Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1863-12-04
GOVERNORS MEsIACE.
ENEcuTIvEA ADErARTMENr,
., .Celumbia, November %, 1868.

Ser 'SGiGinola, NoVemoer %, SO3.
Gentlemen Of the Senate oad House of
Representatives.:
Since your last annual meeting, he en-
! emy has obtained possession OF Port IIud-
son. Nick sburg, Chattanooga aud ,.iorri,'
Island, not. however, without paying dearly
| Tor his possessions; aud second time
! have our troops evacuated PENNSYLVANIA
and Maryland, though rot defeated.
Ihere. ls in this no cause for despondency.
nc is this day relatively weaker than lie
was before those events, his armies being
widely separated and further from their
bases of supplies win lst the Confederacy is
! re'T;'r"'y stronger, our armies possessing
! The 'a"t:!tir> Tor more rapid concentration
~ n.;erio: .,;ia' ;,a | being nearer their
bases Of supplies. The great battle of
Chckanauga, in which some OF Carolina's
noblc,t sous have f,llcn, has illustrated the
,ints obtained, he has made no real pro
gress towards the accomplishment of his
purpose-the slh,jrgation Of the South
Our l.arvess have been bounlitul, our
country heashy, and our people have been
rendered, if possible, mo,c united and re
solved by the vandalism of our foes. The
siege Of Charleston, now far advanced into
Its fifth month, conducted with a power
and range Of metal and dcs.ructivcncss Of
prtjecties. hitherto unknown in warfare,
and malignity that respects neither sex,
nge or condition. has shown 10 our enemies
that they will probably never place their
| unhaliowed feet upon the soil of that brave
old city but if they do, it will be only
when they have reduced it toa heap of
ruins. Snmtcr, held w.th a galIantry and
a lenscity which will immortaIize its noble
defenders, is row in ruins, but is yet a giant
the Mississippi our troops have gained i'm
portant advantages. In Tennessee tho en-
| eniys forces are besiegcd in Chattanooga
aud driven from Knoxville, and the ar,ny
OF the Potomac stands ready to give him
another Fredericksburg reception. i: be-
tnoves Ills, however, not TO relax our efforts.
UnIiring energy and perseverance ale cs-
sential to success. a bitter and willy foe
watches our very movement prepared to
take every advantage. Our people have
counted the cost, and have determined up
on Independence or annihilation; it is ours
TO leaTe nothing undrnc to SECURE the oh.
l"ct OF this revolution. Never was the re-
ma1k more applicable, that, the price OF
liberty is eternal vigilance The State
Legislatures have no uniuportant part 10
| play in this great drama. They can gid
the Confederate Government by assisting
in clothing the troops, in rcrvling the raids
! Of our enemies, and i'll te. ding the families
of onr soldiers in arms. II all measures
wLich you in your wisdom may adopt,
looking 20 the successful issue of this great
Struggle, you may, gentlemen, rely upon
my hearty CO operation.
The supplying OF slave labor for coast
1etcnccs has proved pcrplexing. Our ell
! ergvtic State Agent, wao2e report is here
with transmitted, has done ali in his power
to e"',ircc your acts Oh !hls subject. But
the system has not furnished all tie labor
which the pes ing emergencies 1t Charles
ten se4 ired. The Confederate General
felt the necessity of imprsssing, in Septcr..
Der last, additional labor to secure tile
safety Of the city. This action, | did not
under tile circumstances, hesitate to ap-
prove. 1t woull seem that no system
'mn' ing penalties, is like'y to secure
equality AMI success. The patriotic send
th,i slaves; others will pay. if tho Gne is
not too heavy, or take tie chances Of es-.
cape through the corrts. Much cou,nlaint
Is made of tie r..ismaHagcment and trca,
ment OF tie M gr"cs; of their detention III
violation Of the contract and the law, and
that 50. many citizens furnish no labor at
all. The frs. complaint, am sorry TO
believe, there iss found alton for; but the
remedy for the evil is difficult md must
necessarily rest with Tie Confederate au-
thori'es. The seconl, haye been given
10 understand, arises from the inability of
The t>;;';r :i;:;icr..!cs to replace the labor
a;<t!,e ,:nd ci i;,t, month. 'rha third, is the
result Of radical defect in the system
itself. II labor is still to be furnished, and
[ have no iniimation that it will not be
needed, (so long as the coast is, invaded,
am! lllere is need Of it, it ought to be fur
nished,) the plan which will secure the
greatest equality, i'll my Judgment, is 10
authorize the Governor or State Agent, or
the. Confederate General commanding the
department, if it is preferred, to impress
through the Commissioners of Roads, for
two months service, tho equal propoflio1
Of every Shareholder owning more than ono
road hand. My acquaintance for some
years past with the organization of these
Boards, loads me to believe that .thev
would fairly and impartially discharge the
duty and furnish the labor promptly. An
extension OF the time OF service is RECON-
mended to lessen the expenses of transpor-
tatlon. and because every change requires
a new organization, which takes, learn,
the better part Of the first week. Besides,
it's not the time. the hands are Kept, of
which planters complain, il they are ad-,
vised Of il; tits their detention. contrary 10
the understanding and their: previous ar
rangemehts.
Owing to the disorganizatiou o. the State
militia, by the enforcement Of the Conscrpt
acts OF Congress up to the age Of fYrty.five.
1t viii require much lime to- re-orsanize ii
so as to make it at all effective. IJnon