University of South Carolina Libraries
COLUMBIA. ., ? . :-.-.j1 f, , ,., , ., i-.--f! Saturday Morning, March 28, 186? It would seam that the little Stat of Florida has become so intense!; . loyal, that, emulating the exampl of Rhode Island, it has framed tw< ' Constitutions instead of ono, ns re quirod by Congress. Tho Conven Mon called to frame n Constitu? ioi eoon became twain, and organizer under different officers, and in sepa rato places, to do the -work ordorot by Congress. We were led to think however, that General Meade, wh( mado a special visit to the sceno o this disorder, had reconoiled tho bel ligerents and brought order out ol the confusion. Such was the tenoi of the information that reached tu somo time since. But it tarns out that two Constitutions were framed, as we learn from the New York Tri? bune's Washington correspondent, who says: "The Reconstruction Committee bad under consideration the Florida Constitutions. It appears that two sots of delegates ave nero with two Constitutions, both claiming to be genuine. They were heard before the Committee, tho purpose being to Sit the Committee to decide which is e genuine dooument. No decision hos been reached." It does not appear from tho above, nor from anything that wo havo seen elsewhere, that tho people of Florida have decided which of these docu? ments is "genuine." That is left to the Reconstruction Committee. Tho Lynohburg Virginian suggests that they take both and "dovetail" thom tho boat they can, and then declare that Florida has a Government * re? publican in form," no matter how that carno about. A State that is loyal enough to make two Republi? can Constitutions, when Congress would bo satisfied with one, ought not longer to bo kept out of tho Union. State Convention. Tho Democratic Club of Richland District respectfully invite a conven? tion of delegates from all tho Dis? tricts of the State, to bo held at Gregg's Hall, in this city, on Thurs? day, tho 2d of April next, at hnlf-pnst 7 o'clock P. M. A full representation is earnestly dosired. J. P. THOMAS, F. w. MCMASTER, EDWARD HOPE, PRESLEY BROWN, W. C. SWAFFIELD, Contrnl Committee. Tho gentlemen elected vice-Presi? dents of the Democratic Club of Richland District, aro requested to report to the President of the club, in Columbia, at their earliest conve? nience. R.O'NEALE, Ja., Sec'y. - The division of Texas into threo States is a measure said to bo deter? mined upon in Congress. This, the New York Times says, will bo dono in direct opposition to tho will and wishes of tho peoplo of that Stato, and cannot but bo regarded as among tho most oppressive and revolution? ary measures of which tho prcsont radical caucus, called Congress, has yet been guilty. Although covering a vast era, Texas does not possess the proportionate population to justify such a division. Moreover, its inte? rests and tho interests of its peoplo will snffor a rUrnnt severe injury byamoasuro, tho sole object of which is to add to tho representation of tho radical party in Congress. POOR Or,D FOOLS.-Forney is la? menting over a Pennsylvania appro? priation for pensions to the soldiers of 1812. Tho Now York Repress an? swers with bittor irony: "Why pay the old rascals anything? What did thoy fight for? Radicalism and tho colored individual? No, 6?r. Na? tional iudopondenco and tho rights of white citizons! Let them starve, tho old fools!" The Relations between tb? Whit? ?nd Black Maa Considered. ??j The foriowirig correspondence will bo road with general interest and at? tention. . Wholeaomo truths an ri cor? rect ideas are conveyed in plaiu aud unambiguous language, which cannot fail to be understood by the most il? literate: COLUMBIA, S. C., March 25, 1868. Mr. T. J. Robertson-Sui: In thc address you made last eveniug to tho colorod seronaders, nm I correct in affirming that you said, in effect, ns follows: That your hearers must mark every man who goes up to atteud the Democratic meeting called for Thurs? day next; that snch men were no friends of theirs; that if they dared, they would enslave tho colored mau ngain to-morrow; that they conceded 7\o rights wh?tever to the black man. Permit me to soy that I, a private citizen, address myself to you as one who is now in public life, and that I desire to be satisfied that I have not misrepresented your remarks. My object is, further, if you assent to the accuracy of my statement, to call in question, bofore the popular tribunal, the tendency and correctness of your allegation and briefly to discuss tho point at issue. Yours respectfully, J. P. THOMAS. COLUMBIA, S. C., March 25,18G8. Capt. J. P. Tliomas-Sm: You have called on me, formally, to know what I said in a short address to the colored men who serenaded me last night, and desire me to answer through tho same channel. My reply is: That I do not remem? ber the precise words that I used, but they were to this effect: