Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1865-12-15
SOUTH CAROLINA.
inauguration OfGOy. Orr.--FareMeII Adj
dress of Gov. PeFry.--SsOy. Grr's In
aueurav AdHrasa

On the Doth ult. Hon. James L. Orr wa
inaugurated Governor of South Carolin:
and as indicative of Southern sentiment an
thought at the present time, we give som
extracts from his speech, and also from tn
introductory and farewell speech of Provis
ional Governor B. F. Perry, who said:
Senator's and NemJers Of the House Of Rcpre
scntdtircs:
] have come here to-day to bid Won fare
well, as Provisional Governor of South Car
DINA, and to congratulate you on the restor
ton of the State, once more, to selEgovern
ment and independence as q member of tn,
| Federal Union. | am sure. gentlemen. tha
/ may say, with perfect proprietv, as the re
preventative of the Federal Government il
South Carolina, that the State has don,
enough to entitle her to be received back =,
a member of the Federal Union. with al
her constitutional rights fully restored. Sh,
was foremost in assuming the post Of danger
in the recent revolution, and in her appea'
to arms in defence Of what she honestly be-
| ieved to be her reserved rights rs a State
Calamity and nobly her sons fought
through the war, pouring ont their
blood ard sacrificing their lives on
almost every battlefield throughout the
Southern States. When conquered bv over.
whelming numbers, seeing their towns and
villages nothing but smouldering ruins. their
! beloved State a widespread desolation, their
wives, and sisters, and little children, and
! aged parents at the point Of starvation. like
| brave men they accept the decree of God
and submitted themselves to the dire for
| tunes Of war. Sad and silent with manly
| tortitude and tirmness, they awaited the
| terms Of the cOnqucrOr When those terms
were made known, they were first. with a
generous pride and high chiyalry, to assume
| the humiliation which their State had been
! foremost in bringing on our common coun-
try. Having done all this, yon and your
State have done your duty, gracefully and
faithfully, rs becomes a gallant and generous
people, who are never afraid to assume any
position where honor and patriotism prompt
! know the President desires to relieve YOU
of military rule, and see your Representa-
tives once more seated in the councils of the
nation. cannot believe that Congress- will
exclude them by test oath, for it has nopow-
er to impose on its members any other oath
than that prescribed in the constitution. The
reason for the passage Of this test oath has
passed away, and if not repealed no one in
South Carolina can fill 4 Federal office till
new generation has sprung up, for all now
liying-mcn, women and children-did in
some way, countenance the war 1t is
known to you, gentlemen, that | was
opposed to the secession of South Car
DINA. No man in America regretted
more deeply than | did this fatal
movement, for | thought | foresaw all the
evil consequences which have resulted from
it. But, when the issue was made, my feel
ings in sympathy were all with my native
State. And vet | cOnscientiOuslv believed
that even the success Of the Southern States
would be disastrous. The iealousies and
errors of the Grecian States were constantly
in my mind. DisintegratiOn once commenced
in confederation of Republics, no one could
fOrSee where it would end except in petty
tyrannies, or a consolidated military despot-
ism. Hencetorth, no one will repudiate the
farewell advice of Washington, as to the
importance and perpetuity of the Federal
Union. We all speak the same language,
and have the same common origin. Our
opinions and feelings in regard to the rcpub-
Hcan principles Of government are identical.
There is, too, a similarity in our pursuits
and hadlts, manners, customs, and religion
and education. History teaches us that the
present asperity Of feeling which may exist
in the breasts Of many, in consequence Of the
wrongs and injuries of the war; viii soon
wear out. Brave and honorable men are al
ways ready and willing to become reconcilcd.
History teaches us, too, that the rayages of
war are much more easily repaired than one
Is apt to suppose. An industrious and en-
terprising people will soon restore 4 country
desolated by war. Such a people may soon
convert a wilderness into productive and
highly improved farms. No one need dcs-
pair of the State In few years, with peace
and industry, everything will change and
wear prosperous and happy aspect.
Governor Orr then spoke as follows:
Gentlemen Of the Senate and House Of Repre-
scatatires:
The people OF South Carolina seeded
from the Federal Union under an earnest
and honest conviction that they had the
constitutional right so to do; and they were
equally earnest and honest in the convic-
ton that their interest and the security of a
very large property in slaves required them
to resort to this extreme measure Other
States united with her to set up new gov
ernmcnt The Executive, the Legislative,
and the Judicial Department of the United
States Government all denied the right
which we had asserted, and war cnsued. |
The parties knew that slavery was the real
foundation Of the collision between the sec !
tions. The South engaged in it to preserve |
and perpetuate it; the North to destroy it.
-Four years Of bloody, desolating war was |
spent in settling the issue, which had been |
to the arbitrament of the sword, |
and that High Tribunal from which there |
is no earthly appeal decided the cause !
against Us. The war has decided, first |
That one or more of the States of the Fed |
eral Union have not the right, at will, to .
secede thereirom. The doctrine of seces-
sion, which was held to be orthodox in the |
State Rights school Of politics, is now ex-
pIoded for any practical purpose. The
theory of absolutesoyereignty Of a State Of the
Federal Union, from whence was derived the
right TO secede,) which was believed al
most universally to be a sound constitu-
tiOnal construction, must also be materially
modified to conform to this imposing deci3-
ion. Where the rights Of a State are disre-
garded, or unconstitutional acts done by any
department of the Federal Government, |
redress can no longer be sought by interpo-
sing the sovereignty of the State, either for
lulilhCdIlbu OF SCCtSSlOU buI lne REMEDY |
Is by petition or remOnstrancc; by reason,
which, sooner or later will overtake Justice;
Jy an appeal to the supreme judicial power
If the Union; or by revolution, which, if
unsuccessful, Is treason. The decision was
ar more imposing and obligatory than if it
lad been pronounced by the Supreme Court
If the United States Had it been tried
here, an effort to reverse it might have been
made, because its members and opinions
,tton change. But the God Of battles has
pronounced an irreversible judgment, after
long, desperate and sanguiuarv struggle
nd it would be neither polite or patriotic
yer again TO invoke a new trial Of the fear
i'll issue. President johnson was well ac-
Iuainted with the South, with her politics
nd politicians, and knew, however crron-
Gus in his judgment may have been their
political principles, that they honestly enter
aimed the sentiments which they FTofessed,
nd for which they periled their all and
fter failing in their end, when they proposed
o return to their loyalty, that humanity and
'olicy dictated that they should not be
united down for ignominious punishment. !
hall give his policy of reconstruction an
arrest and Jealous support. The war de
ided, second: That slavery should be to-
ally and absolutely cxtcrminatCd IN all the
tates of the Union. The Legislature has
ollowed up the action of the Convention,
v passing the Constitutional amendment
proposed by the Federal Congress prohibit
ne slavery everywhere in the United States,