The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-12-04

induced me to advise the passage of a law ex-
empting the homestead, and one or moro slaves
from final process
On this subject, it is incumbent on me merely
to remark, that such an enactment would mea-
surably check the spirit of emigration, increase
the value of slave property, encourage all classes
of society to possess it, and insure to the unfor-
tunate, especially the widow and the orphan, q
u perpetual dwelling place, accompanied by the
means of making life supportable, if not COM
Portable. In order that it may not operate pre-
judically upon creditors, the law should be pros
pective in its operation.
The public safety demanding the prompt exc
cution OF the resolution of the Legislature
passed in lS48, to increase the number of small
arms to twelve thousand | have purchased largely
of muskets and rifles, and caused several thous-
and musket accoutrements to be manufactured,
principally in this town. The actual number
of small arms and other implements of war on
hand, at the time | entered into office, and since
put into the arsenals by my order, you will find
in Exhibit A.
At an early period of the present year, Wis.,
tied the most vulnerable situations in the State,
in order to provide for them the means of safety.
The result has been the erection of magazines
for fixed ammunition and depots for arms at
Georgetown and Beaufort AS Charleston is
not in the condition of defence which her exposed
position and commercial Importance entite her
to be placed, suggest the expediency of furn-
ishing her artillery companies with two add
tiOna batteries, and again request, that instruc-
tons be given to remove the magazine from its
present site to the Citadel square. Full inform
alton on the latter subject accompanies this CON-
munication.
The State being much in need Of field pieces,
| recommend that the Governor be authorized
to purchase, with view to be deposited in the
arsenals, six IL brass Founders, six pound
ers and six 4 Founders,
Having been subjected, during my official
term, to the Notifying necessity of procuring
military supplies from abroad, l trust that this
stigma on the enterprise and sagacty of the
State may shortly be blotted from its history
The establishment in our limits, of factories
for small arms and munitions, and founderies
for iron ordinance and bronze field pieces, is die
tated by sound policy and an enlightened fore
cast.
The Governor thus discusses the removal of
the free negro question:
Although the mind of our community has not
been prepared by public discussion, or perhaps
private interchange of views, on the subject, yet
it is my deliberate opinion, that the period has
arrived for the removal from the State, of every
free colored person, who is not the owner of
real estate, or slave property This population
is not only non-productive class, but it is, and
always has been, essentially corrupt and cor
rupting. Their longer residence among us, if
the warfare between the North and the South is
to continue, will eventually generate evils very
difficult of eradication Possessing, in mn I'M
limited degree, the right of locomotion, they can,
in person, bear intelligence in day. from one
section of the State to another, or, through the
Post Office, mature their own plans of vilainy,
as we'll as execute orders emanatng from foreign
sources. There is indeed, too much reason to
believe that, at this moment, they are made to
occupy the situation of spies in our camp, and to
disseminate through the entire body of our slave
population, the poison of characterization, pre-
pared in the great laboratory of Northern tanat-
icism.
In every community, where the institution of
slavery is interviewer with its social system, the
public tranquility and sattey demand the tolera-
ton of only two classes, white men and colored
slaves The existence of third class, with
many Of the most valuable rights of the former,
on Il level with the latter in rcpugnance TO labor,
and possessing all their mental traits of charac-
ter, unchecked by the restraints of plantation
discipline, the colored freeman lives degraded
and implied being, foe to public progress, and
his fellow creatures. History attests that, in
every scrvile war, or attempt at Instruction, in
our country, this unfortunate race have been
| the chief actors or instigators. The dark and
! bloody scenes in st. Domingo would have
Cured, even il the famous decree of the Ma
tonal Assembly Of France, of the 18th of May,
1891, had never become Il law.
In South Carolina, free negroes, mulattoes, and
meztizoes, possess all the rights of property and
protection to which the white Inhabitants are
entitled. They may purchase hold, and trans
NIT, by descent, real estate. In despite Of these
and other inestimable rights, which they undis-
turbedly enjoy, there are few Of the nine thou
sand in our limits who own property beyond Il
very limited account.
In view Of their early removal from the State
| recommend that the tax collectors be instructed
to ascertain the number of free negroes, mulat-
toes and mestizoes in the several districts and
J parishes, and how many of each who own real
estate or slave property, and that they report to
the legislature, at its next session.
Now we must beg more deliberate consd-
Grafton of this proposition The expulsion of
the free negroes from the South would cause
their determination, by the want, the vice and
crime which would overtake them in the North,
or in any region in which they would be iso-
lated This is a fate that nothing but the most
unqualified necessity for selfpreservation would
authorize the South to inhct upon them. And
does this necessity exist? The free negroes
that remain in the South are more attached to it
than the North, otherwise they would migrate.
The free negroes have no motive to interfere
with slavery, except that of mere sympathy for
persons of their own color-and the hope they
might entertain of becoming ruling race. We
don't think any serious sentiment of the kind
exists among them. But if it did, this sent-
ment would be much more apt to become active
if they were expelled to the North, irritated by
the expulsion and excited by Northern fanati-
cism, and suffering from Northern want, and they
could and would be employed by Northern fana-
tics, at high pay, to tamper with slaves more
than they can now.
We do not, however, desire to regard this