Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1863-12-04

State have Ot<hcr command l0Fco syn:
/ cient TO suppress slave insurrcctions, r'rc'
incursions Of tho enemy or meet other sud
den eXigcncies, notice that The Go"crnor
Of South Carolina has lately coiTvene1 the
! Legislature, aud recommended the orgahi-
zt,ion Of Il similar force in that gallant
State?
The cost of suci, n body OF troops may
be OH .cted to. If two regiments are too
much, let one he ra.sc], to be put in the
field WHOM needed, and whelly' or partially
fu,loushed when not needed. This is no
time to count the cost of maintaining q
small force 10 protect the State against
raids, our women and children from insult,
our hca:thstones from desperation. With
but two companies Of mounted troops: Uhe
Combahec Rangers were disbandod in July
l:st,) | WAS enabled with one (togers'
company t" guarl i'll part the Il ,Stcrn
coast @! the State, and with the other
! Q}oyiin's) materially 10 assist the Conlede,
rate Government in aric$iing dcserters,
which delicate duty has toen most salts
| i:ctori!y .l1eriorsneI l have also been >cn>
! atle1 recently. at the request cf Governor
! Vance, TO sel'd one company (Capt. Boy
! kinsj into North. Carolina, where it has
rendered most efficient services. as will bc
soen 10y r"icl encr to the report Of the Cap
tain and Generals Fanccs order returning
! them to their own State, copies Of which are
herewith transmitted. I:S command cn
gagged and repuscd Il force larger than his
own; Capt. Boykin having two men woun
deH, one probably moua'ly.
| l herewith transmit Il COPY Of the able
and sa!i,ftctory report OF Mayer Nierflsce,
State Engineer, upon the obstruction OF the
Sant,c aud a battery at Taher's Point, St.
Matthew's Parish, Orangeburg District, 20
geshcr with a letter from Cen. Beauregard
ia relation thereto.
Accompanying this message is Il rcpor.
Of the Commissary General, showing the
progress made in surprcssiEg undue dstiI-
la,ion III the State. and explaining the
inability Of the State to furnish, as yet
wiiskey for medicinal purposes. Your Jaw
! prohibiting undue dis,ilatioa has con,ri-
bu.cd largely towards keeping down the
price Of brcad.S.ufls, particularly Indian
corn. If the Confederate Government
would receive its titho and postpone inns
rrcssmcnts for the present., (hpldcrs will not
destroy the supplies, or can they conceal
ths:n,) | believe the bread -stutfs in the
country arc amply sufficient for the people
and The army.
The question Of conflict between the
, State and Confederate Exemption Acts has
! been submitted to the courts, and / am
Just informed that the decision Of the Cir.
cult Court j., chat neither the Ordinance
nor the Act ;r.rilaory Of it, contemplated
exemption from any service besides militia
service III the State, nrd so neither is in
coEtllct with the cCnscrptiou laws" AsI
said III n'y my message OF September last,
l think 1t is our true policy TO amend our
exemption laws, SO as to make them con
form rs nearly as practicable to those of
the Confederate Government. This may
be done without yielding the right OF the
Sta:c to exempt such portion OF her por::.
. a';on as she may choose, and when sl.e
may choose, for police and other purposes.
! Il tic Confederate Government will nut
iMto Iiie field the most Of the able bodied
! men between eighteen and forty five, nov
| occupied as tluartermasters and Co,nn.issa-
ries, Purchasing Agents, Enrolling Officers
aud lmpressiag Agents, aud in other sinli
lar positions, the great mass Of whose p!a-
ces can be as well in many, and in some
instances better, filed by disabled soldiers,
and the State Governments will conform
theirs TO the Confederate Exemption Acts,
ihe Confederate Government can command
a ierco that will drive hey ond our borders
ali the armies the Abolition Govern nent
can cnngregate for the further prosecution
! of this unholy war;. TOUR. attention is in-
vitcd to the views If tie Adiutant and tn
srccior General upon this and ether sub
jets referred 10, in his report accompanying
this message.
Ialso ask your attention 10 the following
exemption clause i'll our own law: ':The
officers and AS many employees Of each
railroad company as the President O, Su-
pcrintendcnt may certify to be necessary
to the efficient conduct of Its business:
Propiaed, That it is also certified l!.nt The
duty of said employees cannot be discl,ary
ed by slaves l do not k..ow that ihaae
officers have abused This Trust. Such pow
er should not be lodged will, any one whe
is nct directly connected with the admin.
c;s'ration Of the Government. The final
decision should be left with the Executive
or the Adjutanl- General.
The permission Of substtutiens is suited
to war i'll which a small proportion of
the arms. bearing population is required for
the 1ield-not 10 war which may sooner
Or later require every man, without refer
Pence to age, TO- shoulder his musket; and
especially is it unsuited TO conscrip,ion
system which purporls 10 take all able.bo
died men between given ages. You have
wisely declared those having substitutes in
Confederate service still liable to State SER
vice. The time, l suggest, has arrived
when all laws, whether S ate or Confederate
allowing substitution, should be repealed.
They operate"in favor Of class than whom
none have deeper interestfn the success
Of the cause.
The State owes 20 higher ebligatinn
growing out Of this war than 10 project
every soldiers family against want; and.