, 1865-11-16
SOUTH CAROLINA,
Message Of Gov. Perry on the Con
sHMHOnaI Amendment.

GVV1A VAhUIlNA.
Message Of Cor. Perry on the Con.
shtNhOna1 Amendment.
Despatch from Presfdent Johnson-
South Carolina Solicited to Set the
Example OF NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
tton Of the Second Clause.
EXECUTIVE DErAnrAEsr,
STATE OF Soc7H CAROLINA, Nov I. 1866.
To ne Honorable the Senate aud House of Repre-
GES1LEMEE: had the honor Of rcceiy-
ing from the President Of the United States
the following telegraphlc despatch on the
18th Of October lust:
TO 3. F. Perry, Provisional Governor:
Your last tTo dispatches have been received, and
the pardons suggested hare ben ordered.
Hope that your Legislature will have no hesita-
tton III adopting the amendment to the Constitution
an example, which will no Doubt be followed by the
favorable attitude before The nation. t1u,t IN God
that 1t VII be Done The nation and State will then
be- let free and uutran1reled to take that couspc
which sound policy, wisdom and humanity may
President of the United States.
Three days atterward received tho follow
ing telegram from the President dated d. .,
To Benjamin F. Peuy, Provisional Governor:
Lesislata.e will IN regard TO the adoption Of
staics, abolish.ng elsseEy, and 1he assumption oi
debt ceated to ad In the rebellion against The 0oy-
cfnment OF the United States. II the action OF the
ng It pat Of the consit.on Of tts III Z nn9ied
States! trust In God that the reatoration OF tho
Union wll not be defeated and ali that has 50 ar
81 will come ont right yet Thisoppo1t tnnity ought
ihs Soahen sstes Eaow ny y w hss hRs1s saa q
store the blessing Of the Union, and tie up - aud
heal every bleeding wound which has been caused
BY IBIS ifatsic.dal var. Ie, rs b guided by love
Will once more reign throughout the land-
tStgned} ANDREW JOHNSON.
To these telegraphic dispatches replied
TINT the war debt OF South Carolina was Yery
lnconsiderable; that our whole State debt at
that time Was only about six millions Of dol
lars; that this was mostly Incurred anterior
TO the war In constructing railroads, and
building new state house, with an old debt
Of long standing. That we had assumed 10
portion Of the Confederate debt, aud were
responsible In no way for It. The expendi.
lures which the State had incurred up to q
certain period had all been settled and re-
funded By the Confederate States.
Lstated that South Carolina had abolished
slavery In good faith, and never intended OF
wished to renew It f; that the Legislature was
then considering wise, Just and humane sys-
TEN OF laws for the government and protec-
tlon Of the freedmen In all their rights Of per-
son snd property, and that there was no Oh
jectlon 10 the adoption Of the proposed
amendment to the Federal Constitution, e1-
under the second section Of that amendment,
claim the right to 1egis1ate for the negro after
slavery was abolished. likewise stated that
no official notice had ever been received by
the Legislature Of the proposed amendment
to the Constitution Of tie Omitted States.
In reply to this despatch, received yester-
day the following telegram from the Secretary
10 u. E1esataey D. F. R!7y, Procssaoad Gor-
Your derpateh to the President Of November 4,
has heen 1eeetEed He Is not entirely sati1ned with
the explanation It contains. lie deems necessary
the passage Of adequate ordinances, declaring III
.nS ,n,SpfsaSns fna 10 proceedings in the State uniauful
Neither the Constitution nor laws direct Official
Information to the Statcs Of amendments 10 the
the amendment by Congress- sboiishinc slaye1y vas.
ner1theess, sent by the Secretary Of State 1t the
time 70 the states that were thea in communia-
medtatey be given 10 those States which we're then
%: objsetion which ,ou mention 10 the last
Il q4erclous and unreasonable, because ka1 ctauss
'srf4ay rssralning u u !6sefs, in1taaa ef niay.
tng & &At potetT q Coagrya.
amendment by South Carolina ss lndspensahle 10
OF The Union. ''>,' ~ 01'~@ = 'A's7
This formal notice Of the proposed amend-
ment to the Constitution Of the United States
has not Jet been received. When 1t is I Yj1l
communicate the same to you. The amend.
ment may be seen In the acts Of the last Con-
grest, and Is in these words:
Neither slavery nor involuntary eeEyitude, ex-
eeps Il punishment for crime whereof the p.rty
9ha have hsen duly convicted shall exist within the
United saaes any pacs subject 10 their luriaic-
e!eS & si@S1 s&as S tSppEossd e 1a3Sass
A few days since, addressed a communism
tion to hi: Seward, Secretary OF State. by
Flc"s previously expressed to the President,
In reference to the objections which we're
entertained In South Carolina to the proposed
constitutional amendment. / nm happy 10
find that the Secretary OF State does not re.
gard thoss objections as well founded, but
considers them '4uerc1ous and unreasonable"
i Is true that plain. honest construction of
the language OF the amendment would be that
slavery was abolished Ia the United States. and
that Congress should simply enforce 1t. When
this was done their leeislatfon would be end
cd. They could not attempt, under the au-
laws for the government Of the & ssftsedmen "
ln their free state. The Attorney General of
the United States, and the President, have
both been understood as concurtinE In this
opinion. It would therefore be well, In
adopting the proposed amendment, to place
given to it by the Executive Depa rtment Of
the Federal Government.
It Is manifest from the earnest, e1oquent
and patriotic terms In which the President
has urged the adoption Of this amendment,
that be regards, as be says, tall that South
Carolina has done, and well done, as thrown
away" unless the amendment is accepted BY
the Legislature.
The Secretary Of State Is still more explicit /
In his language. He enys: "The President
considers the acceptance Of the amendment
By South Carolina rs Indispensable to a res
torntion Of her relations with the other States
Of the Union" The reason xhy this exaction
have abolished slavery, is that they might,
otherwise. at some future day, change tksir
Constitution, and restore slavery in defiance
Of the Federal Government. You, gentlemen,
have at this time the destiny Of tie State II, |
your hands, and feel assured that you will
act calmly and dispassionntcly with a view to
the peace, happiness and well being OF South |
Carolina.
addressed communication to the Secre. ]
tary Of the Treasury ut Washington. few
days since, urging that in case the Legislature
should assune the payment Of that portion |
Of the direct tax for Which South Carolina is
liable. that the federal government should re-
ceivc her bonds for the same, OF suspend the
collection Of the tax for the present rear I |
would advise the immediate assumption bv
the State Of her portion Of the direct tax, /
which is about $4,000, This willre1leYe the |
people from the immediate payment oft to |
the federal ta1 collectors, and enable the |
n E3Tn ATrH In