The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1879-03-07

servitude, were suddenly called to exercise
the high duties of freemen. They came 10
the discharge of these duties utterly igno-
rant, with the prcjudices, the habits aud
the evils inculcated by life Of slavery
merely children Of larger growth, and,
like all children, full Of credulity. It is
net to be wondered at, then that they were
easily misled by the wicked and designing
men who focked to the South when she was
PROSTATE. But, in spite of the OWL advice
they have so constantly received, they have,
on the whole, behaved better than any other
people similarly situated would have done,
and the whites of the South have no reason
to cherish any iIl.will toward the blacks
Nor do they; and the time is rapidly ap-
preaching WHEN the colored people will find
their best friends among the thoughtful
aud consideratc whites Of the South-a
class by no means small at present and
which is growing larger and stronger every
hour. But this depression leads me from
the discussion of the question under con-
sideration, aud my purpose, as declared at
the outset, was only to state my opinions,
not to enter into argument to establish
them.
From the remarks already made, my
answer to the question submitted is easily
anticipated. 1t would be almost impossible
to disrranchise the negro, and if possible, it
would not be carried into effect. The South
does no desire to see this done, and with
out her aid it can never be accomplished
The negro contributes not only to the
wealth of the South, but to her political
power, and she is indisposed to deprive
herself Of any Of her advantages.
As the negro becomes more intelligent
he naturally allies himself with the more
conservative of the whites, for his observa-
ton aud experience both show him that his
interests are identified with those OF the
white race here.
This is the inevitable tendency Of things
as they now stand at the South, and no
extraneous pressure can change q result
which is as sure and fixed as any other nat.
ural law.
The opinions which are announced above
have not been hastily formed or only recent
ly entertained. They are the result of very
earnest aud long reflection, and as an cvi.
dcacc of this it may not be improper, even
at the risk of appearing to touch too closely
on personal matters, to state The position
that | have occupied in regard to these
questions since the close of the war. In
1865, even before had received my parole,
| spoke, and was the first man at the South
who did so, to a large audience Of negroes
upon the changed relations between the
two races, and gave to them the same ad-
vice that have given from that dry to this.
In 1867, in the city of Columbia, at the
earnest invitation of the colored people
themselves, spoke to them again, and
upon that occasion advocated qualified suE.
fragc. 1t must be borne in mind that at
the time this was done some of the most
prominent leaders Of the Republican party
had taken decided ground against giving
the right of suffrage to the negro. 1t is
unnecessary to give all the reasons that in
duccd me to take this course it is sufficient
to say that fully realized that when man
had been made citizen Of the United
Statcs he could net be dcharred the right
of voting on account of his color. Such
exclusion would be opposed to the entire
theory of Republican institutions, and |
forc$aw that, uni SIS the States, while they
had the right of regulating the elective
their voters, the national government would
intervene, and we should have universal
suffrage forced upon us.
My object, then, was, by fixing an cdu--
cational qualification as a prerequisite for
voting, to allow the most intelligent of the
coored people to vote at once, and this
would have been an induccment to the
rest Of the race to ondcavor to quail
ity themselves for the attainment and
exercise of this privilege by securing
the necessary education. The admission
of the limited number who would thus
have been allowed to vote at first would
have produced no confusion IN the machi-
merry of the State governments, and the rela-
tionS between the two races would have been
friendly and harmonious but the course
that | recommended was not adopted, and
we of the South have been subjected TO all
the humiliation and crime brought about
by reconstruction. AS the negro is now
acquiring education and property, he is
becoming moro conservative, and naturally
desires to assist in the establishment and
maintenance of good government and home
rule. | have endeavorcd-and [ think not
without successful teach him here how to
use the vote for his own good, and the