Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1855-12-05
COVER MoR,s MESSAGE.
ES<he, Genileasneeahe Senate
-..,,rnds -HosssE oft REPRESENTATIVE !:

s-s1fOu hare 1e6ufneG Inc discharge OF your cOns
saisdsiuaat ziafies under ttIe' most encouraging
rifeunstadees . The pecuniary pressure which,
nj shesbegihHtHg Of ~the. year, bore NO heavily
ufoataaE etasses of .sseiety, has, happily passed
off without its anticipated disasiefs.- Commerce
continues .tptprosler andtwiden her domain : az.
riculsure Iejoiees oser full .harvests: and labor
:ofessry. description feels the stimulus Of remu.
.negating, psicea., The year has been. one of
'unexampltd health, and our people, in quiet and
security, have. successfully. devoted themselves
10 the yafiodx Yocations Representing q Com
.rDSSnwealth thus blessed, you viii 1Efte Win me
III offsring "a lie Giver Of at Good the homage
OF grateful hearts. md. devoutfy suppiisa,ing a
Continuance zof His favorS. - 80 - .'s g ,
In the discharge Of the ddty;imposed. on me
BY the Constitution, f shall Recommend to pour
consideration various measures which think
important to the public veal. Your Intelligence
will euable you To- select, andoyoar- PatriotisIa
will prompt you TO adopt, such Of them as will
advance sths interests and promote the general
prosperity Of our common constituents. The,
public you'd especially committed to your keep
ing, cannot, in my Judgment, be more certainly
attained than by 4 steady adherence 10 the loug
settled policy Of the State New epactments,
and modi6cEions of exisiing laws. are some
times required TO suit Tho varying circumstances
of our condition; but legislation which seeks TO
break down the forms md usages to which q
people have long been accustorned, should not
be resorted TO except under the exHcting pressure
of necessity. The people: Of South Carolina
have great reason To rest content with their
Constitution, as it standssaIt il far better that
II. inmateriai defects should BE- borne, than
that we should begin the. hazardous work of
constitutional reform; All Of the old States OF
the 'Confederacy, except our own, have at differ
cnt times made fundamental changes in their
Cons. .itu,ionx. These changes may have served
for the momentto, cnptirats the. pupalaoe; but
have not been able to discover that those for
whose especial benefit they were introduced
have been distinguished by a higher elevation OF
sentiment, or been rewarded with greater pros
periy than our own people, ,~whe still cling with
confidence to their old forms, and gather hope
for the future from the encouraging recollections
Of the past. Continue, then, by your example and
policy, 10 teach your constituents not 10 lean on
government, but to rely on their own energies
TO work out ,heirudestiny. Apeople thus train
ed will be more jealous of their rights, and when
agsailed will stand up more maptu!ly in their
drf.nre, than If their mipds are beWiIdered and
their time wasted in fru,less efforts to hetter
their condition BY periodical changes in their
organic law. The procliyities of the age are, 10
nv mind ominous of anything but good to
the cause of true progress. in certain sections
of the country doctrines have beens savo9ed and
SCENES enacted Which IN The better days Of the
Republic would have consigned their authors to
lasting infamy and execra,ion. The advocates
of n .higher law" sit in high places fanailclsm
Il. 81, in tha ooA of
Otis; and mobs are so common that the mis-
guided masses are fast acquiring taste for
blood. In view of the hideous phases which
Radicslism has elsewhere assumed, and the
bitter fruits of his lriumphs, Conservatism may
confidently appeal to the patriotism OF the re-
formers Of a,mider latitude 10 postpone their
labors to more auspicious period. There Is
wisdom and safety in the injunction of Holy
Writ: "Prove all things; hold fast that which
is good" ! commend to you the preservation
OF our Constitution in all its integrity. 1t has
served US, and We owe it to ourselves 10 trans
nit it intsct TO our posterity.
First in order, and highest in Importance,
invite your especial attention TO the financial
condition of The Safe. The right to tax your
most responsible and delicate
of all your ffusts-cannot be wisely exercised
without constantly Keeping in view the amount
of our obligations, and properly estimating the
resources with which they are to be met: How
far i. may be prudent to increase our indebted
ness, and in 80 doing create, ut no distant day
all necessity for increased taxation, 1t will be ior
you to determine. Our people are patriotic, and
[ am satisfied would make m heavy sacrifices as
any people to preserve inviOlnle the public fath
but it must be-borne in mind that they cultivate
exhausted lands, and they will form an exception
to the rest Of their countrymen, if, with the
prospect of onerous taxation before them, they
do not emigratc to more favored regions, where
if they have high taxes to pay, they will have
rich harvests on which the contribution would
be levied. ="
The following statement exhibits the public
debt of the State, as it appears on the books OF
the Loan Office, on the 3oth day OF September,
1855: