Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1865-12-15

! cal principles, that they honestly enter
/ tanned the sentiments which they pro-
fessed, and for which they periled their
all; and after falling in their end,
when they proposed TO return TO
| their loyalty, that humanity and
] policy dictated that they should
/ not TO be hunted down for ignOminious
punishment. / shall give his policy Of
/ reconstruction an earnest and Jealous
support The war decided, second :
1 That slavery should be totally and abs0-
| lutely exterminated in all the States Of
/ the Union. The Legislature has followed
ND the action of the convention, by pass
! ing the Constitutional amendment pro-
posed 10y the Federal Congress prohibiting
slavery everywhere in the Uni ed States,
and comforting on Congress power to
carry the same into effect. Slavery
| in America, is, therefore, forever eX-
tinct. The people Of South Caro-
/ liza have acquiesced in this sequence of
Z the war with remarkable cheerfulness,
| especially when it is noted that her peO-
I ple have been the staunchest defenders
of the institution, on principle of policy,
/ for more than centurv-that her in
terest i'm the institution was greater, rel
atively, than any of her sisters, its cash
value at the beginning of the war being
more than two hundred millions of dol
iars-and that, from a settled conviction,
her two great staples of cotton and rice
could only be successfully cultivated by
compulsory labor. 1t cannot be doubted
that, since the slave is emancipated, it is
the fixed purpose of the people To secure
TO him his rights Of person and property
as a freedman-that just remuneration
shall be paid him for his labor and that
b. 80. til 4
and violence of the artful and the lawless.
They must be restrained from theft, idle
ness, vagrancy and crime, and taught
the absolute necessity of strictly comply
ing with their contracts for labor. They
must be protected in their person and
property; and, for few years at least,
some supervisory power should be estab-
l;shed to ratify their contracts for labor,
until their experience and increasing
knowledge may teach them to guard
against the craft Of the inscriptions. To
insure this il viii be indispensabiv
necessary to modify the rules Of evidence
so a. To permit the negro to testify in all
eases where his right Of person and prop
erty are involved. The labor Of every
negro in the state is needed, if not to till
the soil in some other useful emplov-
mentor the culture Of cotton and rice.
and, in menial occupations, it is very
doubtful whether any labOrer in this
country or in Europe can supply his
place. His long and thorough training
in these employments give him a certain
skill and aptitude which a stranger can
only obtain by experience. 1t is, there
fore, of the first Importance that such a
policy should be adopted as viii enable
The farmers and planters TO employ the
negro, and that he should remain cheer
ful and contented. But there in another
consideration prompting us 10 legislate
humanely and justly for the negro. He
has been born and reared among Us, ard
while he has unfortunately, qualities
that stamp him inferior to the white man,
he possesses others that invite our respect.
As a class, during the war, their loyalty
to their owners and to society was worthy
Of the highest cOmmendation. In no
single instance, even where the slave
population predOminated over the whites
Us an hundred 10 one, was there an out
break or an insurrectiOn. With a full
knowledge on their part Of the nature Of
the contest, and the deep personal inter
est they had in the ISSUE is it not Won
derful that they quietly pursued their
labor and mainly produced the sup
plies that fed our armies If there
be reason 10 complain that the ne
gro has been emancipated, in derogation
Of the right and interest of the osyner.
such complaint cannot be lodged against
him whatever Of III feelings exists in
the minds of the former owners for I'll @
present state Of affairs, it is not iIst that
ID should be visited on him. Interest ana
humanity require us 10 treat him kindly,
and TO elevate him, morally and intel
lectually it will make him better la
borer, neighhor and man. Suddenly re-
iieved from the restraints of the servile
condition i'm which he was born and
reared, his ignorance can excite no
surprise. If he Is TO live in
our midst, none are so deeply
interested in enlightening and eIeva-
ting him as ourselves. The Constitution
of the United States recognized prop-
eTJy in slaves, and an appropriation was
made by Congress to indemnify slave
owners In the District of Columbia when
slavery was abolished there in eighteen
hundred and siNty-One. therefore cher
ish the hope that Congress viii, as soon
as the public debt is provided for, make
some Just and equitable arrangement 70
make the citizens of the SoUtn some
compensation for the slaves Elanumittad
by the United States authorities The
pursuits OfSouth Carolina have not here
tofore been sufficiently ydiversified. Agri-
culture was thegreat busines Of the-State.
The mechanic, the emanufacturer, and the
artisan, have not been encouraged TO mi-
CRATE hither, and the native population
have not embarked in these employ-
msnts. A harmonious combination Of
agriculture, commerce and manufactures
and all Of them are inviting in this
State-Wiil bring as wealth and prosper
ity. We can then build up school houses
and churches and colleges, and make
new Carolina not unworthy of the fame
and reuown Of old Carolina. Our first
great want is enterprise and indus
rry-if we will them we COM
mand them. Our next great want
Is skilled labor--thls must come
from the north and from Euroqe {;
il viii not come If we do not invite il
and extend the hand of friendship to the
immigrant II he is looked upon with
enmity and suspicion; It cannot be eX-
pected that he Will make your country
the home Of himself and his descend
ants; and other States more sagacious,
will derive the benefit of his skill, capital
and citizenship. Our last want is capital,
10 develop the great and varied resources
.
/ labor, and from abroad, by max
/ ing its profits remmerative TO the
owner. We have emerged from
long and disastrous war, with our
cities and towns burnt, our houses de-
! stroyed, our fields and plantationsravage
! and our wealth scattered; but we are in
! no worse condition than our forefathers
/ when they came out of the Revolution.
! Their virtue and labor and economy,
| soonmade them mort prosperOuspeople
/ than ever before. Why may not the
same qualities work out the same happy
result for US? 1t is in vain TO indulge in
| repinings over the misfortunes of the
| past Oar work is with and for the future
/ If we are to deserve well of the country
and Of pOsterity, it must depend on tht
| fidelity with which il is executed.
]