The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1865-07-20
TO THE PEopLEr OF GEoRcIa.

TO THE PEorLE OF GEORGE.
feel profoundly impressed with q
sense Of the obligation which l am under
: to you for the manifestations of your kind
ness ana confidence, which / have SO of
ten .reccivcd At four. different elections
YOU have honered me with your suffrages
for the highest position within your gift,
and have to the best of my ability re-
presented you in the Executive Office for
nearly eight. years. While my duties;
have often been OF the most laborious and
trying charactcTssI feel the. consciousness
that I have labored with an honest pur-
pose to promote your best interests. That
lhave committed errors is not denied
( that they have bcenintcntional your con-
duct has shown you did not believe.
During heperiod of my administration
the country has. passed througha a most
trying ordeal The great questions at is
sue between the North and the South
having failed to find apeaccful solution In
the forum ofreasoa, have been submitted
for decision TO the arbitrament of arms,
and the Judgment has been against us in
the highest tribunal known among ma.
tions. The contest has been long and
bloody. Each party has learned to res
peet the manhood and thiralry of the
other. Bat South has been overcome by
the superior numbers and boundless ro-
sources of the North. We have no fur
ther power of successful resistance, and
no other alternative but to accept the re-
suit.
The government of the United States
having refused to recognize; or tolerate
the State governments which have existed
under the Confederate Constitution dur
ing the struggle, has ordered the arrest OF
the Governors of these States Z I'wasur-
rested and imprisoned afser;I had sur
rendered the Georgia State Troops and
Militia, and had given my parole upon
the same terms allowed to General Lee
and General Johnston, and had received
from the Major General to whom the pa
role was given tho usual pledge Of the
faith of, the United States that [ was not
to be molested so long. as j observed the
parole, and obeyed the laws offorce prior.
to the 1stsof January, 1861. Upon the
facts being brought before the President
of the United States, he ordered that be
released upon my parole, and permitted
to return home.
/ am embraced in one ofthe exceptions
in the Presidents Amnesty Proclamation.
4 have received no pardon nor have [ TAX
en- any oath nor am permitted to re-
sumo Executive functions, was in the
!. Executive Office prior to the commence
mont of the war, and by the Constitution
of the State then in existence, it is declar-
ed that shall hold till a successor is cho-
sen, and qualified / have feltit my du-
ty to announce these facts to you, and as
l can be of no further service to my State
by attempting to hold the office of Cover
nor, 1 hcrebysresign it.irto the hands of
the people who have so long and so gen
erously conferred it upon me.
While taking my leave Of you and re-
firing to private life, ] trust it may not be-
considered inappropriate for me to add al
few remarl1s upon what l consider the.
true interests, and the duties, Of the peo-
pie of Georgian represent hour. I have
lately passedthrough several ofthe North
ern States, and have been in some of the,
largest cities. have read their, newspa-
pers closely, have had interviews with
public officials high in authority and have
taken pains to ascertain both. the policy.
of the Government, and the popular SEN
timent of the country on the subject of
the emancipation of the slaves of the
South. and beg to assure you that there.
is do division of opinion upon the subject
! of immediate abolition. 1t is decreed alike
by the people andthe Government. They
are determined to exercise it, and to over
come al obstacles which we may attempt
to throw in the way. Indeed they treat
it as IN accomplished fact, under the pro-
clamatons of the late President issued asi
war measures necessary to the life of the
government. AS matters now stand, to-
light against it is to eontcndagainst man
ifest destiny. Besides, slavery has beer
so disturbed and. the slaves SO demoraliz-
ed during the war that tits matter of
great doubt whether they could ever be
Kept in state of proper subordination,,
and the institution made pre6tabio in tu-'
turc.
Under these circumstances the ques-
tion arises, what shall we. do? Nothing
thatwe can do will prevent the result. 4
and it is my deliberate opinion that any
effort on our part to thwart the will of
the. government on this question, will on
Id to our miseries and our misfor-
1oS YES. The statesman, like the business
sman, should take a practicalview ofques
tions as they arise, and do for those de-
pendent upon him the best that can be
done underall the circumstances by which
they are at the time surrounded.
Applying this rule to our present con
dition, and remembering that revolution
and war often sweep away long estab-
lished usages, dem6ish theories and