Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1866-12-05
GOVERNORS MESSAGE.
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT,

-e, CoLUMBIA, Nov. II, 1866.
Gsnsleussn of hs Senate ssszg rss ~ -,
BE- 3 and House Of REPRESENTATIVES:
Z Your annual assembling at the, seat Of gov
: ernmept has heretofore beensthe occasion o
congratulation by the Executive, upon tht
continued happiness, prosperity and improve
ment of the commonwealth. l regret tina
no such greeting can be extended to you OF
the present. occasion. We no longer heal
the clash of arms, nor the tread of hostile
armies, and our people have escaped the
scourge of that terrible disease, which revel:
in the shocking carnival of death. Whilst
the general health has not been good, the viru
lence and mslignity of disease have beer
mitigated, and comparatively small fatality
has visited the sick room For these bleS
sings, our thanks are due the great Ruler oi
The Universe. In the depths Of humiliation
9 and contrition, let us.invoke Him to avert the
evils that are upon us--to stay the hand Of
our prosecutors, to turn away the wrath, and
bring to nought the counsels of those who
would oppress and destroy US, and to restore
to US the happiness and prosperity of former
years. .rSy-g,s7 = srsg :.
The toll of the ,hnsbapdman has brought
him scanty return from his felds-the grain
crop is alarningly Small-the cotton crop in
many portions of the State will not suffice to
furnish the means of supplying provisions
our population, white aud colored, are aban.
doning their old homes and country, and are
emigrating to strange places, where they can
find bread. With the loss of labor our farms
must dilapidate, our fields remain untitled,
our granaries continue empty, and our pro,
gress in developing he resources OF the State
must be arrested The failure of the earth
to make generous return to the toil of the
husbandman, causes the, goods Of the mer
chant to rest unsold on his shelyes-and
keeps the tool of the mechanic idlc-the
learning of the professional man useless. The
political condition of the country-the intol-
erance of our comprehensive prescription to
which we aresubjected, by those who should be
our loving brothers, aud who WELD the des-
tinies of this great nation-ttese evils iutimi'
date capital, paralyze enterprise, disorganize
labor, and destroy hope and confidence. The
enormous tax on cotton discourages produc-
tion, and aggravates the financial embarrass-
ment Of the people. .;...z +,
Never, therefore, in the history of the
State, has Legislature assembled under less
favorable auspices, to provide for the wants
of an impoverished and disheartened constit.
uency.
But these extraordinary embarrassments
must be met with wisdom, patience and
courage, with energy and hope, and manly
resolve to subdue and overcome them. We
must keep our population here-we must
provide for their present necessitieS-we
must stimulate our white population to go
earnestly to work, and letthem see that labor
is honorable and idlentss reprehensible. En-.
tering new year with this fixed determina-
ton, our fields will be better cultivated, and
the next harvest time will find our gamers
well filed with the products of the soll,7Ifhe
staple cruys viii be more abcndant, and the
financial embarrassments of the people will,
by consequence, be greatly relieved. Let US
cherish hope and practice such Industry as
shall merit the 6l6llment Of these anticpa-
tions. - - = -
l therefore proceed to make such recon-
mendations as will, in my judgment, promote
the interest Of our common constituency.
DISTRICT COURTS.
The third Article of the Constitution OF
this State, in the third paragraph of the first
Section, directs that +" the General Assembly
shall, as soon as possible, establish, for each
District in the State, an inferior Court or
Courts, to be styled "the District Court
the Judge whereof shall be resident in The
District, while in office; shall be elected by
the General Assembly for four years, aud
shall be re. .eligibe-which Court shall have
jurisdiction of all causes wherein one or both
of the parties are persons Of color, and of all
criminal cases. wherein the accused is per-
son of color; and the General Assembly is
empowered to extend the Jurisdiction of the
said Court to other subjects" 1t is unfor-
tunate that this clause YVES inserted in the
Constitution. The first paragraph Of the
Section declares, that "the judicial power
: shall be vested in such superioS and inferior
%Oourts sof Law and Equity ras the General
Assembly shall, from time to time, direct and
establish !" and this is sufficiently comprehen
sive to authorize the establishment of any In
ferior Court which the wisdom of the Gene
raj Assembly may determine whether it be a
Police, District, County OF Magistrates Court.
Here, the largest discretion is given to you
and such tribunals may be established as ex-
perience or necessity may dictate; but the
clause already quoted requires the General
Assembly to " establish District Courts" and
these Courts must be continued until the Con-
stitution is amended in the prescribed man
ner. or the Instrument itself will be violated
In order that the largest discretion may be
allowed the General Assembly, in devisine
the best judiciary system to meet our wants
in the recently changed relations of society,
recommend that the present General Assem-,
bly provide for an amendment of the Consti.
tuition, by striking out the third paragraph il
the Article aforesaid The next General As.
sembly can consummate the amendment, and
then, the Legislature will be left, with unre-
strictedc discretion, to establish such superior
and inferior Courts 'as, to them, shall seem
meet Whilst this amendment is being CON-
summatcd, the District Courts may be put
fully into operation, and one years expert
euce will, probably, decide whether they are
adapted to the wants and meet the necessi
ties of the public. If they should be foand
impracticable, inefficient, or TOO expensive
they may be abrosated, and some better sys.
tenn may be instituted. Wearc thrown upon
novel times, and all our legislation to meet
our new situation is purely experimental. i
woulI 1t be wise to discard and repeal tht
legie on of each preceding session, because
I'll. d to work smoothly or give entire salts
faction. When deficiencies are discovered
remedy them, BY amendment or modification
90 human wisdom is equal.tothe task Of Civ
ing perfect system Of Courts and Laws
when an ancient system must bere2o!ution
ized, to correspond with radical charges il
social, domestic, industrial and political rcla
tions. After one years fair experiment., i
may be found that tho District Court is th'
dssideratum. The Act of the last session
"to amend the Act establishing Distric