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

the discharge of these duties utterly iguo-
rant, with the prejudices, the habits aud
the evils inculcated by a life of slavery
merely children Of larger growth, and,
like all children, full Of credulity. Itis
net to be wondered at, then that they were
easily misled by the wicked and designing
prostrate. 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 ill-will toward the blacks
Nor do they; and the time is rapidly ap-
preaching when tho colored people will find
their best friends among the thoughtful
and 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 iuto argument to establish
them.
From the remarks already made, my
answer to the question submitted is easily
anticipated. 1t would be almost impossible
to disfranchise tho 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 moro intelligent
he naturally allies himself with the more
conservative of the whites, for his observa-
tion 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 a 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 and long reflection, aud as an cvi.
deace 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 Il large audience of negroes
upon the changed relations between the
two races, and l gave to them the same ad-
vice that have given from that day 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 sus.
frage. 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
duced me to take this course /; it is sufficient
to say that fully realized that when man
had been made citizen of the United
States he could net be dcbarred the right
of voting on account of his color. Such
exclusion would be opposed to the entire
theory of Republican institutions, and l
foresaw that uni SIS the States, while they
had the right Of regulating the elective
franchise, prescribed the qualifications of
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
colored 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-
ncIy of the State governments, and the rea-
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 10 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 governmentand home
rule. have endeavored-and think not
without success-to teach him here how to
use the vote for his own good, and the
benefit of the political society in which he
lives and with which his future prosperity
is identified. The result has been shown
in tho last two general elections in this
State whore thnusonda oe paurooo h,va