The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-02-03
Letter from, Governor Orr.

Governor On, of South Carolina,
under date, of January 10, 1866, ad-
dressed long letter to the President,
In relation to the sea island lands,
from which the following extracts
are made: In the lower part of the
State, scarcely contract has been, or
can be, made. The delay in carrying
out your instructions of last October
positively, which has continued from
General Howard's visit to Captain
ketchum's return, within the past
few days, renders the freedmen, as a
body, incredulous of any restoration.
They have in many places quietly
but firmly refused to accept any
terms; but, I regret to say, that within
the last few days they have in some
instances resorted to violence, burn
ing down dwellings,, destroying
bridges, entrenching themselves in
their quarters and refusing either to
contract or to give way to those who
will. And in these cases, it is proper
to say, that the contracts offered them
have been approved by the United
States authorities as liberal and Just.
This IS not unnatural, for as long as
the freedman has reason to believe
that the Government will give him a
homestead of forty acres, he will not
voluntarily work for wages. It can
not, think, be denied that the action
of the F'reedman's Bureau in this
State has largely contributed to this
unfortunate result. Without entel-
ing into the minute detail of it's ad-
ninistration, I am constrained to say
that there is, to my mind, sufficient
evidence of an unwillingness to CO.
operate cordially with the policy of
the Government Certificates of title
have. been in some cases granted to
persons filling none of the conditions
even of Gen. Sherman's order, and
have been given to chance visitors to
the islands for lands, not only for
themselves, but for their friends who
had never been away from their homes
In the interior. Great delay has been
interposed in the execution of the
forms necessary to restoration, and
the bureau has, indeed, gone far to
defeat the very object of your orders,
for it has decided that where q freed
man refuses to contract on any terms,
however just, that in such case there
can be no mutually satisfactory ar
rangement, and his refusal acts as a
bar to restoration.
In addition to this, the whole of
the Parish of st. Helena, and a great
portion of st. Luke's, comprising
the body of the estates which, in
intrinsic value, in their former
amount of product, cannot be sur
passed by an equal extent of country
III any State of the Union, have been
appropriated by the Government
under the provisions Of the direct
Tax Act. These lands are occupied
by freedmen; some under the pre-
tence Of allotment; some under pre-
tence of purchase; some under pre-
tence of Gen. Sherman's order, and
most under no pretence at all. The
Fax Commissioners charged with the
execution of these acts have mani
tested these sympathies as the agents
of the Freedman's Bureau, and this
whole section of country is held out
rs not only o home Of the refugees,
but is a land of promise for every in
dolent freedman in the State.
Finally, bill has been reported to
Congress, and is now under discus
sion, by which the titles granted
under General Sherman's field orders
are to be confirmed for three years.
l do not think, therefore, that I am
risking either an extreme or doubtful
opinion when L say that the chief
cause of all our difficulty, in finding
a solution of this question of labor,
proceeds from the action of the Co.
vernment encouraging the belief that
the sea coast region of South Caro-
lima IS to be confiscated for the pur-
pose of establishing q system of inde-
pendent colonization for the freed
men. If this is not so, then the in
terests of this State require that this
impression, so generally prevailing,
should be authoritatively denied, and
that those who, for purposes of per-
sonal interest or of political agitation,
are endeavoring to prolong and to
exaggerate our present embarrass-
ment, should be deprived of so effect
i've a means of mischief. Can any
reason be found why the planter on
the coast, who was driven from his
home in 1861 or 1862, should now
have his lands appropriated for dis
trlbution, while his fellow citizens of
the middle or upper districts, whose
estates have been untouched, whose
industry has been undisturbed, but
has participated as fully and heartily
in the war, shall be confirmed in pos