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


State have at her command force sufii
cient to suppress slave Instructions, rcpel
incursions Of tho enemy or meet other sud
den eNigencies, I notice that the Governor
of South Carolina has lately convened the
Legislature, apI recommended 6,e organi-
zation Of similar force in that gallant
State"
The cost Of such a body Of troops may
be objected to. Ii two regiments are TOO
much, lot one be raised, to be put in the
field whaa needed, and wholly or partially
furloughed when not needed. This is no
time to count the cost Of maintaining a
| small force 10 protect tie State against
raids, our women and children from insult,
our hea th.stones from dcsecration. With
but two companies of mounted troops, the
Cornbahee Rangers were disbanded in july
last, | WAS enabled with one (Ropers'
company to guari in part the Eastern
coast OF the State, and with the other
(Boykins) materially to assist the ConEede-
rate Government in arresting dcser,ers,
which delicate duty has toen most salts
tartotily performed. have also been en-
a5Icd recently, at the request Of Governor
Vance, TO send one company (Capt. Boy
kin's) into North Carolina, whero il has
rendered most efficient services, as will be
seen by refer renco to the report of the Cap-
tain and Generals Vance's order roturnino
them to their own State, copies of which are
herewith transmitted. His command on.
gagged and repulsed force larger than his
own; Capt Beykin having two men woun
ded, one probably mortally y.
herewith transmit copy Of the able
and satisfactory report of Mayer Niernsee,
State Engineer, upon the obstruction Of the
Santce and battery at Taber's Point, S..
Matthews Parish, Orangeburg District, to-
gether with letter from Gen. Beauregard
in relation thereto.
Accompanying this message is report
Of the Commissary General, showing tho
progress made i'll supprcssing undue distil-
lalion in the State, and explaining the
inability Of the State to furnish, as vet,
whiskey for medicinal purposes. Your law
prohibiting undue dstllatiou has contri-
bu'ed largely towards keeping down the
price Of breal.stufa, particularly Indian
corn. If the Confederate Government
would receive its tithe and postpone im>
pressments for the present, (hclders viii not
destroy the supplies, or can they conceal
country are 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 1 am
Just informed that the decision Of the Cir.
cult Court is, shat neither the Ordinance
nor tho Act amendatory Of it, contemplated
exemption from any service besides militia
| service in the State, ard so neither is in
conflict with the conscription laws" AS |
said III my my message OF September last,
think it is our true policy to amend our
exemption laws, SO as to make them con-
form as nearly as practicable to those of
the Confederate Government. This may
be done without yielding the right of the
State to exempt such portion OF her popu-
lation as she may choose, and when size
! may choose, for police and other purposes.
If the Confederate Government will put
Into tlfe field the most of the able bodied
men between eighteen and forty five, now
occupied as Quartermasters aud Commissa-
rirs, Purchasing Agents, Enrolling Officers
and .1mpressiug Agents, and in other SINH
lar positions, the great mass of whose pla-
ces can be as we'll in many, and in some
instances better, filled by disabled soldiers,
and the State Governments will conform
theirs to the Confederate Exemption Acts,
the Confederate Government can command
Il force that will drive hey ond our borders
all the armies the Abolition Government
can congregate for the further prosecution
Of this unholy war. Your attention ia in
vited to The views Of the Adjutant and In
srector General upon this and other sub
j"cts referred to, in his report accompanying
this message.
also ask your attention to the following
exemption clause in our own law: 'The
officers and as many employees OF each
railroad company as the President OF Su-
perIntendent may certify to be necessary
to the efficient conduct of IFS business:
PROVIDED, That it is also certified that the
duty Of said employees cannot be discharg
ed by slaves I do not know that these
officers have abused this trust Such pow.
er should NOT be lodged with any one who
is not directly connected with the admin.
istration of the Government. The final
decision should be left with the Executive
or the Adjutant-Genera :.
The permission of substitutiens is suited
to a war in which small proportion of
the arms-bearing population is required for
the fieId-not to war which may sooner
or later require every man, without refer
ence to age, to. shoulder his musket; and
especially is it ursuited TO a conscription
system which purp6rts to take all ablebo
died mem between given ages. You have
wisely declared those having substitutes in
Confederate service still liable to State ser
vice. The time, 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 interest in the success
Of the cause.
The State owes no higher obligation
growing out of this war than to project
every soldier's family against want; and
to effect this it is the duty of the LegislaE,
fure fo increaaa tho anpropr;ot;op n ba