Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1865-09-27
GsgedsIa daberti;er, ,
MESSAGE OF coz. PERRY.

lency Andrew johnson, President Oh the
United States, for the purpose OF organizing
n State Government, "wLereby justice may
be established, domestic tranquility Insured
and loyal ,itizens protected in all their rights
of life. liberty and property" As Provis
ional Governor Of the State of South Carroll,
na, under whose orders you were elected and
have assembled, it is proper that l should
address you on tic present occasion, and
assist you, II can, iii restoring our beloved
State Ito her constitutional relations to the
Federal Government and aid you by my
suggestions in presenting such republican
form of State Government rs Will entitle
South Carolina to the guarantees of the
United States therefor, and her people to
protection, by the United States, against in.
yasion. insarrect;cn and domestic yiolence.'
The great po!;tica! convulsions which have
recently taken place in the Southern States,
and the terrific war which bas swept over
South Carolina, devastating her territory and
depriving her citizens of all civil government,
ere too we'll known to you, and too painful In
their detail, for me to bring them unnecessa-
rily in review before you. Instead of dwell
ling on the past, and grieyng over its errors
and miSfUrtunes let US, with manly lortitude,
look to the future, and accommodate our
selves 10 the circumstances which surround
US, and which cannot be changed or avoided.
The President of the United States has
manifested generous and patriotic solicitude
for the restol alton of the Southern States to
all their civil and political rights, under the
Constitution and laws Of the United States
He desires to see the Federal Union recon
structed as it was before the secession Of
those States; aud be will oppose the CEN
tralization of power in Congress, and the in
fringement OF the constitutional rights OF the
States, with the same Zeal, energy and power
with which he resisted the assumed right Of
secession en- the part of the States. Iu ORDER
to accomplish this re union of the States the
President desires that South Carolina, us well
as ali the other States in rebellion, should
accept as inevitable and unavoidable the
great final results OF the war.
African SLAVERY, which was cherished in
s,itutioH OF South Caroua trcm key eariies,
colonial history, palriarchal III is character,
under which the negro has multiplied aud
increased with rapidiiy proving IhaV he has
been kindly cared tor aid protected, is gone,
dead forever, nsyer to be revived Or Eopeo
for iii the future OF this Stale. Under the
war-making power, the military authorities OF
the United States have abolished slavery il.
all q tie seceding States. The cath you
have Ssolemniy taken to "abide By and faith
fully support all laws and proclamstions which
have been made during the existing rebellion,
with reference 10 he emancipation OF slaves,"
requires you, in GOOD faith, to abolish slavery
in your new or amended Constitution. TIE
expre,s terms on which your rardonS have
issuedy eipu!ale TIA: you shall never again
own or employ slave labor. 1t is iiheHise
altogether probable ,iat the proposed amend
nent to the Federal Constitution, abo,ishing
slavery, will be aiop,cd by three-fourths OF
the olatrs and 5ccUIAe i part III the Coust!-
tutiou. Moreover i is impossible icr Soutl
Carolina ever to regain her civil rights and
DC restored TO the Union till size Voluntarily
nbo!i>hes slavery, and declares, by an organic
Law, tia. neither slavery nor in7osuntsry
serv;tado, except as u punishment Ior cfiuic,
her the party sbsli hare been duly Con,
Yicted," shall aver again exist withni tue
limits OF the State. Until this is done, We
shall be kept und-c ,uilitary rule, and the
negroes will b. projected IS "frcedulen" by
the whole military force of the United States.
But know tina; you are all honorable mes.
SIS we'll as patriotic men, and Will 40 your
duty faithfully to yourselves ana your coun-
try, however painful it mas be.
in making this unavoidable change ii ycur
aboliShing slavery, and which
will require the substitution OF hi:ed labor
for that of slave labor, it is to be hoped that
mona Of those evils vii! bs experienced which
some have anticipated. By 4 wise, just and
humane trestment of your "Ircelmcn" and
women, you may attach them to You as
strongly in thsir new condition as they were
whilst your slaves. They will soon learn to
see and feel their dependence on you, and
know that their intercs;s require them to be
true and faithful 10 you. ID is to be expected
tha. so great and sudden a chsnso as this iu
the condition OF the ueg:o Will proanse. AT
first, confusion id,eress ard Dissatisfaction,
This. however, will only be temporary. Tine
anG experience mu:t bring order ard system.
The freedman will soon find our. that he
must worl, or perish. Legislation will neces-
sarly be required to regulate the'relatSe
duties of the eln,.!cyer and employee. =,
It is very desirable that you should avail
yourselves Of the present opportunity OF re
forming and populsrlzlng the State Consntu-
ton in several particulars. 1t is the reproach
Of South Carolna abr,a that her Constitu-
tion is less popular and republican in its pro-
visions than that Of any other State in the
Union. And it is thought by many that to
this csusc alone may be traced the origin oi
that disconteut and dissatisfaction wi h the
Federal Government which, after being
nursed for thirty three oc four years, ended
in the SECESSION and rebellion OF thirteen or
fourteen States.
The basis of representation in The Senate
OF this State, as you know, is entirely arbl-
trary, and founded on no just principles o.
property or population. At the time it was
adopted-more than seventy five years aga
, it was, no doub', fair and equal. But, since
that time, the entire relative condilio; OF the
Election Districts has changed. TIE upper
country, at the adoption of our S's.e Cons'i
sution, in 1890, was comparatively bat newly
se,,lod, had sparse populu:oE, ard scry lit
sic weaith. Bat, since that iior. isIs portion
of the State has incseasefs N wealth aat
numbers in much greater ';''io t5sn t-'
lower. H-nce IT is ina! Tie Parish represen
tation ul.rhe Seraie is urcqual and ur1nst
Twenty or thirty voters i'll one OF the Par