Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1864-12-07
GagsfelSaga6et6iset..
Gov. .Bonham,s; Message:

stances Of more than ordinary interest to Yor
State, even at this time of,intense excitemer
throughout our land. For four years our ar,ni.
have resisted the advance of, immense force
performing prodigies of vaior unsurpassed j
history, and With constancy and devotion whie
no roverses Gould weaken, AT the same time th
masses of the people ut home have. cheerfnll
submitted to every sacrifice and met every dra1
upon their resources which this stupsndous va
has made. But the last intelligence from Geor
gia indicates that ths gallantry of our troops AM
the devotion Of our people arc to beeput to'stil
higher tests. Tho enemy, commanded by gen
eral who respects neithor a:.o, scx or condition
and who. it is said, has declared that when b.
reaches South Carolina he viii burn the YER.
stones, is isapproachipg our borders, burning town
and villages, destroying agricultural implements
banishing from thor homes helpless women anS
children, and cutting loose from his base, subsis
ting himself on the country, and destroying
everything he cannot use. To the defeat Of thi
enemy every energy of the State and her people
should noY be made to bond. Tho time has ar
rived when our people should bo called upon BY
the Legislatrre.to remove from the enemy rs line
of march all live stock; : transport. beyond hi,
reach all provisions possible, and all else destroy
and every man who can shoulder gun, to report
himself at the front,t do or die for the country
in this hor hour Of need.
On the fail Of Atlanta, j organized into COM
of their Districts, left 20 the, State by the Con-
scription Acts of Congress, as will be seen by
tho Adjutant- Generals report, preparatory to
erganiziug them into regiments, The enemy
having retired from JonesboTo to Atlanta, TREY
were remanded to their homes. Upon hearing OF
the destruction Of Atlanta, and Fthe advance Of
the enemy towards Augusta, ] ordered this force
to rendezvous forthwith at Hamburg, where they
will be Immediately organised intoIes; ;ncnts, for
which Bzigadier Genera, should bo provided.
Should the change Of our militia organization,
hereinafter suggested, be adopted another Brisa-
der General will become necessary.
refer to tho full and satisfactory report Of
tho State Auditor for information upon various
subiects-embracedi in this message and Others not
mentioned. 1t is with regret that see the State
is to lose his services 1t rill be perceived by
his.eport, that less than une.half of the Militia
~ Contingent Fund hrs been expended. This
has arisen from the fact that up to very recent
date the State had no troops in the field, .since
early IN the present year. Tho Legislature not
having increased the permanent military force
OF tho Stzte did not deem it advisable TO retain
tine mounted companies of Captains Boykin and
Rodgers, but as vas authorized.to do. by reso-
luton, transferred them 70 Confederate service.
now recommend that permanent military
force. consisting Of az least, ore regiment Of
mounted infantry, ono company CT which should
at the discretion Of tie Governor, 10 used cav
airy, and o.o as light artillery, be raised BY draf:
from the militia regiments IL tie State, if not
furnished by volunteering. Under tie operations
of'tha CoRscriptioa kct,S the Stats has noIorce
now left, except tine boys between sixteen ard
seventeen, the men between ffty aads;x!y, una
tho Confederate ,cxempis. s0f these, tho zen
oTer ifty, and many of;the exempts, are hatle
to ssryico on.y xi,hin the Districts in which they
live. OF tie force liable beyond ttSif Districts
one-third only cen be sent beyond tke limits Of
tho State, fos period not exceeding two nre n;hs,
CT any one t:me. ], therefere, recommend the
following changes in our military organization,
70 meet thSAxis,ing condition Of ihipgs:
F;rst-Altpcrsans now tell -liiblo to perform
military duty in times OF alaria, insurrecton and
invasion, or as one OF the posse eoniiatu,, and
not exempted from actual service in thcir rcspcc
tive Districts should be declared laLlo to actual
service anywhere witkin The State, whcn tae,
seryices shall be doeri>d necessary ny tho Gov
eracr, exeept tie memacSi Of soia hr-nchrs of
TIE Lssislaiuro, su6 ;he;r resi- ectye Cheers in
Guiding tie Attorney General aid Sc.io;ttrs, du-
ring the session, sud for ftseca Gags bescre ard
after. Sccord-thnt all those, under existing
laws, lisbls to military strvice cut Of their Dis
tricts be declared also Iiah.o to scry;cc out of
the State, for tho term of three months, if IN the
opinion of the Governor, the public tX;gercos
should SO long require. Tie bsst defence of tIIc
State canfr eeuen ly be made bcycnd her borders.
! also reccmpcaL that. for the support If the
militia. wien IN tie field, the GoyoTnor. tc ar-
thorized to impress supplies at schedule prices.
whenever suca co3rse shal become absolutely
Necessary, from inability to procure thc,a f-e m
the Confederate Government The present con-
dition of the country induces me to recommend
your immsdir;e oensideTsson Of ttc:e pr: posed
changes. 4
: These forcss tie Legislature skould declare
exempt from Confederate service, and retain sub
iect to her OWN laws, and under tue orders Of her
own Executive, for tho enforcement of her police
regulations, and fox the protection OF her terrific
ry and her people. l said IN my annual message
OF December last, think it is our true policy
to amend the exemption LAWS, so IS to mako them
conform, ss nearly as practicable, to those of the
Confederate Government This. may be dore
without yielding the right Of tho State to exempt
such portion Of her population as she chooses.
and when sbo may choose, for police snd other
purposes" have seen no reason TO change this
yiewSbut it does not appear to ine to be Eound
policy for State 10 surrender her rgrt to exempt
from Confederate CONSUMPTION such rorlicn Of
her population as she may deem necessary for
her.oyn protection, and 10 carry, out her Laws.
Tn November last, directed the Attorney Cen
eral TO mako, before one Of the Circuit Judges,
tho question whether the Act Of Assembly ex-
empting ono oVerseer to each plantation, having
not less than fifteen working hands, did not pfo-
tect such oYerseer from ederase conscTiption.
amply to Confederate service and daring the
december session thereafter. the Lesislature de-
clared that our exemption Laws applied to troop,
called into service undorthc militia organization
of this State, aud to any other military force
raised by the State under the laws thereof, and
not to troops raised by the laws of the Confedsr-
ate States" Hithou. passing an Act declaring
what eficers Of the State should bc exempt from
Confederate CONSUMPTION. Tho Act of Congress
nasssd the lssh day OF February, 1864 conscri-
bins all white male inha bitants, except those ex-
emptsa by the Confederate Government, renders
it, suggest, moro than cIer imperative upon the
State to assert her right by SOLEMN enactmcnts,
to exempt from Confederate service such persons
az she may deem necessary for her preservation
and the carrying out Of hsT own laws 50 tar q,
ofthe Copfederaey had, eTen before the passing
of that Act, designated the persons who should
be exempt from Confedcrate conscription. To dc
otherwise is to coneOdo to the agent power
which belongs alone to thc principal; and whilst
for tho good OF the conimo csuse, it Is wise t.
keep from Confederate service as few ble-bodied
citizens as possible it would be Tuihous to subor