The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1876-10-12
WHO FREED THE SLAVES !
A TRENCHANT LETTER FRoM Ex-Gov.
PERRY no Gov. OHAaIBERUAIN.
GnEENy1LLE. S. G.. Sent. i5 1879

GREENvILLE, S. c.. Sept Is, 1875.
ia HIS Ercetleacy Goc. .Chamberiain.
SIR: With all due Difference to the
high Office which you fill in South Caro-
lima, shall reply to some of your state
ments in your campaign speeches as re-
ported in the newspapers. The colored
people have been told over and again by
their unprineipicd leaders that if they vo-
ted for the Democratic party, they would
be thrown back into slavery again, and
all their political rights taken from them.
! do not charge yea, sir, with having ut
tered so fragrant n iaIschood, btt you did
say at Lancaster, Marlboro and other
places that the Republican party set the
negroes free and that .hey ought to, in
gratitude for their freedom, stand by and
support that party. Now, sir, this asser-
ton, IN point of fact, is not true, and, as
a lawyer, you knew it was not true. The
State Convention of South Carolina rep
resenting all the shareholders of the State,
did almost unanimously, in 1865, abolish
slavery. and declare in their constitution
that it should never exist again in the
State. The Legislature of South Caroli-
ma soon afterwards adopted the amend
ment to the Federal Constitution leclar-
Ing :iiat slavery should never again exist
in the United States. In this way, and
i'll no other, was slavery abolished in
South Carolina.
You Know very well, sir, as aconstitu-
tional lawyer, that neither the President
by a proclamation nor Congress legisla-
tion had any right or authority under the
Federal Constitution to abolish slavery
in the States. No one would hnve dared
assume such proposition before the Su-
premc Court of the United States Hence
it was urged by the authorities ut Wash
ington, knowing that President Lin
coins proclamation emancipating the
slaves was mere brutcm fulinicn, TINT
the States themselves in conventions
should abolish slavery, and accept the
amendments to the Federal Constitution
declaring that it should never exist again
in the United States.
Now le. us analyze this great interest
and tender regard which you say the Re-
publican party have had and will have
for the colored people We.will find that
it exists solely and ever has in tho ad-
vancelnent Of their own interest and
their noted jealousy of the Southern
people. The African slave trade was in
troduced by them solely for gain, and
thousands of them made fortunes by it..
Vessels were fitted out in all the. ports
and sent to Africa to kidnap the poor ne
gro and sell him rs slave to the South
eE.. planters. " an t'itI uny kindness in
this to the colorcd people? They owned
slaves themselves and kept them till the
population of the Northern States became
SO dense that slave labor was no longer
profitable. Then they sent as many Of
their slaves South as they could and sold
them. Ultimately their own interest
prompted them to abolish slavery in
their several States. Was there any
tender regard for the colorcd race in all
u;s conduct? They saw that by the cul-
tiYation of rice and cotton in the South
eru States with slave labor these States
surpassed them in prosperity and wealth
and had control OF the Federal Govern.
ment. This excited their jealousy and
hatred, and under the pretcnce Of philan-
thropy and humanity they commenced
their abolition movement for the purpose
of consolidating the n-slaveholding
States and wrestling the Federal Govern,
ment from their hands. Was this kind
mess to the negro or selfish ambition and
hatred on the part of the Republicans
The Northern Democrats had no sympa-
thy i'll this movement, and denounced il
rs fiercly as we did at the South.
The colored people have been told a
the civil war was carried on for their
emancipaticI i that all the fratcrnal blood
shed in this contest, aud all tue lives that
were sacrificed, and all the thousands OF
millions Of dollars expended were to set
them free! When history informs us
that after the war had waged for length
of time, Congress declared almost unan-
imously that this bloody war was only to
restore the Union rs it was before the
war, with slavery as necessary conse-
guence Did this chow any regard foI
the poor slave? Were his interests OF
: his rights at all considered? They did
nothing for them. All they wanted, all
they were fighting for, was the restoration
Of the Union When the slaves of Mary.
land fled from their masters and went in
&c Gen. Butler's camp for protection. he
sent THEM back to their owners. How
much regard was there in this for the
freedom Of the siave7 It was thought al
that time that any interference with sla-
very would defeat the restoration Of the
Union for which; alone they were fight
: ing. They cared nothing for emancipa,
tiiOn. 1t was not then in their war pro-
gramme.
Again, when parcel Of colored troop;
rendered their service to the government
President Lincoln refused to receive
them He told IT, I'M that they belonged
to different race, and could not with
propriety be Incorporated into the army
This was showing great respect for the
colored people! The hope had not ther
: been given up of restoring the Union, a:
it was before the war, with slavery in full
blast. In the course of time, as the civil
, war progressed, the Republican party
saw that there was 10 hope of bringing
Q the Southern States back into the UnioT
except by conquest and subjugation
t Then, for the first time, their kindness
. and consideration for the negro began tt
, show ITSELF President Lincoln issued 4
: proclamation, declaring the slaves free
8 in all the States that did not lay dowT
J their arms and COME back into the I'm
ion. This proclamation showed that they
; cared nothing for the slave nor his inter
, est, but only as power to preserve tht
! Union, for which alone the war wa.
: commenced. They were willing for hin
D to continue a slave if this wonld end the
!, war. Giving up ALI hope of restoring
, the Union BY consent of tho Southern
r States, they began to think how best the!
1 could conquer and destroy the South
Q Then the idea camo into their minds o
o enlisting the negro in their army, ant
n by that means increase their forces ant
e greatly weaken the defence of the South
II ern States Was tht &c auy AoSe for tn
d colorcd people in putting them as the.
: did, in the front of the battle? The.
thought only Of their own interest am
their nvu succass throii0h the slaunhte