Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1874-05-07
y THE TAXPAYERS, MEMORIAL.

VII 1uSSldS Va loSU "SShJ 4'1i' AAStheih vi
the ub-committee of the House judiciary
committee, presented to the full committee g
report on the memorial Of the Taxpayers
Convention Of South Carolina asking for re
lief against uisgovernment in the State. The
report, which is averse to the petition, was
adopted by majority of the judiciary com
mittee, and is as follows:
The committee say they can not resist the
conviction that the extraordinary condition OF
the people Of South Carolina is owing in a
great degree to the extraordinary events that
have occurred, and the great changes that
have been produced within the last few years
for which her present citizens or the majority
thereof are not properly responsible, and
which are beyond the reach and control Of
Congress.
The committee refer in this connection to
the late civil war, and to the organic changes
in the Constitution of the United States, not
for the purpose of re0pening the wounds caus'
ed by that war, but because it is the duty OF
statesmen who are invoked to apply remedy
to existing alleged wrongs to ascertain the ma
ture, extent, and origin of these wrongs.
The result of the war was the destruction
of slavery, and the loss to the Shareholders oi
that State of two hundred and fifty millions
of property invested in slaves. Then came
the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth
amendments to the Constitution, whereby the
emancpatcd slaves became clothed with all
the attributes of citizenship, or invested with
the right of suffrage. The freedmen now con-
stitute majority of the people there, and Po'
litica power has been transferred from their
former masters to those who, while in state
of slavery, were denied all participation in the
rights and privileges of American citizenship
Whatever evils may arise from placing polit
ical power in the hands of the freedmen, the
responsibility therefor rests not with them
but with the people Of the United States, they
having adopted the amendments, and they
alone having the power to change the Consti'
tuition.
In the judgment of the committee the real
grievances of the memorialsts and those they
represent relate to these changes in the Con-
stitution. The colored voters of South Caro-
lima are about 10000, and the white voters
about 10000. Congress has no constitutional
power to grant the relief which is asked by
the petitioners, in the opinion of the commit.
tee. Although this objection was presented
and fully discussed, the proposition was not
controverted that Congress could not inter
vene in this case unless the power to act was
conferred by some express grant In the Con-
stitution, or was necessary to carry into exc
cution some power that was conferred.
The committee say that they are not able
to discover the force Of the claim made by the
petitioners that they are suffering from the
Republican and odious oppression of a
system of taxation without representation, and
that Congress has no more right to interfere
to disturb the State government of South Car
olina, or to invade the rights Of her people,
than to interfere with the States of New York,
Pennsylvania, or Illinois.
The committee further answer the argu-
ments of the memorialists, and say they are
fully sensible of the delicacy and the impor-
tance of the matters presented for their con-
sideration. They would not withhold any
constitutional aid which can be extended to
the lives, liberties, and property Of any citi'
zens, but they are unwilling to usurp unau'
thorized authority to accomplish such results.
The committee say they have confidence in
the final success of the great changes that
have been wrought in favor of the African
race in this country, from the intelligence and
capacity exhibited by their representatives in
Congress and by those who appeared be.
fore the committee, they feel assured they can,
if they will, establish their right to the conf
dence of the country. 1t is hoped that, with
the advantages afforded now of education,
and with the eageness they display to avail
themselves of its benefits, they will be found
fully equal to the dignity and duties of their
newl ly acquired citizenship. 1t is believed
that by the mutual interchange of kind and
friendly intercourse, and by employment Of
all these means, which are found sufficient in
other States, existing evils in the administra'
ton of the affairs of South Carolina may be
rcmedied by the people themselves.
The committee, therefore, report resolu'
ton that the prayer ofthe memorialists be de-
MED, and the committee discharged from the
further consideration of the subject.