Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1865-12-23
tvoL. mo. d6a

it incumbent OH mo to assert one other power ofs
the general goyernmeht--the power of pardoh.---l
AS no State can throw defence over. the crime Of
treason. the power pardon is exclusively vested
in the Executive GOV .fnheht Of the United States
In exercising that power, have taken every pre-
caution tooohnect 1t with the clearest recognti5s
of the binding force of the laws of the United
States, and an>ttnqualifcd acknowledges Of thg
great social chnge of condition in regard to slave
ry whichhas grown out Of The war. agt
The next step which have taken to restore the 9
CONSTITUTIONAL relations Of tho States, has been ah
invitation to them to participate in the high Office
Of amendingthc Constitution. Every patriotnust
wish fora general amnesty at the earliest 'epbch
consstcnttwith the public safety. For this great
end there Is need of concurrence of all opinions
and the spirit Of mutual ooncilintlon. All parties
in the late Serrible conflict must work togethern
harmony 1t is Snot too much to ask in the name
of the whos people, that on the one side, the plan
Of restoration shall proceed in conformity With
wlingnessSto cast the disorders of the past into
oblivion 5; and that, on the other, the evidence of
| sincerity in the future maintenance of the Union
! shall be put beyond any doubt by the ratification
I Of the proposed amendment to the Constitution,
which provides for the abolition of slavery forever
within tile limits of our country. So long as. the
adoption of this amendment is delayed, 80 long
This is the measure which will eface tho sad mem
ory Of the past; this is tho measure which will
most certainly call population, and capital, and Sc
curity to those ports of tho Union that need them
most. Indeed, it is not too much to ask the States
which are nov resuming their places in the family
Of the Union to give this pledge of loyalty and
peace Until 1t is done. the past, however much
we may}dcsire it, will not be forgotten: The adop-
tiOh of the Amendment re-unites us beyond all
power Of disruption It heals the wound that ia
still imperfectly closed it removes slavery, the
element which, has so long perplexed and divided
the country; it makes us once moro q united peo-
pie, renewed md strengthened bound more than
| ever to mutual affection and support.
| Ihe amendment TO the Constitution being adopt.
ed, lit MouIt tSreman for tho States. whose pnwers
have been'so long in abeyance to resume their
places III the two branches of the National Legis-
lature, and thereby complete the work of restora-
I tion Here it is for you fellow citizens of the
Senate and for you, fellow citizens Of the House
of Representatives, to judge each of you for your
selves, of the elections, returns and qraiiica-
| tons of your own members .,
The full assertion of the powers of the general
government requires the holding of circuit courts
of the United States within the districts here their
authority has been interrupted. In the present
posture Of our public affairs strong objections have
been urged to holding those courts in any of the
States whore the rebellion has existed; and 1t Was
ascertained, by inquiry that the circuit court Of
the United States would not be held in the District
of Virginia during the autumn early winter,
nor until Congress should have "an opportunity
to consider and act on the whole subject" TO
your deliberations tho restoration ofhis branch of
the civil authority of tho United States is, there
|
provision will bo made for the resumption of all
its functions. 1t is manfest that treason, most
flagrant in character has been committed. Per-
| sons who are charged with its commission should
have fair and impartial trials in the highest OWL
tribunals of the country, in order that the Const
tuition and the laws may be fully yindicated; the
truth clearly established and affirmed that treason
is crime; that traitors should be punished and the
offence mado infamous and, ut tsa game time. that
the question may be judcially settled, finally and
forever, that State. Of its own will las the right
to rcn6u1fee its place in the Union. Sa ty
The relations Of the general government towards
the four millions of inhabitants whom the war has
called into freedom, has engaged my most serious
consideration On the proprety Of attempting to-
mako the freedmen electors by the proclamation of
the Executive, took for my counsel the Constiu-
tion itself the interpretations of TINT instrument
by its authors and their contemporaries, and recent
Legislation by Congress. When, at the flyt move
ment towards independence, the Congress of the
United States instructed the several States to in
sttute governments of their own, they left each
State to decide for itself the conditions for the en-
joyment of the elective franchise During the Pc
riod of the confederation there continued to exist
very great diversity in the qualifications Of elec-
tors in the several States and even within aState
a distinction of qualifications prevailed with regard
to the officers who were to be chosen. The Com
stiution Of the United States recognizes these dir
versities when it enjons that, in the choice of,
members Of the House of Representatives of the
United States @''ih electors in each State shall
have the qualifications requisite for electors Of the
most nnmeroua branch of the State Legislatarev
Afterthe formation Of the Constitutions it remained
rs before, the uniform usnge for each State tO.en-
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