The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1865-09-28
Extracts from Gov. Perry's Mes.
S9Te

sage.
The President of the United Sta4es has
manifested generous and patriotic So
YicitRde for the restoration of the South
ern States to all their civil and political
rights under the Constitution and laws of
the United States He desires to see the
Federal Union reconstructed as it was
before the secession of those States and
he will oppose the centralization of pow
cr in. Congress, and the Infringement of
the constitutional rights of the States,
with the same zeal, energy; and power
with which he resisted the assumed right
of secession on the part of the States In
order to accomplish this reunion of the
States, the President desires that South
Carolina, as we'll as all the other States
in rebellion, should accept as inevitable
and unavoidable the great final results OF
the war.
African slavery, which was cherished
institution of South Carolina from her
earliest colonial history, patriarchal in its
character. under which the negro has
multiplied and increased with ranHlity
proving that he has been kindly cared for
and protected, is gone, dead forever, new
er to be revived or hoped for in the future
of this State Under the war.making
power, the military authorities of the
United States have abolished slavery in
all the seeding States. The oath you
have. solemniy taken. to "abidc by and
Faithfully support all laws and proclama-
tions which have been made daring the
existing rebellion, with reference to the
emancipation of slaves" requires you, in
good faith, to abolish slavery in year new
or amended Constitution. The express
terms on which pardons have been issueds
stipulate that you shall never again own
or employ slave labor. 1t is likewise al
together probable that the proposed
amendment to the Federal Constitution,
abolishing slavery, will be adopted by
three fourths of the States and become
part of the Constitution. Moreover, it is
impossible for Soutls Carolina ever to
regain her civil rights and be restored to
the Union till she voluntarily abolishes
slavery; and declares, by an organic law,
that neither slavery nor involuntary SER
vitude, 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 negroes will be protected as
"freedmen" by tho whole military force
of the United States. But know that
YOU are all honorable men, as we'll as pa-
triotic men, and will do your duty faith
: fully to yourselves and your country,
however painful it may be-
In making this unavoidable change in
your Constitution, abolishing slavery. and
which will require the substitution Of
hired labor for that of slave labor, it is to
be hoped that none of those evils will be
experienced which some have anticipa-
ted. By wise, just and humane troat-
ment of your "freedmen" and women,
you may attach them to you as strongly
in their new condition as they were whilst
your slaves. They will soon learn to see
and feel their. dependence on you, and
know that. their interests require them tc
be true and faithful to you. 1t is to be
expected that so great and sudden a
change as this in the condition of the ne
gro will produce at first, confusion, idle
ness and dissatisfaction. This, however,
will only be temporary. Time and
experience must bring order and system.
The s'freedman". will soon find out that
he must either work or perish. Legisla-
tion will necessarily be required to regu-
late the relative duties of the employer
and employee.
4 i
The question of suffrage, and who shall
exercise the right of voting in South Car
olina, is one of grave Importance, and
must be settled by you in your new Con-
stitution. ln179o, theState Constitution
declared that no one should be allowed to
vote unless he was a frceholder or tax
naver and free white man of the age of
twenty-one years. In 1910, the right of
suffrage was extended to all free white
mon of the age Of twenty-one, who were
residents of the State two years and OF
4,. rrlaot;ar, District, six months previous