Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1865-12-23
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
~ 81 STCoN1fJNIJED.

ing it; and in the Acts of Congress during that
poriod, nothing can be found which, during the,
continuance of hostilties, much less after their,
close, would htve sanctioned any departure by the
Executive from q policy which has so uniformly
obtained. Moreover a concession Of the elective
franchise to the freedmen, BY act of the President
of the United States, must have been extended to
est oSas sase in he
Middle and Western States, not less than in the
Southern and Southwestern. Such an act would
have created new class of voters, and would have
been an assumption of power by the President
. which nothing in the Constitution or laws of thc
United States would have warranted. u
On the other hand, every danger of conflict
is avoided when the settlement Of the question
is referredsto the several States. They can,
each for itself, decide on the measure, and
whether it is to be adopted at once and abso-
lutely, or introduced gradually and with con
they show patience and manlygbirtues, will
franchise throughthe States than through the
Intervene When the tumnt Of emotions that
have been raised by. the suddenness of the So
cial change shall have subsidized, it may prove
that they will receive the kindliest usage from
some Of those on whom they have heretofore
most closely depended '',
But while have no doubt that now after
the close of the war, it is not competent for
the general government to extend the elective
franchise in the severa States, it is equally
clear that good faith requires the security of
the freedmen in, their liberty and their prop
'erty, their right to labor, and their right to
claim the just return of'their labor. cannot
too strongly urge dispassionate treatment of
this subject, which should be carefully kept
aloof from all party strife. We must equally
avoid hasty assumptions Of any natural impos-
sibility for the two races to live side by side,
IL. a state of mutual benefit and good will. The
experiment Involves us in no inconsistency
let us, then, go on and make that experiment
in good faith,s and not be too easily disheart-
ened. The country is in need of labor and
the freedmen are in need Of employment, cul-
ture and protection. While their right of
voluntary migration and expatriation is not to
be questioned, would not advise their forced
removal and colonization. Let us rather en,
courage them to honorable and useful indus
try, where it may be- beneficial to themselves
and to the country and, instead oe hasty an
ticipations ofthe certainty Of failure, let there
be nothing Wanting to the fair trial of the ex-
pertinent. The change in their condition is
the substitution of labor by contract for the
status Of slavery The freedman cannot fairly
be,accused of unwillingncss, to work, so long
as a doubt remains about his freedom of choice
in his pursuits, and the certainty of his recov-
ering his stipulated wages. In this the inter
ests Of the empoyerand the employed coincide
The employer desires iu his workmen spirit
and alacrity, and these can be permanently
secured in no other way. And if the one
Ought to be able to enforce the contract, so
ought the other. The public interest will be
best promoted, if the several States will pro
vide adequate protection and remedies for the
freedmen: Until this is in some way accom-
I. plished, there is no chance for the advanta-
'geous use of their labor; and the blame of
illsuccess will not rest on them.
| know that sincere phianthropyis earnest
for thesimmediate realization of its rcmotest
aimsi but time is always aa element in reform
.Atis one Of the greatest acts on record to have
brought four millions Of people into freedom
The career of free industry must be fairly
opened to them and then their future pros
perity and condition must, after all, rest main
ly on themselves If they fail, and SO perish
away, let us be careful that the failure shar
!. not be attributable to any denial Of Justice
In all that relates to the destiny of the freed
men, we need not be too anxious to read the
future; many Incidents which, from, spccu
lative point Of view, might raise alarm, will
quietly settle themselves ,.
New that slavery is at an end or near its