The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1853-1861, 1854-12-05
MESSAGE NO. I.
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT.
Co1rMRr.. Nov. %. 1854.
- COLUMBIA, Nov. %, 1854.
Gentlemen Of the Senate

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COLUMBIA, Nov. %, 1854.
Gentlemen of the Senate -
and House of Representatives:
Under the uniform action Of our system o
government, without strife or confusion, new
members to the General Assembly have beer
chosen, to represent the latest views of the peo
Fpfe of this Commonwealth, and otherwise tt
provide for their happiness and welfare. AL
though this event is of regular recurrence, IL il
nevertheless, one full of interest both to yor
and your constituents ~
In country like this, so rapidly growing
and developing each day new events and fresh
resources, the legislative mind may well. be
anxious, lest, by the omission Of some act
the neglect of some duty--the progressive
strides Of the State towards wealth and power
may, for space, be retarded. A strong ineli-
nation to progress is characteristic of the
race which you in part represent, and is, per.
haps, the secret of Anglo. .Amerieaqsuccess and
ascendancy. Its spirit prevails ovef the cont
nent, and is continually hurrying us into new
positions of theory and of govHnment. ItPer.
vades, to greater or less extent, every State
in the American" Union, and is incorporated
into its laws, religion, industry, and politics. -
But, on the other hand, all well regulated un.
derstandings will regard, with something like
anxiety, that restless desire for change in fun
damental principles ofgovernment, nd.strong
inclination to specific legislation, as encourag.
ing, to an undue extent,the tendencies ofpopu-
lar Institutions to run into extremes. OF opinion
and action, the end Of which is license without
liberty, and law without the assurance of order.
Whilst the State for which you legislate can
scarcely be said to have kept pace with others
in this rapid march of improvement, it may be
claimed for it that it has more surely attained
those qualities Of government which are most
likely to oinsure the greatest amount of alhap:
piness to the citizen, maintained higher de-
gree of social order, preserved amore even
balance of power among the coordinate branch
es of government, and been less controlled by
cupidity and ambition-those certain forerun-
ners of national degeneracy. Well, then, may
you take pridein your State. The feeling is
always admissible, but especially so when you
live under g Constitution and laws conceived
in justice and administered with purity; under
Legislature independent in its views, and ca
pable and rapid in the discharge of its fanc.
tions; under Executives content with their linn
tied prerogatives; under a religion without he.
terodoxies Of these present days; and under q
sound, just, and high toned public sentiment.
l cannot, therefore, recommend to you, gentle
men, too strongly to watch over, with solici
tude, this noble political organization, and to
preserve it from those changes and innovations
which tend to weaken, and eventually to de-
stroy, the happy equilibrium which, exists; and
l fervently hope that, far down in the vista Of
time. when, all memorials Of us are lost except
those which may remain among its archives, a
gracious Providence will preserve this State
Government, in all its usefulness and beauty,
to remote posterity, fresh and glorious in Its
immortal youth.
The year, which is now nearly past, has been
one of great calamity throughout the world
War and pestilence, disasters on the ocean,
commercial anxieties and distress, with gales
and drought materially shortening the grain and
other crops, are some of the melancholy Incl.
dents which have marked it. Nor have the
people of this State escaped the common mis-.
fortunes. The metropolis, and some of the
lesser towns and portions of the country, have
been visited by fatal fever, and other diseas'
es almost as destructive to life, which for a
time have arrested all business, destroyed a
number of valuable lives, and invested their
communities with profound gloom. But few
families are without some esorrowful event 10
call to their recollection the past summer as a
period Of severe trial and mourning. Still we
have abundant cause for gratitude to God, for
arresting the ravages of disease, and for restor-
ing both the city and country to their usual
health,
The aggregate income Of the St.te from ag
ricultura sources for the present year are likely
to be materially diminished. The yield OF
short cotton to the planters, Notwithstanding a
most favorable season for gathering and pre-
pairing it for market, will scarcely be equal to
the crop of last year, whilst the long cotton
and rice On the seaboard have been very much
injured generally, and in some instances entire
ly destroyed by the equinoctial storms. These
numerous circumstances, taken in connection
with the stringency in the money market, and
the consequent check given to commerce and
trade, induce a strong necessity for economy
both in. disbursement of money from the Trea-
sury, and in private expenditures Fortunately,
owing to the previous comparative freedom
from debt in the State, the losses both in bust.
ness and agriculture will oLly work a tempo
rary injury, which ordinary prudence cannot
fail soon to remedy.
For an abstract of the condition of the 6nan-
ces Of the State l beg to refer you to my last
Annual Message
The nett profits of the Bank Of the State for
the present fiscal year amount to the sum ol
1926 900, against $3.50, 900, the nett profits oi
1853, thus showing diminnton in the income
Of the State from that, source to the extent Of
$4,000. 81 -4aE,z
II was =, bav, shsans3 nticinated that the