The tri-weekly news. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1865-1876, 1865-09-26

your new or amended Constitution. The
express terms on which your pardons
have been issued, stipulatc that you
shall never, again own or employ slave
labor. It is likewise altogether probable
that the proposed amendment to the
Federal Constitution. abolshing slave
ry, will be adopted by three-fourths Of
the States and become a part of the
Constitution. Morevcr, it is impossible
for South Carolina ever too regain her
civil rights and be restored to the Union
till she voluntarily abolishes slavery, and
declares, by an organic law, that neither
slavery or involuntary seryitude, except
as a punishment for crime, whereof the
party shall have been duly convicted"
shall ever again exist within the limits
Of the State. Until this is done, we shall
be kept under military rule, and the ne.
groes will be protected as freedmen"
by the whole military force Of the United
States. But | know that you are all
honorable men, as well as patriotic men,
and will do your duty faithfully to your
selves and your country, however pain
full it may be. oA't4 IA
In making this unavoidable change in
your Constitutions, abolishing slavery,
and which will require the substitution
Of hired labor for that of slave labor, it
is to be hoped thai none of those evils
will be experienced which some have
anticipated. By a wise, Just and hu.
name treatment Of your "Gcedmen" and
women, you may attach them to you as
strongly ip their new condition as they
were whilst your slaves. They will
soon learn to see and feel their depend.
ence on you, and know that their inter.
ests require them to be true and faithful
to you, Itis to be expected that so
great and sudden a change as this in the
condition of the negro will produce, at
first, confusion, idleness and dissatisfac-
tion. This, however, will only be tenn.
porary. Time and experience must
bring order and system. The "fecd-
man" will soon find out that he must
work or perish. Legislation will neces.
sarily be required to regulate the rela
tive duties of the employer and en-
ployee. y '" s@
1t is vdty desirable that you avail
yourselves of the present opportunity of
reforming and popularizing the State
Constitution in several particulars. 1t
is the reproach Of South Carolina abroad
that her Constitution is less popular and
republican in its provisions than of any
other State in the Union. And it is
thought by many that to this cause
alone may be traced the origin of that
discomfort and dissatisfaction with the
Federal Government, which, after being
nursed forthirty three or four years, end.
ed in theSecession or rebellion of thr.
teen OF fourteen States. sn
The basis of representation in tho
Senate ofthis State as you know, is en-,
tirely arbitrary. and founded on no just
principles of property or population.
AT the time it was adopted than
seventy years ago--t was, no doubt,
fair and equal. But since that time the
entire relative condition of Election Dis.
tricts has changed. The upper country,
at the adoption ofour State Constitution
in 1890, was comparatively but newly
settled, had sparse population and
very little wealth. But, since that time,
this portion of State has increased in
wealth and numbers in much greater
5ratie rel than the lower country. Hence it
is, that the Parish representation in the
Senate is unequal and unjust. Twenty
or thirty votes in one of the Parishes,
whose population and taxation combined
entitle it to only one member Of the
House Of Representative, have the same
representation in the Senate that three
Thousand voters have in Edgefeld Dis
trict, whose population and taxation en-
.tltleit to six members in the House.
This is contrary to all republican princi
pies Of political justice and equality.
In the early history of South Carroll.
ma the representation in the Parishes
was repeatedly changed to equaliae it
among retrospective Election Districts.
But all such changes have been obsti.
nately refused during the last seventy.
five years. Now that slavery Is abol.
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