The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1865-11-16
Message 81 GOV. Perry.
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT,
South Carolina, Nov. 7, 1865.

ceiying from the President Of the UNITED
States, tile following telegraphic despatch
OH the 18th of October last: -.
|.aTo E.sF Perry, Provisional Gouernor.:
aYour last two dispatches have beer
received and the pardons suggested have
been ordered.
.."I hope your .Legislature will have nc
hesitation in adopting the amendment te
the Constitution of the United States
.abolisling slavery. 1t will set an exam
pie which will, no doubt, be followed by
the other States, and place South CaTofl.
na In q most favorable attitude before the
Isnation. L trust in God that it will be
IHone. The nation and State will thena5be
left free anu untrammelled to take that
course which sound policy, wisdom and
humanity may suggest.
aANDREW JOHNSON,
stPresident ii. s."
Three days afterwards 1 received tho
following telegram from the President,
WASHINGTON, Oct. 81, 1865.
"Io B. f. Perry, Provisional Gouerasof::
"There is adeep interest felt as tolwbat
course the Legislature will take ein regard
to the adoption OF the amendment to;the
Constitution of the United States, abol-
ishing slavery, and the assumption OF the
debt created to aid in the rebellion against
the Government of the United Statcs.
IF the action Of the Convention was in
good faith, why hesitate in making it a
part m Of the Constitution Of the United
States? / trust in God that the restora-
ton of the Union will not be defeated,
ard allsthaty las; 30 far been we'll done,
thrown away! I,stilI have faith that all
will como out rigSHyet. This -opportuni-
ty ought to be understood and .apprecias
ted by the people of the Southern States.
If I-knewsmy own heart, and every pas
sion which enters it, is to restore the bles-,
sings Of the Union and tic <up and heal
every bleeding wound which has been
caused by this fratricidal war. Let us
be guided by love and wisdom from on
high, and.union and peace will moro
igpsthroughout the land: :,
80 "ANDREW JOHNSON"
To-these. tclegraphic dispatches, re-
piled that the war debt of South Carolina
was very incoaslderable; that our whole
State debt, ut this time, was only about
6,O0O,OOOs; and thisswas mostly incurred,
anterior to. the war, in constructing rail-
roads aud building a=new State house,
With an old debt Of long standing; that
we had assumed mo portion Of the Con,
fi,derate debt and were responsible in no
way for it. The expenditures which the
State had incurred up.tca q certain period
had all been settled aud refunded by tlls
Confederate States.
Istated that South Carolina had ,abol-
ishod slavery in good faith, and never in
tended or wished to restore it; that the
Legislature was then considering n wisei
Just and humajnesystcm of laws for the
government and protection of the freed
;men, in all their rights of person and
property; and that there was no objec-
ton to. tho adoption of The proposed
amendment to the. Federal Constitution,
except all apprehension, that Congress
might, under the second section of that
amendment, claim the right to legislato
Tor she negro. after slavery was. abolished.
I likewise stated, that no official notice
had. ever beeIf received by the Legisla-
.ture, of the proposed amendment to tic
Constitution of the United States.
In reply to this despatcll,I received,
Yesterday, the following telegram from
tie Secretary of State, dated
WAsutNairoN, Nov. 6, 1865.
$50 His Ercelleucy. B.F Perry, Proofs
s ionaI Gover,tsT iSo,tttlt Carolina Isl
5 aYour. despatch to the President, of
November a, has ,bocn received. He is
not entirely satisfied with the cxplana-
ton it contains. lie deems necessary the
passage Of adequate ordinances, dcclar-
I'M, that all inslrrectionary proceedings
inlthe State unlawful and void alb into.
. aNeitRer the Constitution nor the laws
direct official information to the States OF
amendments to- the Constitution submit
ted BY Congress: Notice of the amend
ment, by Congress, abolishing slavery,
WAS nevertheless sent by the Secretary OF
State, ut the time, to the States which
were then in communication with this
Government. Formal neticc will inme'
diately be given to these States, which
were, then in insurrcctioA:
aThe objection Which you mention, to
last clause of the Constitutional aznend.
ment, is regarded as.querulous and unrca'
sonable, because that clause is really re
straning ina-its effects, instead of cnlarg
ing the power of Congress.
aThe President considers 1hc acccp
tance of. the amcndmcns, by South Caro-
lima, as indispensable to q restoration o
her relations with the other Statesof the
Unien. .vHWM. I'll. SEWARD"
= This formal notice of the: proposed
smendment to the Constitution Of th,
United States has not yet been received
;SWhensit is, i. will communicate the sans
| to yole !rhe amendment may be seen ],
the Acts of the last Congress, and is il
theseworAs: