Months previous to the time that the recent Constitutional Convention
met, Conservatives and Reformers, announced publicly their intention to
disfranchise the Negro in South Carolina.
For this pamphlet such portions of the new Constitution have been
selected as affect the colored people, together with the speeches made
thereon by my father Robert Smalls; several editorials from leading
newspapers; also a few of many letters received by him from all parts
of the country congratulating him for the manly spirit displayed by him
and the other colored delegates, whenever the rights of their race were
in jeopardy.
Indeed, it may have been an object lesson, planned by the All-wise God,
to teach the haughty, boastful sons of Carolina that there are Negroes
capable and amply qualified in every respect to protect themselves
whenever it becomes necessary to do so; that those few representatives
of the race were but a _very small_ part of the rising host that time
and education are bringing forward day by day in spite of lynching,
caste prejudice or any methods used against them.
No stenographers were employed by the Convention, the speeches were not
written, and are therefore not given in full, but just as they were
published in the papers of the State.