That the Democrats wore tho political enemies of the colored man, and the party to bo organized hero on Thursday noxt (2Gth) would deprive them of their political rights, if they could do so, on to-morrow; which would be worse than slavery. Tho ballot being their only protection, &c. I hope tho abovo explanation will satisfy you on the points alluded to in your inquiry. I am, sir, very re? spectfully, yours, ?fcc, T. J. ROBERTSON". COLUMBIA, S. C., March 27, 18G8. Afr. T. J. Robertson-Sm: I have received your note in reply to tho inquiry I felt it my duty to make. I regret to say, that tho character of your response constrains me to pur suo the subject. Inasmuch as you have not disavowed the language im? puted to you in your address, and inasmuch, further, as I have every reason to assume that I have not mis? represented your remarks, I feel that I may, with justice and propriety, concludo that you did speak, as al? leged, to the colored men who called you out. Your remarks, as alluded to in my first communication, embraced, first, a suggestion to the colored men-to wit: to mark every man who might go up to unite in the Democratic meeting of Thursday, the 26th inst. ; and, secondly, three separate allega? tions, viz: that such men were no friends of theirs-that they would enslave the colored mun again to? morrow, if they dared-and that they conceded no rights whatever to the black man. I propose to consider theso points made by you in their order. And first allow me to ask, what is your meaning, when you advise the colored man to mark the white citi? zen who quietly goes to exercise a right of which even radical legisla? tion has not yet sought to deprive him? Do you mean to suggest to tho negro thoughts of vengeance and schemes of injury? You understand tho force of words. Have you reflect? ed upon tho construction whieh ignorant men might placo upon your language? Have you thought what ovil you may bc working, when thus you throw ambiguous words among tho popnlace? But, apart from these considerations, let me remind you how ofton it is that an evil invontion returns to plague the inventors. Hicnsieui GuiSlotin ieii Dy tho guillo? tine, and many au engineer has beon hoisted by his own petard. It would not tako long for the black man to discover what a poor adviser you aro on the point of marking or spoiling men who. in broad daylight, under? take to exerciso a freeman's right. Supposo that the white men who havo work aud givo aim work-sup? pose that tho employers of tho coun? try-wero to mark overy colorod man who unites with tho loaguo or tho radicnl faction-would not this ay fi? tem of proscription operate most injuriously upon those whoso friend mu in i iiiii i i 11 ir Jiin '.] abd champion you profess to be? Do iou not propose to put in the negro's anet ta two-edged sword-a' sharp too], which is to. wound tho riser? Tho fact is, yonr arl vf-A i? Sr&^igfc* witti evil, and evil only, to the black man. You place him in direct hos? tility to the whites of the State; yon invite him to a fatal antagonism, and thus you paye tho way to his injury nnd ruin. With respect, now, to your first allegation, that the men who might rally under the Democratic banner were no friends of theirs, let me remark that this is ft subject upon which there may bp an honest differ? ence of opinion. I believe that such men ate the best friends of the negro. It is true, that they may not have the same uso lor the negro that your party has; it is true, they may not make such magnificent promises may not iudulge them in such inti? mate association. Bot if geuuine friendship consists iu telling its ob? ject the unvarnished truth, iu provid? ing for its substantial and ultimate good, then must the colored mau look for his friends outside of the party which, with false lights, would load him to his doom. But may I not with great propriety, inquire what right you have to doubt the friendly spirit with which I, and others of your fellow-ex-slavoholders, are dis? posed to deal trith those lately our slaves? Do you feel that you have superior claims over us because of more humane aud generous treat? ment of these people when wo held the power over them? I will not say that you were a worse master than A, B or 0, but I will say that there is many a christian gentleman in this community, who was ns good and generous a master as yourself, who went up to the Democratic meeting, and has never considered it his duty to join the party to which you have attached your political fortunes, and outside of whose mottled ranks you would make tho colored man believe he has no friends. Not eveu iu the persou of some generous man in whoso family he was reared and cared for, and whose memory may, to tho freedman, bo associated with the kindest recollections of a service that was never too exacting, and of a kindness which in sickness or health never varied. But, sir, you