Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1879-03-06

| ity being used to protect tho purity of the
ballot-box thoy arc the chosen Instruments to
insure its corrnpton. Thwarted. howosor.
in their malicious purposes by tho vigilance
of good citizens of the S,uth, they resort to
the still more dcspicnblo alternative Of pour
ing into tho ear ofan attentive administration
lengthy narrations of the criminal conduct Of
the whites. the suffering of the colorei people,
aud the numberless murders that are com-
mitted in the extended warfare that is wagcd
to prevent tho poor, the innocent colorcd
man from casting his ballot. and tho Repub-
lican party, Judging from what we have heard
to-day from tho gentleman frum Ohio, (Mr.
kcifcr.) rcitcratc these libcls and charge tho
South with crimes thnt mover havo occurred.
Sir, it is nm assumption on the part Of any
man to assert that the negroes III tho South
are not allowed all tho rights the law allows
them. Because they are poor, because they
are ignorant. md because thoy are an inferi-
or race. the disposition and purpose Of those
among whom thoir lot has been east is to treat
them kindly, and us f,r AZ practicable to Gle,
vato them in tho scale Of nations. Our cons
corn foc them is not manifested in this regard
by nero words, but. sir, wo challenge the
North IN ac,mparison Of our conduct toward
them and our treatment of them.
Sir need only instance my own State
which, in her present impoverished condition,
cvics nm annual tax Of over $40O 900 for free
schools, not one.tcn.h Of which is collected
from the negroes. md the whole of which is
d'sbursed by the ea'ao State and county
sciu" commissioners and township school
trustees in a per capHn ratio without regard
to race or color. The snperint cntlcnt Of free
schools in his recent annual report to tho Leg
iSlntnrc stated that ;lG.230 children were in
regular n'tcndance nu,n the free schools: and
of this number G2 III wore culprcd and ST..
llS were white. Thus. though tho ncgrncs
paid mcraly u nominal nnnonnt of tho school
tax they were the recipients OF moro than
half the entire levy. Sir. the Democratic
party, since they have driven that political
n"ndcscrIpt. the carpet 5ngger, from tho State,
have inGraitc6 II clause upon our State oonsti-
tuition impnsinSa levy annually of two mills
upon tho cniire property Of the State to raise
school fund. And in addition to this we
exact II poll tax upon the voting pppnIati ~,
every dollar of which is added to tho school
fund; and have shown how this aggregated
assessment is di>burscd.
No. Mr.. Chairman, it is more thnn nm. as
sumption, 1t isarroganco on the part of tho Re.
publican party to Interfere with the peace and
quiet Of tho South by attempting tocxcrcisc u
guardianship over the culorsd race. and thereby
fprcibly c4acing from them an attachment to
their political fcncts The Northern man
either il oroct Of Congress, knows nothing
nIont tho negro, and want no better proof
Of this than WAS given me by Il speech res
Gently read in the Record in which the hy>
polhcsia was advanced that in one or two Of
The Southern States the culorcd man was ul-
loved TO SIT upon the jury. Why, Mr.. Chair
man, this was u prixiiege long since alow Cd
them in Snu,hiCarolinn; ana not only so, sir,
but they have been allowed to sleep On III, Jury
also.
This House vii! pardon nc if illustrate
my meaning by rcciting 40 incident that
occurred in the Court House of my own coun
ty seat. 1t was during the July term of
the court a few years since when, before Il
Judge who once graced with ability the
ch,lr tNn, ypu now occupy, sir, was being
tlicn " h'GIO Hian lpl s>''"'i"S "n oA. ne
case one of prcniinr interest. The 40
cns"a SIS The f,rmr. p,4, .rrvant Of the
pi,rtcr whose daughter the Judge had r'any
years before married. And, sir, when
say hu was that persoGnge upon the panta-
tion | express an idea only appreciated by
those who were reared amii the institution
OF slavery. In this case it meant that he
was all the word implies, for he carried the
keys mud distributed tho patronage
Of tho plantation. lie was ven,
cradle in years and dignificd in appearance
Long acquaintance had created with the
judge iiial regard for old "Cosey," aud
he felt kccnly the trial of his old friend.
The jury was parti-colorcd. The examines
ton Of witnesses had consumed most of the
day. The jury was fatigued, and one old
cotoTad nlan lad nodded frequently and
occasionally fallen into profound sleep.
Aroused from one Of these spells, he saw
"Cosey"on the wiincss--sanG. Without
word, this sablc inror, with hat in hand.
walked out OF the jury box nnd gu, OF the
Court House unobservcd Ay the judge, who.
| with moiStencd eye and attentive ear, was
gathering from his old friends lip. IA recital
OF his participation in the crime. When
| advised by the sheriff Of the absence of the
juror the judge ordered him back aud ar.
raincd him for rcprimanding. IN no wso
abashed by the dignity of the Judge or tho
solcmnity of the occasion, the sable iuror,
with eyes SGT upun the Judge and finger
pointing at the witness, said uudihly, Boss,
no use to tell me anything more bout dat
niger; | know he stole dat beef"
Why, Mr. Chairman, co!ored men arc
| n al puY and Ia, -,