The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1866-01-03
Affairs in Alabama.
IyAuGrEA1 ADDRESS OF GovEENoE PATTON

INAUGURAL ADDRESS OF GOVERNOR PATTON.
The inaugural address of ROBERT NJ. PATTON Cover
nor of Alabama is long and interesting document lie
says that sat the beginning OF The year lSGl Alabama
contained nearly million OF Inhabitants ana all
brauchc, If industry and trade Wa prosperous
Villages towns and cities were lourishing aud internal
improvements rapidly and satisfactorily gong lor-
ward nine hundred and nineiy-seven thousand haics
of cotton were produced in 1860: and Alabama had be-
the est cottongrownS state IL the ti"'i pro-
ducing about one-ffth of the ertir; American crop
The result; of the war proved mos. disastrous, for the
Governor adds:
OF thc wide waste and ruin which the has wrought
upon our once happy country, Alabama has suffered
full share OF her brave who entered the army 1t
may be safely stated that from thrtyve tousanu 10
forty thousand persisted i'll tho service IN natural
wealth. her loss in species Of property acnc ta' OF
slaves is not less than s. 80 0000OO and the aggregate
amount losses of the various other descriptions OF
property must be equally as much Hence we find that
in this State alone have sustained loss in actual and
substantial wealth of at least $500, O,eO0,o oOo
think We may all profit much BY contrasting inc
prosperity and Happiness which country enjoyed
at the beginning of the recent war; with Its crppe ah
almost ruined condition. III doing tins we sha i'rsei
the contentious chickering's, passions, exclcments anu
dissensions through which we have passed; OF II we
cannot forget at least let rs rise above thcm Let us
be man, and if VIC are unable to recover ga,
which has been lost it becomes to bend our united
energies in saving and improving that which remains
to
closed
the United States The South lay PROSTATE and helpless
at the feet Federal power During the war the leGisa'
ton of Congress necessarily nsed with the passions
of the times and upon tho return OF peace there were
found upon the national satute books Of tic most
stringent and proscTiptiye laws for the punishment OF
persons and confscation Of property There was Dut
one way by which We could cecape the penalties OF those
rigorous enactmets and that was through TIC pdruon
ing power of the President.
The Governor discusses other points as follows:
The reconstruction restoration policy OF the Pres,
dent was duly submitted to the people CT Aabama anu
has been unhesitatngly accepted by them 1t may be
safely asserted that rs far the work of reconstruction
has progressed in this State 1t has been In strict con-
forny with what understood to be the policy OF the
general government. Without undue murlnuriIS, anu
in perfect good fah people have patrotlcauy con-
formed to a the c1gencics of the situation They iul
and fairly accept the results OF the war With Ill their
legitimate consequences. ,,
In the wear lS45 the bonded liabilities OF Alabama
amounted to o00 This heavy indebtedness
created. in part at least oy system OF DanSns &
the general operations of which detrimental to the
public interest But by wise and judicious policy
this large debt has been far reduced that our laD
ties on account of State bonds of the present time
amount to only S344500O. These bonds are payable as
follows: So 600, payable in the city OF New iorS
and bearing only per cent interest; payan,
in London and bearing also per cent interest,", ano
the remaining S6SS000, payable likewiee III LONDON
bearing IN interest of per cent per annum Inns IL
comparatively small debt, which comes completely
within the financial controi anu inanaeeuen' u 'n'
State. ,. l., $50,
labor system The extinction OF slavery ls one OF the
inevitable results of tho The relation heretofore
subssting between the whites and blacks has been TO-
tally changed The negroes arc now free and this stu
born fact is fully and unequivocauy recognized. h0"
far governmental action may be able to promote the
common interest of the two races in their suddenly
changed condition. is problem which time alone can
solve. ,.,
"Thc normal vocation of the negro is that of cult
yator of the soil The soil and climate Of Alabama arc
peculiarly adapted to the grow tn OF great
STAPLE which Yields most potent influence in the com
mercial world Landowners are dependant on tho ne
for the labor which necessary to produce cotton
tAe AsSG ps p Aynh er!6f q n
lands TO make themselves Independent living. Ii
their new condition their future happiness or misery de
pends entirely upon themselves. They will find no dis
position on the part of the whites to oppress them o
withhold from them any of those rights to which they
are entitled as freedmen.