have gono further-you hn?e permitted yourself, in tho tinny, I hope, of an impromptu speech, to make the strong and irritating declaration that these men-alluding to the Demo? cratic citizens of this community would enslave the colored men again to-morrow if they dared. Give me leave to say th ' oeoycely know how to reply to this irge. But imitat? ing the mildnef ' speech which led Paul to say, "1 ?un not mad, most noble Pestos, but speak forth the words of truth, of soberness," I would remark that your statement is entirely unfounded, so far, at least, as it regards tho great body of the Southern people. They desire no re-establishment c?f slavery. Tho Democratic party advocate no such proposition. In tho Providence of God, African slavery wns established and extended in this land. It did much for the black man. It brought him from the wilds aud barbarism of Africa, and under its auspices he was improved morally, intellectually and physically. It placed him in contact with tho whito race; aud, as time rolled on, tho colored people ol the Southern States becaino the most highly inproved portion of the Afri? can race in the world. But amid the changes wrought in the great conflict between the States, this institution of slavery was abolished; the people of tho Southern States iu convention assembled, and theso conventions composed of tho ablest and truest men of our section-of men who hud been prominent in the cabinet and in the field-giving their assent thereto. To say now that any body of naen, or any party at the South, desires to re-euslavo tho negro, is a gratuitous assumption, unsupported by the shadow of evidence. But you say, also, to these men, who am aconotomed, I presume, to attach weight to your words, that the mon you ave cautioning them to view with so jealous au eye, aro opposed to conceding them any rights whatever. This you will perceivo, sir, is a comprehensivo statement. But whero is tho autho? rity npon which to baso this sweeping allegation? Let mo suggest, that re? marks like these do but mislead tho colored man and eugonder strife. If I am not mistaken, the men most ex? tremo at tho South and North at least advocate security to tho colored mau in life, liberty and property-that he should be "encouraged and protected by.ego?l laws.". Bot there are many m?n, good and true Southern men, now ranged nuder the Democrntio "flag in th?- political contest of the cczctry, ?hu are prepared to go ! further. They accept tho situation as they find it. Tbev find iii tho Southern States 4,000,000 Of blaok meu-free and having equal rights. What, now, is the proper course to adopt towards these people? It is to seek to iuiprovo and elevate them, to use their lubor in building up our waste and burnt places-to divert them from the wild vagaries which they have conceived-to deal with them fairly and generously--aud to con? cede to them, on the basis of merit, whatever rights they may be eutitled to, under a high aud enlightened view of what humanity may suggest. Weare in the South, so far as numbers are concerned, as two to one; we have the prestige of race-the advantages of brains nnd wealth. We eau nfford to be geuerous and maguanimons to these people. But, ou the other hand, it is proper to say, that if, re? jecting our proffers ?ud arraying themselves against the whites, they persist in a policy of proscription aud antagonism, upon them and their blind leaders will rest the ro spousibility. The white people of the country are disposed to deal fairly with the colored man-to give him all the rights that he can reason? ably expect-to acknowledge his fidelity in the past. But tho colored man must remember that he can never govern in the South-can never pass fundamental laws for tho go? vernment of tl- > white man. In very few of the Southern States, he may J obtain political supremacy for a j time; but it cannot last. It will pass away with the breath of that party whoso outrageous course threatens tho country, North and South, with a mutilated Constitution and an era of anarchy and strife. The colored man has now to select his future; and feeling a genuine sympathy for tho race, I say, in all sincerity, that I trust he may choose wisely. Let him seok to soar to mountain heights of power and place, and he falls, sooner or later, a stricken bird, to the ground. But let him resume his trust iii tho Southern people, in whose midst Providence has cast his lot; let him confine his political aspirations to the plano of reason and sense and decency, and he may live on, a valuable element in our midst, add to the material wealth of this section, and promote the har? mony of the whole country. I have, sir, thus discharged a duty which I thought good citizenship demanded at my hands. I am no politician, and have no aspirations in that direction. I seek not the suffrages of either white or blade. But I have deemed it my duty, as due to truth and those whose views aro identical with mine, in this manner, thus coolly and fairly to correct your misrepresentations, and to suggest the tendency of your teachings. Yours, respectfully, J. P. THOMAS. i.