Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1877-04-03

!
buual, Judge Black gave thas high court some
pretty hard raps.l He said: = haisaasia 80
~ had no ihtsntion of arguing the case, did
not know that tho objections were, and never
heard them. H IL would be the highest pre-
sumption in me to attempt to argue such
case a. this is, having no previous opportuni-
ty of considering it " hich would put me in a
eondirion better than the judges are in them
selves Besides that, l am. suppose, the
very last man in this whole nation that ought
to be1cafled upon to speak here and now.
Everybody has suffered more or less by that
which is past and gone, but am more than
ordinarily conscious 'that l have lost the Dig
nifty of an American citizen, and that this ma
ton, to which was proud to belong, has got
her foot in = trap from which she cannot ex-
tricate herself If it were possible that go
ing out on a forlorn hope would have the
least effect in making this wrong of less
long life, 4 would gladly go out, and / do
not know how I might feel If were called
upon to give my life for the safety of the
country; but / ought TO be willing, if / could
redeem this nation from the infsmy with
which she is clothed from head 70 foot. 70 lay
down my life and go to my grave in her cause
freely 81 II oweSer, don't Know that anything
can save US. i,".tD aN'i''O'
4 who are the qualified electors The con
stituton of South Carolina says plainly as
mortal man can spsak-no language can be
palmer than that of the requirement-thst
the qualified elec.or before be can pronounce
himself qualified, must be inscribed upon the
registry. Now that Legislature was under
the inHuence-I need not characterize what
influence it has been under. It is a part Of
the history of this country, and when her
shame and her misfortune come to be the
darkest page upon it. Refuse to make a con
| scription or a registry which will enable any
body to know who is clifton and who is not
None of them are qualified voters; therefore,
the election was made in the very teeth of the
law which requires registry, and these peo>
pie we're no more entitled to vote than il they
had imported shiploads of Africans, or Irish,
or Germans and sent them down there w;th>
out naturalization. That is hardly the worst
of it. The election itself, euancipated from
all law aud all'reasnn and justice, and possi-
hility of regulation. was no better than
common riot, in which the soldiers OF the
United States army stood at every poll IN
Charleston. and that whole country was, ,su-
perintended. by them, thing which has not
been seen in any free country for $50 years,
which ia a violation of the fundame tai prin-
c,pjes which was declared To be at the bottom
of every Republican form of government, as
in Luther aPt Borden, already quoted
aud government SO constituted, with the
foot of the militia .rampling down the civil
rights Of the people, can do nothing which
will affect the. rights of its citizens. IS as5E
We cannot. forsoorh, go behind The returns,
We can get behind them. but you won't let
US. That's the trouble? fLaughter.1 When
we ask you to 60 behind what you call the re
turns, which are sent up here by these ALL
H. b.>H. ~ Az.
have go,possessi"n of the Office of electors
in this way, we are NOT permitted to- Now,
that's the lIavs OF course. o. We may struggle
for justice aud, cry mercy. We may go down
op our knees and beg and WOO for some little
recognition of our rights as American eitsi
izeps, but we might well put up our prayers /
to Jupiter and Mars and, apollo. There sis J
not god IN Olympus that would not listento
US Nth more favor than We would be listened
TO by = Here the speaker. with uplifed
finger. besitsted. turned slowly AROUND, and
directing his gaze away from the members of
the commission to the Republican counsel1
the gentlemen on the ofher side fGreat
laughter, INSTANTLY checked by the presiding
Justice. 1t lis only TO them thar we can ap>
peal, because you, gentlemen, (turning again
the bench ,)uufort unately, cannot help us, 4
Oi course you are aff1 tcted, like all other peo
L
ment Now you have said that where, in
any case of State, the record was offered to
oe laid before your eyes. and wbereayou bad (
nothing TO do but hook tit, showing that
certain persons were not only not appointed
but rejected, and where certain other persons
were appointed and the appointing power had
recorded its act, that that was not the ques-
tion not who were duly appointed, but who
certain persons, who committed q most foul
crime by forging returns aud falsifyine the
| record. said were appointed. That was the
only question, you said. for you to consider
Now, then. why should we talk about it any
iurtber? What is the use of going behind
the returns to show irregulsrity if We cannot
show who were appointed So sacred is what
is called return (according TO law, mind
you) that you must pronounce vote by man
that the constitution Of the United States ex-
pressly declares shall not have the powers of
casting the vote good vote That is, il is
according to the constitution after IL Is done,
although it is known to be in the very teeth
Of the constitution. Now you see why we
are hopeless aud why We feel badly The
| question whether these men were authorized
to cast q vote, or not, or whether they are
bogus electors, is thing to be inquired into
always and everywhere. The verifying power
of the two houses of Congress ought always
to be brought into requisitiop for the purpose
OF seeing whether the thing brought here is
. forgery or . fraud on one hand. or whether
it's genuine or true certificate or not. Blu.
while we could not ask you and do not think
it would be at all proper TO ask that you
should go behind this certificate. will you just
please to go to ia? If you do you will find
that s is no certificate nc ALL or not such % 10
required They are required to vote by bal
lot and to be on oath before they vote Thst