The Columbia daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1865, 1865-07-07
Speech of the Hon. W. w. Boyce,

Delivered at the Court House in
Winnsboro, S. c., on Wednesday,
2lst June, 1865, at the meeting
held for the restoration of tho civil
Government of South Carolina.
During the absence of the COM
mittee to prepare resolutions for the
action of the meeting, Mr.. Boyce
being called upon, rose aud addressed
the people assembled:
Mr.. PRESIDENT: I approve of the
object Of the meeting. Ii is greatly to
our interest to have civil government
established in the State. BY the
theory Of our institutions, while few
great interests are exclusively con6dcd
to :he Federal authority, large mass
Of legislation is reserved to the States
Individually. The sooner we have
State Government in opera.ios, the
sooner We will have control over our
local legislation, and the sooner we
may look for the withdrawal of. mill
tary authority. The military, it is
true, are acting, 80 far az I have
learned, both in this State and adjoin-
ing States, with great propriety. But
still it is preferable to live under
civil Government. am sati fed from
what l learned at Washington that
President johnson will extend to this
Sla.e the same privilege of establish.
ing the Safe Government ,i,at he has
and is extending to the States of North
Carolina, Mississippi, Alabama and
Georgia, &c. No discrimination will
be made against this SAFE. am
satl>h d that the President is ready to
establish our State Government as
soon as he thinks public opinion is ripe
for it. The Object Of this meeting is
to make known the sense of the people
of this District on the subject. From
all can learn upon this point, and
have taken every opportunity Of in.
forming myself Of the wishes of the
people OF the State, I am satisfied the
great mass Of tbs people, BY an over
whelm'ng majority, amounting almost
to unanl'nity, earnestly desire the es
tablishnent Of State authority iu entire
harmony with the Government of the
United STATES. l apprehend that in
this large meeting, there will be but
one opinion on the subject.
| might stop here, but I presume
you desiFe to hear something of nv
late visit to Washington. At the in
stance of some of our most influential
citizens. | went on to see the President
Of the United States. 1. had been
we'll acquainted with him as mem-
Der of the Senate of the United
States. had heard so much of him,
his talents the obstacles he had over
come. and the controlling Influence he
had acquired in his Sta'e, that took
pains to form his acquaintance, and
observed him with deep interest. l
knew that man who had accomplish
ed what he had, who from the most
adverse position had risen to be sue.
cessively, member of the Legisla-
ture, member Of Congress, Governor.
and Senator. was no ordinary man.
respected in him the man who had
erected his own statue, and found Mr..
johnson to be man OF remarkable
talents, immense energy, great good
sense, strong will, with perfect self:
reliance, man who belonged to him
self and not to another.
No one can have greater abhor-
renee OF that ineffably stupid crime,
the assassination Of Mr.. LiacoIn. than
| Lave but | do not think that thereby
the southern States have fallen nto
the hands Of cruel tyrant, as has
been imagined by some. E,nanci-
patton is con eded to be a. fixed fact.