Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1866-12-08

do 80, the appointment OF cacL defaultcr should
be annullcd
NotarIcs Public are, likewise, appointed and
commissioned by the Governor, and arc in.
vested with grave official duties The Sccrc-
tary OF State alone, can certify the official
character OF IL Notary Public, and he can make
no such certificate with safety, unless he chan
ccs to know the hand writing Every Notary
T l'uhiic,4now holding such commission, or WHO
may hereafter be appointed. should Likewise
be required to forward 10 the Secretary OF
State, an impression Of his official seal ON wax
and paper, with his autograph, within sixty
days, or his appointment should be revoked.
CONGRESSIONAL ELEcTIoNs
The last Congressional election in this State
was held pursuant to Il resolution Of The Gen
era Assembly. and there is now no provision
"f law Tor holding intnrc elections. Although
our Representatives last elected, have not
been permitted by the Congress of the United
States to occupy their seats, it is the duty OF
the General Assembly to provide, hy general
statute. for the holding Of general elections
Tor each succccdin" Congress. The convent
ence OF the people would indicate that these
elections should be ordered bicunin!lv. on the
day that members Of the General Assembly
arc chosen, to wi: : Tie third "Wednesday in
October, of each odd year. Representatives
to Congress would then take their seats the
following Dcccnbcr coming fresh from the
people, and represent popular sentiment on
the public questions Of Tic day, with more
certainty than il elected IS heretofore, the DC.
tobcr year prcccdin" thc meeting of Congress
lfan extra session Of Congress should be called
before the day fixed for the election, the Gov
ernor might be authorized To order, 10y prcca-
nation, the elections 1T an cu,licr day. and
thus secure the representation of the State 1T
such extra session.
JCRlsDICTioN RENTED BY THE MILITARY
To TIE CIVIL AUTHORITIES.
The Acts passed at the late cxtia session
were transmitted to the Military Communicate
OF the Department Of the Carolin;:s ut Charles.
ton, and on the fist day of Ou,obtr last, by
Gencral Orders, he rr,niIt.d all c scs in which
the inhabltnnts of this State were concerned.
civil and criminal, to the civil authorities If
t;ans 81 lily SfS j. uy uesSa SSSsp Sps s & 81 a4ts tbs
If the freedmen receive that protection of
person and property which the law, now guar.
untec them, wc will not again DC aljudecd by
Provost Courts, and Military Commissions,
and we will yindiratc before tic world, our
high sense of moral right, l.y enforcing impair
tiaI Justice, whether The sutton DC luniLlcu or
exalted.
Experience will demonstrate the wislcn OF
your enactment authorizing negroes TO testify
in all cases. 1t takes away the impnni,y
which bad men have long cniryed, in tempt.
ing these ignorant people to perpctratc crime
for the benefit Of the tcmptors.
The result If the experiment ut the late
Fall Term Of the Courts has been entirely sat,
istactory. and most Of the freedmen who have
been called to the w;tncss stand, have mani
tested highly credit bic desire to tell the
truth The extension Of the privilege has
had sautary influence in encouraging and
ccvating their moral senses. Many Of them
appreciate their obl;g; tons to society, and
readily assist III bringing 10 punishment evil
doers Of their own color. They are invaluable
to the productive resources of the State, and
if their labor be lost 10y removal to other sec
tions, it will convert thousands of acres Of pro-
ductive land into drcary wilderness. For
this reason, | have felt it to he my duty to
discourage their mi grafton. The short crops
of the present year should stimulate tic plan
ter and farmer to renewed energy and enter
prise. lie will however, find his lands Of
little value, if he conlot command labor to
cultivate them If the negro remain here,
his labor must be made sufficiently rcmuncra-
tive to subsist and cothe him coufn,tably.--
Schools must be established to educate his
children, and churches built fer Lis ,noral
training.
The experiment Of free labor, whilst it has
not been entirely satisfactory, is fur from prov
ing failure Where the blacks have been
adequately compensated and kindly treated,
they have generally l.bored faithfully. Sud
denly relieved from the controlling will of
others, and exempted from the compulsory la
Dor which had, through life, been cxactcd
from them, they have performed, during the
present year, an amount of voluntary labor,
which may well excite surprise. The indo-
, lencc of some, and tic improvidcncc Of many.
will doubtless c"nse them to uud, rso much
suffering before thcv arc educated fully to the