Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1881-02-24

Federal authorities. Gen. Ruger was then
in command in South Cer6lina
and had be hung up his old boots in
tho Capitol aud written above. them she
who shall dare those boots displaoe, must
meet the United States face to face" tho
order would have been implicitly obeyed by
evory citizen of the State, and these old
boots would have been as potent in execut
ing the commands as ten times the number of
soldiers as wore then in the State. 1t was
not the power, sir, but the presence Of the
bayonet that drove Democratic voters from
tho polls during those six long years Of
anarchy and oppression. Sir, in 1873 l
myself told soldier at the polls, "I will
not vote under duress; the Constitution on.
titles me to. the, privilege Of, voting ,ns a
freeman, and there is no freedom under
that bayonet." For that reason, and for
that reason alone, sir, RETAINED from
voting, and SO did tho Democrats Of tho
State.
But the Republican party claim
that the negroes of the South must
of necessity vote the Republican ticket.
Possibly there was au ostensiblo reasoo for
this thought some years ago; but today there
exist potential causes for reduction of the
Republican negro vote at every election.
The intellectually Of tho raco is Improving,
more thrifty of them are acquiring property
end becoming Taxpayers aud find Demo
cratic parably less burdensome to
tho Taxpayers than a Republican govern
ment, and thousands of the more ignorant
ouaunq i!oq1 Gq poposoI aeeq eAuq p!u!, pue
employers from the oppression of their
Union leagues aud other jesuitioal organi-
zations of their race. [Laughter and
groans on the Republican sde.] Gentle
men may grunt and laugh sardonically at
this remark, but it is literally trus l have
myself accompanied colored men to the
ballet box who, with fear aud trembling,
asked and received protection whilo they
voted the Democratic ticket You men Of
tho North know nothing about the colorcd
race in the South. You are iguorant Of
their manners, customs, traits Of character,
and their wants; aud tho gentleman from
Michigan, thousand miles away from apy
portion of the South, and of all men most
ignorant of the people Of thut section, pre-
suming to read US lesson US to how We
should deal with the colored man!
1t the threats and warnings elected by
tho proceedings of this House from the
stalwart portion Of the Republican party
are to be credited, We may anticipate but q
few more free elections in tho South. AS a
Southern farmer have IL greater interest in
tho welfare of the colored people of the
South than all tho gentlemen on that eide
of this chamber, because upon thom and
their labor and niue are, and always cx-
pect to bo, dependent for their support
Bat sir, ident fed from birth with the
people of the South and actuated by tbc
instincts Of honesty aud cundor, I declare
it as my conviction that further and con.
tiDued Congressional interference with ou,
elections will result in arraying race asaius,
race to the dctriment of the negro Fo,
whatever fate may bofall the South, the
white people of that section, prompted by
the first law of pature, will never agoin quietly
submit to negro domination. Eight long
years subjection to an oppression unknown
to modern civilization is not to DO forgotten
in generation. 10 South Carolina, and |
belieye4 q similar .sen,imont pervades the
South. wo desire to see the negro elevated
But, cir, a consummatiou of that desire will
never DO attained by second degradation
of the white man. You may draw your
party lines on color; We wilIsmeet you there
and extinguish them. Our destiny is to
live in the South With the negro. and we ex
poet to work that destiny peacefully, diff.
cult es the problem may seem. Blu. if 20
li.iral Legislation denies US, or subverts our
rights upon the presumption that We Rave
in uuy wise ourtailed tho rights of the
colored man, just then aud there we will
have reached that time in the South antio-
ipated by the honorable gentleman from
Michigan, when he expressed fear lest
civil liberty would be destroyed unless cleo
tion results could be changed in that SEQ
ton. But if the American people will
only rcposo confidence in the Southern
whites and grant them tho opportunities
circumstances present, havo but little
doubt that this problem will be solved sat-
isfactorily to both races and ultimately result
in the elevation of the negro, aud the con-
tinued and, pray God, tho everlasting DO
litical quiet between the two sections on his
account.
Arfew.more words and I have douo. AL
Iusion has been frequently made during this
debate to the small Republican vote through.
out tho South in the recent Presidential
election, aud it he's beon reiterated that it
could not be accounted for upon Just grounds
For the frat time since have been a mem
ber Of Congress have L heard the South GEN.
sdred and South Carolina escape more than a
lions share Of tho abuse But it seems the re-.
cent vote 10 that State has given satsf ctiou
to those who, for the purpose of this debate,
haye bowiIdered themselves with arithmet.
ical calculations. Perhaps these gentlemen
are not aware that during the last cam.
psign, South Carolipa had no Republican