Shareholders of that State Of two hun
dred and fifty millions Of property iu-
vested III slaves Then came the
thirteenth. fourteenth and fifteenth
amendments to the constitution, where
by the enancipated slaves became
clothed with all the attributes of citi-
zenship, or invested with the rleht Of
suffrage. The freedmen now conSti-
tutc a majority Of the people there, and
political power has been transferred
from their former masters t. those who
while in state of slavery, Were denied
all participation in the rights and priv
iIeges of American citizenship. What
ever evils may arise from placing polit-
ical power in the hands uf the freed
men, the responsibility therefor rests
not with them, but with the people of
the United States: they having adopted
the amendments, and they alone hsv-
iug the power to change the constitu.
lion.
In the Judgment Of the committee,
the real grievances Of the nicmorlal>tS
and those they represent relate to these
changes in the constitution The col
ored voters Of South Carolina are about
80, 900, and the white voters bout 10
900. Congress has no constitutional
power to grant the relief which is asked
by the petitioners: in the opinion Of
the committee. Although this ohjec-
tion was presented and fully discussed,
the proposition was not controverted
that Congress could not intervene III
this case unless the power to act was
conferred by some express grant i'll the
constitution, or was necessary TO carry
into execution some power that was
conferred.
The committee say they are not able
to discover the force Of the claim made
by the petitioners that they are suffer
ing from the anti-Republican and
odious oppression of a system Of taxa
ton without representation, and that
Congress haS no more right to interfere
to disturb the State government Of
South Carolina, or to invade the rights
of people. than to interfere with the
States of New York, Pennsylvania OF
Illinois.
The committee further answer the
arguments Of the mcmcrlali>ts: and
say they are fully sensible Of the deli
cacy and the importance Of the matters
presented for their consideration
They would not withhold any conssl-
tutiOnai aid which eau be eNtcuded'to
the lives; liberties, aud property Of any
citizens, but they are unwilling to
usurp unauthorized authority to accom-
plish such results.
The committee say they have conf
dence in the final success Of the great
changes that have been brought lu~fa-
vvr Of the African race in this country.
from the Intelligence and capacity cx-
hibitcd by their representatives in
Congress. and by those who appeared
before the committee they feel assured
they can, if they will, establish their
rights 10 the oOutilegGc Of the country.
1t is hoped that. with iIle aqyantaGcs
afforded now Of education. and with
the eagerness they display to avail
themselves Of It's benefits, they will be
found fully equal to the dignity and
duties Of their newly acquired citizen.
ship. Il is believed that by tn" mutual
interchange of kind and friendly inter
course. and by employment of all those
means, which are found sufficient in
other States, existing evils in the al.
ministlation Of the affairs of South
Carolina may be re'ncdicA by the peo-
pie themselves:
The committee, therefore, report Il
resolution that the prayer Of the me-
moraliSts be dcuied and the committee
discharged from the further consldera-
tiou Of the subject.
New Quarters.