*_ .._ - . . . . -j ?jooal .Ttems. The Ladies'Industrial Association acknowledge, with mauy thanks, the kindness of Messrs. Jackson, Kinnrd, Shiver, Dial, Lowrance and Brown, in assisting them to fit up their work? room. POSTPONED.-The performance an? nounced for last night, by the South? ern Dramatics, was unavoidably post? poned until Wednesday evening next, the 1st of April. The congregation of Christchurch is informed that during the absence of Rev. Mr. Pringlo from Columbia, the services nt the Theological Semi? nary Chapel are discontinued. Osv. PAKE.-Wo aro authorized to state that delegatesto tho Democratic State Convention, i;i Columbia, io be held on the 2d of April, will bo passed over the railroads, to aud fro, for one fare. Our country exchanges will please extend this notice. By Special Orders No. f>0, from Gen. Canby, dated Headquarters, March 23, 1808, Judge A. P. Aldrich uns been removed from his position ns Judge, and Tephamiah Platt ap? pointed to supersede him. Wo have no information whatever in regard to Mr. Platt-cannot ovon inform our renders from what Stato he hails. mmm. -J their apparatus to their new house,**^ I . .yesterday. afternoon, and imbibed a modicum ot lager on tho oec\vj^-^ The now house is convenient i: r\ o^ respect, aud is an ornament to tho city. We tender our hearty congra? tulations to our old confrere-, uni hope that they may continue "to pros ! Per- v " . ? ! A SOUTHERN, LlTEUABY JpUI.NAL - We have received from tho propri< - i tors, Jehu Y. Slater ? Co., Bolti J more, Md., several numbers of the SoufJicrn Home Journal-a weekly [ literary newspaper. The matter i. interesting, and is furnished by suck authoi-3 as Major Joan Eaten Cooke and Edward A. Pollard, of Virginia : Rev. E. J. Stearns, of Maryland. ' Prof. S. DeYere; W. Gilmore Sims. I Paul Hayuo and J. Wood Davidson. of South Caroliua; Jehu R. Thomp- fl j sou; Mrs. Fanny Downing, of North I Carolina; T. Cooper DeLeou, of Maryland, and others. The papers ave on file in the Plurni.c office for inspection. The subscription price is S3 per annum. PETERSON'S "DICKENS FOP. TUE MILLION."-Messrs. Duffie & Chap man have furnished us with copies of j two more of the above-"Christmas I Stories" and "Sketches by Box." These sketches, illustrative of every? day life and every-day people, ave now offered to the public at the very ; low price of twenty-five cents. There are eight of these sketches, boir d in a neat paper-covered volume, v ;h forms the twelfth book of "Peter? son's cheap edition for the million of Charles Dickens'works." Tho Christ? mas Stories contain five sketches including the "Pictures from Italy." Price of each book twenty-five ceuts. This set is being rapidly issued, and. when completed, will be sold at il. making the cheapest edition of Dick? ens' works ever issued in the work:. We would earnestly call attention to tho tableau exhibition announced for the benefit of the Memorial As? sociation. This association, be it remembered, does not usk for funds to dec?rale tho graves of our soldiers ? Alas! it is notfor us to roar the monv. mental jiilo or costly mansoleum Over [ the last resting-place of our heme-: but the ladies into whose keeping their sacred dust has been committed, only beg for money enough to placo a simple stone at the bend of cae1., soldier's grave. Can this be denied them? To those who saw the ta? bleaux on Tuosday evening, we neel only say that the programme will be materially diversified by the intro? duction of new tableaux; und those who did not, we would advise that they should not lose this opportunity of seeing classic pictures arranged with tho highest artistic skill. Wc confidently expect to see a large audience, as wo feel it almost uuue-> ? cessary to urgo the claims of ti^ ? Memorial Association on the people j of Columbia, feeling so sure thal each one will gladly claim thc privi? lege of paying this tribute to the j memory of those who gave np their i lives for us and ours. MAIL ARUANOEMENT.S.-The poa! office open during the week from Sl? a. m. to 0 p. m. On Sundays, from 1)4 to 2}.< p. m. Tho Charleston t>,2o. Western mail are open for delivery at 2 p. m.. and close ut 0 a. m. Northern-Open for delivery a: IO1., n. m., closes at 1 p. in. Oreen ville-Open ?or delivery 5 d. io., closes at 8 p. m. NEW AOVE.tiisKi?K.vr-?.-ACieii..< .. I <. edt > the following advertisenn-i.!-. i-'ic? fished tliis morning for ti.? fn.-i nun J. O. Mathewson A Co-Corn. Cern 'J'. H. Wado-Tax Notice. J. A T. It. ARUOW-Guano. Olney & Co-Limo. Mooting Tvnograpbical Union. H. A- \\. C.'Swaftiold-Spring Clothing. I. Sulzbachcr-Cloche, Ac. R. O. Sams-School Notice. M. W. Rvthcwood- -Auction Sale.