Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1865-11-17

strainlng in its efecte, instead of enlarginI
the power of Congress.
! ''rhe President considers the accep.
tance OF the amendment, by South Caro-
lima, as indispensable to q restoration 0
her relations with the other States of III
Union.
+ "WM. II. SEWARD"
This formal notice of the proposed
amendment to the Constitution of tn
United States has not yet been received
When it is, will communicate the same t,
you. The amendment may be seen in tb,
Acts Of the last Congress, and is in thss,
words:
'"Neither slavery nor involuntary servi
tude, except as punishment for crime
whereof the party shall have been duly
convicted, shall exist within tie limits oil
the United States, or any place subject te
their Jurisdiction.
"sEc. 2. Congress- shall have power to
enforce this article by appropriate Iegisla.
tion."-Approved Feb. l, lse5.
A few days since, addressed commu
nication to Mr.. Seward, Secretary of State
by mail, in which repeated and enlarged
on the views previously expressed to tue
President, in reference to the objections
which were entertained in South Carolina
to the proposed Constitutional amend
ment. am happy to find that the Secre-
tary of State does not regard these obiec.
t'ons as we'll founded, but considers them
"querulous and unreasonable" Ii is true.
that plain. honest construction of the
Language of the amendment would be,
that slavery was abolished in tue United
States, and that Congress should simply
enforce it. When this was done, their
legislation would be ended. They could
not attempt, under the authority given by
this amendment to pass laws for the gov
ernment Of the freedmen" in their free
state. The Attorney General of. the United
States and the President have both been
understood as concurring in this opinion.
1t would, therefore, be well, in adopting the
proposed amendment, to place or record
the construction which had been given to
1t by the Executive Department Of the
Federal Government.
1t ia manifest, from the earnest eloquent
and patriotic terms in which the President
has urged the adoption of this ameud-
ment, that he regards as he says, all that
South Caroliua has done-and so we'll done
--as thrown away, unless the amendment
is accepted by the Legislature. The Sec.
retary of State is still more explicit in his
language. He says "the President con.
siders the acceptance Of the amendment
oy South Carolina as indispensable to
restoration Of her relations with the other
States OF the Union The reason why
this exaction is made of the Southern
States, after they have abolished slavery,
is that they might otherwise, at some fl
ture day, change their Constitutions and
restore slavery, in defiance of the Federal
You, gentlemen, have, at this time, the
destiny of the State in your hands, and
feel assured that you will act calmly and
with the view to the peace
happiness and well-being of South Caro-
lima.
l addressed a communication to the Sec.
retary Of the Treasury, at Washington. a
few days since, urging that, in case the
Legislature should assume the payment of
that portion of the direct tax for which
South Carolina is liable, that the Federal
Government should receive her bonds for
the same, or suspend the collection Of the
tax for the present year. would advise
the immediate assumption. by the State, of
her portion Of the direct tax, which ia
about $s6e,ooo. This will relieve the
people from the immediate payment Of it
to the Federal Tax Collectors, and enable
the State to make some arrangements in
reference to it with the Treasury Depart
sent or Congfess.
y In my communication to the Secretary
of State, I urged the propriety Of with
drawing the colorcd troops from the interi
or Of the State to the forts or sea-coast,
and requested that white troops might, for
the present, be retained in Charleston,
Georgetown and Beaufort:
1have forwarded the resolutions you
sent me the other day, iu reference to the
school house 10 Charleston, to Gen. How
ard, and asked that they should be restored
TO the proper authorities. I made tic
same request in regard to the Militsry
Hall In Charleston.
B. F. PERRY.