The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1874-03-06
(From the Charleston Courier.
A WARMING VOICE.
Good Advice From Black Man to the
Blacks of the State.

| AN AVAtv"AAsS1 A0NsN' AAO'A
r. Delany, an educated and intelli
gent black man, is of deep Interest
to the people of his race throughout
| the State:
! CHARLESTON, February 10, 1874
Hon. j. j. Wright, assistant Jus.
tice Supreme Court, South Carolina,
Columbia, s. g.:
MY DEAR SIR see by the recent
convention held by the young men
of Richland county, at which you
spoke and gave some excellent
counsel, that much interest and alarm
were manifested by them at the
influx of white immigration.
THIS IS BUT THE EARLY CURRENT
of that immigration of which | FREE
quently cautioned the people con-
corning in 1866 at Hilton Head, and
among the sea islands; and spoke OF
it at the great reconstruction meeting
at Eppipg Hall, (now United States
Court House,) Charleston, 1868, and
more particularly at the club meeting
Of Republicans at Beaufort the
same year, Il being then in the
United States army, stationed at
Hilton Head,) and subsequently at
other times when you we're present.
/ remember the club meeting par,
ticularly, as the suggestion made by
me met with determined opposition,
and one of the most prominent lea
ders of the party there at the time
arose in the meeting and advised the
people that there need be no fears of
any such thing ever taking place,
as it was simply impossible ever to
outnumber the colored people in
South Carolina and Mississippi,
where the blacks now had the prepon-
derance. You must remember this
at the Beaufort club meeting. |
spoke Of general amnesty, and this
too, was "pooh poohed!" | simply
desire to say that this tide Of immigra-
ton having now set in will go on to
completion--that is, it will not cease
till the whites form the basis of
RULING ELEMENT.
The object Of the "Granges" or
immigration movement in this State
as you very we'll know, is to neutra-
lie the black ruling element, by
reducing or exceeding its majority.
And my candid opinion is, that the
whites in the South generally, and
South Carolina in particular, prefer
as agricultural, mechanical, and la.
boring elements the blacks to the
whites and that this immigration
scheme never would have been
organized had they, FROM the past
and present aspect of things, not
been led to believe that we, the
blacks, were influenced, controlled
and led in our political actions with.
out principle or will of our own, and
that so long as we outnumbered them,
they would never get chance to
participate in the political affairs of
the State. This is my sincere con-
viction, after much observation and
intelligent inquiry.
1 u Ray {
BUTTHE THING is NOW DONE,
and it is a fixed fact that in five
wears, If not less time than this, the
black population Il include all people
of color) will be in the minority in
this State. What our race requires
is proper information to rightly
direct It. This has been too LONG
neglected, and should have been
given by those who led them in
politics. What | desire now TO say
is that it is your duty, as it is that Of
every intelligent man among US, who
aspires to leadership, loves bis race,
has the capacity, and is versed in
great principles Of political science,
and, consequently, the philosophy Of
popular succession, to warn his peo-
pie Of great approaching reality,
which, sooner or later, will verify
itsely in history. That, having
prospectively lost the popular pre-
ponderance and consequent certainty
Of representation in all the depart
ments Of government, local, State
and national, our only hope ane
chance Of its future security is in thu
principle Of
CUMULATIVE VOTING
which secures minority representa-
ton as well as majority. Let oul
Legislature be wise enough now
while it is in the power Of our race
to do so, to take such measures as Il
secure, by constitutional enactment
the right of minority representation
which, while it Immediately secures
| to the whites Of the State, irrespec'
tive Of party, pro rata representa-
ton, or representation in proportion
to numbers, it secures to the black
race the same ratio of representation
in counties where the whites have the
majority, and when they shall pre-
ponderate in population in the State,
] which they most assuredly will, at No
distant day.
THE WHITE RACE Is TRUE TO ITSELF,
| and IT is useless and doing injustice
to both races to conceal the fact, that
in giving liberty and equality Of