The Portland daily press., 1865-09-23
Sd z aovnRNoR PERRY.

The message of Provisional Governor Perry,
-, which viii be found in substance our first
II n page nsoine respects avery Curious docu-
giD4- n1ent IT is undoubtedly to be considered as
~ sv4 fair representation Of the sentiments ana
modes Of thinking of great majority OF tne
rss people Of the Southern. States. FOR tlis rea-
son, iffor no other tasks some careim exam
ination from thoughtful northern readerss-s
The point which we think will first strike the
attention Of all is thedeep and nearly undis-
9 euised regret with which the Governor regards
the extinction of the institution of Slavery.
@That cherished institution of South Carolina
a from her earliest colonial history, patrarchal
in its character, under which the negro has
multiplied and increased with arapidity prov
ing that he has been kindly cared for and
protected, is gone, dead forev er, never to
eaal be revived Or hoped for in the future OF this
~ state.n ssAA
30 = The Governor "accepts the situation" The
-, object ofhis love is dead, and ne cherlshes no
80 hope of revving it, but he counsels the Con-
vention and through it the people of this State
to so shape their actions in relation to this
changed state of things to render the evils
of freedom as endurable possible. He
seems to make these recommendations in all
AAA sincerity, and we cannot stop to quarrel
with him for his peculiar views. That there
=. l should be men with minds SO constituted as
to hold the institution Of slavery as something
m divine and beneficial, is one of the monstrous
~ $40 things which we do not comprehend, but like
Governor Perry himself, we accept the fact
Only we putitto the careful consideration of
our readers whether a man with such views
$50, is to be largely trusted with the interests
offreemen; whether he is not likely, acting
from such convictions, to endeavor as far as
possible to retain the distinctive features of
the future condition Of the freedman as much
resemblance to his past state of slavery as may
bepracticable ssT KoeAG ENaaga
F. Ss5 All his suggestions tend in this direction,
and he hopes If things are skilIfully managed
that the freedmen may soon learn to feel their
dependence and become as much attached to
their masters as they were when they were
slaves9 insinuation with regard to the
conduct ofcolored troops, is a thing which
requires proof before itcan be accepted
he recommends radical charges in the
public policyof hsstate, changes which are
highly desirable as calculated to- render more
30 equal and popular the Constitution of state
H1ia which has hitherto been the most unrepub-
hcan in the Union In this connection he
gives soma suggestions which are judicious as
far as they go, though they certainly go but |
,.., very little way, and he shows an almost anus
ing degree Of ignorance and mental confusion
inhis statements with regard to the constitu-
ts tons and policy of Northern states. He re-
pests the old platitude about ours being a
government for the white man only, and de-
3 clares that the negro'is not citizen and can
not be on, the decision of the Supreme 1
.o Court being to the contrary. The whoemes-
sege isin very. whining and melancholy strain
not at all on account Of the wicked and mis- |
guided attempt ofuhe Southerhers to overthrow
the government, but plainly on account OF
.o8 heirfaure. He nanifests the genuine South
Carolina indiferencerto the welfare of the
entire nation outside Of that centre Of the
Gaes universe, and seems as a contemporary well
remarks. "only soicitous that in the discharge
of its painful duty the Convention shall save
as much as possible the egotism aristocracy
pride and arrogance Of the small minority Of
whits gentlemen, whose divine right it is, to
own and run the SOVEREIGN State of South Car
lima, as their special domain and one of the
chiefkingdoms of the earth" & a