Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1865-11-08
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Message OF provisional GOV. Perry.

y L~cElAihtule, ana were iamu1ar Win incl
: official duties. I knew too well thechar
= acter Of South Carolina 10 doubt for
r moment that her sons would prove loya
! and true, after renewing their oaths .
allegiance to the United States. In thi
: way 1 re-established civil government q
, once in South Carolina, and greatly es
pedited her reconstruction. An election
Tor members Of the Convention TO reviS
our State Constitution was immediately
ordered. Magistrates were authorized d
administer the oath Of allegiance, so q
to qualify the voters In time fol
the election. 1 also restored civil
law throughout the State, and OF
deTed the courts to be opened. Thes,
measures were objected TO by themilitary
authorities, az transceDding my power,
rs Provisional Governor. But the Pres,
ident sustained me i'll all I had done, and
ordered the military authorities not tC
interfere with my policy of rec0nstruc.
ton. Like a wise statesman and patriot
he cOnides in the people, desires to see
them enjoying civil liberty and govern
ing themselves. Washington had the
immortal honor of creating the American
Republic; and TO Andrew johnson will
be assigned, in history, the glory ofhaving
reconstructed its broken and dismem-
beTed fragments without marring its civil
beauties. Like Washington, too, he is,
by his Just, wise and magnanimOus pol
icy, uniting and consolidating All parties
in support Of his administration.
The action Of The Convention is then
reviewed at length. The case of the
blacks IS thus mentioned
The emancipation Of our slaves viii in
all probability, abstraer greatly from the
active labor Of the country. Planters
and farmers should dispose of a portion
Of their lands TO immigrants and capital
lists from Europe and the North. This
win increase the wealth and industry o.
the State, and render more valuable the
l0nds which remain unsold. It viii also
have a wholesome check on the c0l0red
population, and strengthen our security
from instructions and violence. Three
fourths of the State of South Carolina are
uncultivated, Instead Of a population Of
! seven hundred thousand, Il territory is
sufficient to support one OF seven millions,
if properly distributed in manufactures,
commerce and agriculture.
II becomes your urgent duty, gentle
men, 70 make immediate provision for
the protection and government of the
freedmen and c0lored people who have
been SO suddenly released from slavery
in their ignorance and restitution. This
is alike due to humanity and justice, as
we'll as the imperative necessities of
society. The negro has lost the prOtec-
ton Of his master, and he must now be
protected by the law, This is expected
OF YOU by the President and the Federal
Congress, and Will remove all pretense
for military rule in the State, as well as
10 facilitate your speedy restoration to
the Union and self-gOvernment. The
negro is innOcent Ofall that he has gained
and all that you have lost, and he is en-
titled to your sympathy and kindness,
your protection and guidance.
The Governor then proceeds to instruct
the Clerk of the House of Representa-
tives concerning his duties; and to de-
clare the test oath as applied to members
of Congress unconstitutional. He says
The election of members Of Congress
should be provided for at as early a day as
possible. II is a matter Of the highest
Importance that Il Representative I'M
Congress should be in Washington, ready
to take their seats, on the first Mondai
in December. By actof Congress, passd
March, eighteen hundred and sixtr
three, It is made the duty Of the Clerkf
the previous House of Representatives.
make "A roll Of the Representative
Eltfts hlu ANAatt tLAtAfyA ALAE AeA4tEHS VI
all persons and such persons only, wOse
credentials show that they were regUYrly
elected in accordance with the Laws OF
their States respectively, or the las OF
lie United SIates.n 1t is therefor the
imperative duty Of the clerk to cad the
roll OF the members Of the Southern
States, whose credentials have 6pH eX-
hlbited 10 him and shown that tISy were
regularly elected. lie has<uo more
right under this act, to exclUfe the mem-
b.r- elect from south Carakna than hehas
10 eyejlule tlnsg fr8RI Massachusetts. /
The FEDERAL dutlonIcS have maintained
that the Union never Was dissolved u
that the SOuthim states have always
been and still aT members oit1at Union.
In JAY eighteen hundred n sIxty-two,
Congress passed an act prescribing an
oath of Office for all persons to take Who
Were elected or appointed TO any Office Of
honor or profit under tke Government OF
the United states. Thlsoathr requires the
party to swear that ne has never borne
arms against the United states that pc
has never held or sought office under aAy
power inimical TO the United states t1at
he has given no aid, counsel or cou1te-
nance to psrsGns in hostility 10 the IQated
States and that he has not yielQed g
voluntary support 20 any authority yostie
10 tbs United States. Ii this Oath6 toDe
applied 10 membe@ Of Congress IL
will, of course. exclide all fom South
Carolina. 1t may, Witt truthi be
said that no Dlan ia south Carolina
can take il without committing per-
Jury. But the Constitution OF the United
states prescrbes al oath fer the members
of CONGRESS to tske, and they cannot be
required t5 take any other oath c0nstitU-
tionallv.. Tbere may have been some
show OF prqpriety for eZaetiNg TINS oath
when ii yts enacted, amidst the war
between Jhe Southern States and the
United Hates; but there al be none
now, uless it be for the purpose Of ex-
cludingthe Southern people from all 9I8ce
within their respective State, and still
holdiE those St3tes in military spbiee-
Uon.lI know that this is not the policy
-efte President and / cannot believe
thaft will be the avowed policy of the
Eeeral Congress. II the Southern mem
bel are present when the roll Is called by
Stfes, they viii take Il part in the or
gatlgation OF the House, and may vote
aginst the oath being rendered 70 the
numbers when they are sworn.
THE organization Of tho militia Is a
rNasure OF the highest Importance, under
exiting circumstances. have received
Inclination from the Secretary Of state
at Washington Ihat, as soon as Our State
Government is organized, all the Federal
trOOB would be Withdrawn from South
Carolina. We must then rely on the
militia for the protection Of the State
against insurrection and domestic vio- ]
fence It Is a matter of serious considera-
Ution, however, whether we should not
desire 70 retain, for the present, a portion
OF the Federal troops in the State. The
freedmen and coi0red people look tothese
troops as their friends and protectors, aud
would be much less likely 10 have any
collision with them than Ntththe militia:
have the pleasure Of informing you
that President johnson has expressed to
me his qualification az tbs amendments
made IN our Constitution, and his conf
dent hope that we should soOn be, once
more, "a united, happy and prosperous
people, forgetting the past and looking
only 10 the future welfare of our common
country
Whatever mey be said of the state of
lcur finances, I am sure South Carolina
viii never sullY her loEOr by any act of
rtDudiation. If I'VE have lost everything
else, let US, ON thar acd unit, be more
careful Of maintaining the honor Of ,he
NState.
IN cC~aelusion, z would urge you, gem
uepen, 10 look only to the future in your.
lss&at.on, aud forget, 50 far as you oan,
the past. There is much 10 hope andlive
for yetin South ClroIina. We should
congratulate ourselves and the country
that civil var has CEASED, and peace is re-
stored to the land. No longer are our
citizens TO De forced from their homes
and families, and offered q bloody sacri-
flee on the field Of battle. No longer Is
our beloved state t. be ravaged and desc
lated snd our toWls and Villages COM
united TO Ia. flames. A merciful Provi-
dence has once more blessed u land
with an abundant crop, and no lon
s. ger haYe we any a-pprehensions OF
want and starvation, We are in
the enjoyment of health. Our young
men, nbble and gallant soldiers, are
peaeeabE resuminE their former voca-
/. tons, AMI exerting themselves in restor-