The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1881-03-16

port, widening the circle of intelli-
geuce and beginning to enjoy the
blessings that gather around the
homes Of the industrious poor They
deserve the generous encouragement
of all good men. So far as my au-
thority can lawfully extend, they
hall enjoy the full and equal protec-
ton oi the Constitution. The full
and free enjoyment of equal suffrage
is still in question, and frank state
nent of the issue may aid its solu-
ton.
FREEDOM OF THE BALLOT.
It is alleged that in many COM
tuunities negro citizens are practi-
cally denied the freedom Of the bal
lot. In so far as the truth of this al
legation is admitted, t is answered
that 10 many places, honest Local
government is impossible if the mass
IF uneducated negroes are allowed
10 vote. These are grave allegations.
so far as slle matter is true, 1t IS the
only palliation that can be offered
for opposing the freedom of the bal
lot. Bad local government IS GER
.ainIv a great evil which ought to be
prevented, but to violate the free
dom and sanctity Of the suffrage IS
more than evil. 1t is crime which,
if persisted in, will destroy the gov
ernment itself. Suicide is not a
remedy. If in other lands it be high
treason to compass the death OF
the King, it should be counted no
less crime here to strangle our
sovereign power and stitie its voice.
THE DANGER AND TIE REMEDY.
1t has been said that unsettled
questions have no pity for the repose
Of nations. It should be said with
the utmost emphasis that this ques-
ton of suffrage will never give re-
pose or safety to the States or TO the
Nation until each, within its own
jurisdiction, makes and keeps the
ballot tree and pure by the strong
sanction of law; but the danger
which arises from ignorance III vo-
ter cannot be denied. 1t covers q
field far wider than that Of negro
suffrage and the present condition
of that race. It is the danger that
turks and hides in the sources and
fountains Of power i'll every State.
We have no standard by which 10
measure the disaster that may be
brought upon Us by ignorance and
vice in the citizens when joined to
corruption and fraud in the suffrage.
The voters of the Union who make
and uumake constitutions, and upon
whose will hang the destinies Of our
government, can transmit their st!-a
preme authority to no successors save
the coming generation Of voters who
are the sole heirs of sovereign power.
If that generation comes TO its IN
heritance. blinded by ignorance and
corrupted by vice, the fall Of the Re-
public will be certain and remedies.
The census has already sounded the
alarm in the appalling figures which
mark how dangerously high the tide,
of illiteracy has risen among our vo-
tiers and their children. To the
South this question is Of supreme I'M
portance, but the responsibility for
The existence of slavery did not rest
upon the South alone. The. Nation
itself is responsible for the extension
Of the Suffrage, and IS under special
| obligations to aid in removing the
illiteracy which it has added to the
voting population. For North and
South alike there is but one remedy.
All the constitutional power of the
Nation and of the States, and all the
volunteer forces of the people should
be summoned to meet this danger By
the saving influence ofnniversal edu-
cation. 1t is the high privilege and
sacred duty Of those now living to
educate their successors and fit them
by intelligence and virtue for the i'll
heritance which awaits them. In
this beneficent work sections and
races should be forgotten and par
tisanship should be unknown. Let
oar people find a new meaning in
| the Divine oracle which declares
| that "a little child shall lead the.n;"
for our little children will soon con-
troll the destinies of the republic.
+ FINAL RECONCILIATION.
| M Cou,atTynae7a We do not now
differ In our Judgment concerning
tie controversies OF past generations,
and fifty years hence our children
will not be divided in their opinions
concerning our controversy. They
will surely bless their fathers and
their fathers God that the Union
was preserved, that slavery was over
| thrown, and that both races were
| made equal before the law. We may
hasten or IRE mag 7etard. 5,lt s0e c>n-
not prevezat EasGL reconciliation. Is it
not possible for Us now to make a
truce with Time by anticipating Or
accepting its inevitable verdict ? En-
lerprises of the highest Importance
to our moral and material Hell-being
invite us, and offer ample scope for
the employment OF our best powers.
Let our people, leaving behind them
! the battle fields OF dead issues, move
forward. and in the strength of fl;ber-
" and a restored Union with grand
er victories Of peace.
THE CURRENCY AND TIE DEBT.
The prosperity which now pre-
walls IS without q parallel in our his
! tory. Fruitful! seasons have done
much to secnre it: but they have
not done all. The preservation Of
| public credit and the resumption Of
specie payments so successfully al
| tanned by the administration of my
predecessors have enabled our peo-
pie TO secure the blessings which
the seasons brought. By the expe-
rieuce OF co;naercial nations IN all
ages it has been found that gold and
silver afford the only safe founda-
ton for 2 monetary system. Confu-
sion has recently been created by
variations in the relative value Of