Year: 1866

the black man, in his ignorance and vice,
, over the virtuous and Intelligent white
man who comes here from foreign land,
| is hard 10 conceive


Already South Carolina has declared,
by Legislative enactment, that negroes shall
have all tie rights and privileges of white
men IN perso, and property. They may
sue and be cncd, pur hasc and dispose of
property, inheri. anu be tried, as white
/ sen are. They are subject to no greater
penalties or punishment for crime than
white men. In all the Southern States
the same enactment has been or will be
made. 1t would seem that this ought to
satisfy the Northern people of our pur.
pose to protect the negro and do ample
justice to him IN all Of his rights of person
and property.


The right to hold Office and vote is
political right, which belongs exclusively
to every community, and to be regulated
as to them shall seem proper, without in.
tcrierence, in any way, by any other pow
er. There is not civilized community
in the world where restrictions have not
been imposed on the righs of holding office,
voting and exercising polit cal power.
The Northern States have done So from
their earliest history up to the present day
To deprive the Southern States of the
same ri iyht, would be the grosscst injustic,
and tyranny And to consent to it, on
their part, voluntarily, would be self degre
dation and infamy.


The second section of the proposed con
stitutional amendment declares that repre-
sentation shall be in proportion to the mum
Der of voters in each State, and that il
any male inhabitants over the age OF
twenty one are excluded from voting for
any cause whatever, they shoil not be emu
merated in the basis Of representation
This makes it imperative on the Southern
States to give mn their representation ,ur
large portion of their population, or per
init the negroes to vote The injustice of
this constitutional provision to the South.
crn States must be manifest to every un-
prejudiced mnd.


In all of the Southern States, large
proportion of their population consists OF
negroes, who are utterly incapable OF hold
ing ohio, voting or exercising any politi
cal rights. At the sane time they exc udc,
by their labor, white persons, who would
otherwise take their places, occupy the
country and cultivate its lands In the
Northern States they have very few ne
grocs, and their exclusion from votln.
would not seriously affect their reprcsem
tation in Congress. The consequence would
he that one section Of the American Union,
with great wealth and large population,
would have a most inadequate influence il.
na,ional legislation.


The proposed amendment of the FEEDER
al Constitution forces the Southern States
to choose between giving up their equal
representation in Congress, or permitting
their negroes to vote. Between these al.
ternatves, no Southern State could hesitate
Tor moment to choose when the issue is
forced on them. Equal representation in
the national councils must be given up
You very prop rly say, that already the
Southern States are In Il minority in Doth
houses Of Congress, and full representa-
ton for their negroes would not give them
majority of the House OF Representatives


In Soulh Carolina we have largely over
hundred thousand more negroes than
white persons. IT universal suffrage pre-
vailed, the entire political power OF the
Safe would he in the hands of the negroes
j hey could elect to every office in the
State one OF their own caste, and send
Senators and Representatives to Congress
The same State of affairs, deplorabIe as it
would be, must likewise take place in
Mississippi. And IN all of the Southern
States there would be many counties in a
similar condition-negroes elected to the
Legislature and filling all county Offices.


TO suppose that any Southern State
would voluntarily adopt such provision
In the National Constitution, is to presume
that she is insensible to her own honor,
and reckless OF her own safety. il NAV
be said that Tennessee has already done
SO. Never was there Il greater mistake.
If the constitutional amcndm, mt had been
submitted to the people OF Tennessee, it
would have been rejected by nne.tenths
Of them. 1t was adopted only by minor
ity Of her Legislature, unfairly and cor
ruptly elected, and thoroughly debased and
degraded by Northern influence In all
communities there are unprincip!ed and
infamous men, who seek power and notori
city by sacrificing honor and the interests
OF their country. Unfortunately for Ten
ncssee, the scum and drcgs of society have
been thrown up by the horrible civil war
through which she has passed. Men have