Year: 1867

pie Of honor patriotism, and inter-
cst, they could very easily vote it
down. In the country, remote from
the influence of vile, radical omis,
sarics, the freedmen know very lit
tie, at present, about the right of
suffrage, aud care less. They will
not g. out TO register and vote, and
many of them will vote with their
employers, But this will not be the
case long, In all probability, the
white vote of the State will be larg-
or ut the ensuing election than the
black vote. 1t will not be so in an
other election,


In the last State Convention, which
assomblco in Columbia in 1868,
there were gathered together all tho
ilustrious men of the State. IL was
body of men unsurpassed for their
wisdom, virtue and talents. Not
one of them can be member of the
proposed convention. They are all
excluded by the military bill, and
deprived even ofvoting for members
of tho convention. Tho proposed
asscmblagc will bo composed of ne
grocs, Northern men, traitors to tho
State, and n few gallant and honor
able young men, who may possibly
consent to become candidatesand be
elected, in some of the upper Dis
.tricts. 1t will be u motley, hctero-
geneous collection Of white, grey
and black spirits around the political
cauldron, into which is to be thrown
the honor, constitutional rights, re-
publican principles and departing
glory of South Carolina,


To the few young men in that con-
vontion, there will be something in
efiably mean in knowing that they
have obtained their seat there by
DISTINGUISHING and dishonoringthoso
whom they have loved and honored
through life. But this disgracoful
sacratice does not stop with the con-
vention. 1t must be continued in
the government of the State, and in
filling all the Offices in the State.-
Every Judge on the Bench, from the
venerable Chief Justice down to tho
youngest member of the Judiciary,
must throw aside his gown, and will
no longer be permitted to admins
ter justice in South Carolina. All
who have served in the Legislature
or filled the office Of Justice of the
Peace arc excluded from any partic-
ipation in the administration Of the
government In the place Of those
Judges, Governors, Legislators, and
distinguished men, who are disfran-
chiscd and declared unworthy of
holding office, the negroes are SUBJ
stituted


1t is not surprising that the Radi-
cal members Of Congress should
wish to exclude from the councils
of the nation all representatives
who are worthy of bcing regarded
as Southern men. They have so
long INDUCED in vulgar and malig-
nant abuse of the South that they
would naturally feel unpleasant in
having true Southern man listen
ing to their billingsgate. 1t is very
likely, too, that Mr.. Sumner and
others might not, from old associa-
'tions and rcmombrances, feel exact
ly safe in uttering their calumnics.
But that any honorable and spirited
Southern man should consent to
vote for such exclusion, is to me
most passing strange.


South Carolina, and the whole
South, with one voice, rejected in
dignantly last fall the Constitutions
al Amendment, which only excludes
from office the leading mon Of the
Southern States, and reduced our
representation in Congress. 1t did
not difranchise any one or establish
negro suffrage. But now both these
dishonoring and fatally ruinous
principles are established by the
military bill, and the people arc
ready to adopt them What has
produced this seeming cravcn and
covering spirit?


1t is urged that unless We vote
for II convention, establish negro
suffrage, and disfranchisc our prom
inent mon, eonfscation will be
adopted by Congress. A friend
said, the other day, that this ought
not to scare us, for we were all
broke and ruined pecuniarily, and
had nothing left TO coniiscate. lie
thought it was too late in the day
to dishonor ourselves in order to
save the remnant of our property.
l think if anyone will read the
speech of Horace Greeley, in Rich
mond, on confscation,- he will see,
as | have always contended, that
there is no danger on this subject
from. Congress, Mr.. Greeley says
that Thaddeus Stevens is, the only
prominent member of. Congress who
has ever suggested such a scheme,
and that he has never, with all his
ability and influence, been able to
persuade others TO adopt it. He
then goes on to show That such a
policy would not benefit the freed
men, whilst it would entail ruin and
starvation on the Southern States.
;. Butswe are told that if we do not
adopt the military bin and vote for
a convention something worse will
be imposed on the Southern States.


In my opinion nothing worse
than negro suffrage and negro gov
ernment can be forced upon Us. 1t
would he q thousand times prefera


bic to remain under military rule
and submit TO all the exactions Of
military authority. The officers
Of the army are generally honOra-
ble mon. men Of our own race, and
intelligent men, who have some
regard for the opinion Of the world
and their own reputation. They
are acting, too, under the direction
Of the President and his Cabinet,