The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-09-28
south Carolina-Gov. Orr.

W. Il.
South Carolina--Gov. Orr.
From an article in the New York
Times, of Monday, we extract the
following:
No one will deny that the Union
CONVENTION embraced the representa-
tive myr of the South-the men to
whose Keeping, of NIL others, the mass
of the Southern people would most
readily and cheerfullv commit their
public interests. No one will soberlv
venture to allege that Gov. Orr is not
more thoroughly representative
Southerner than Gov. Hamilton. He
may not have political record dur
ing the era of secession which can be
commended, but he is none the less
representative of intelligent public
opinion at the South as we find it to-
day. Before Gov. Orr's appearance
at the Philadelphia Convention, in
South Carolina the provisions and
the operation of the State laws were
such as to perpetuate the old distinc-
tlons between the two races in mat
ters pertaining to their civil rights.
Gov. Orr, in meeting the State Lee
g1slature on his return from the Con-
vention, made it his first official duty
to recommend thorough revision of
the statutes affecting the status and
the protection of the freedmen in the
civil courts. Such Recommendation
carried with it not only the authority
of the Chief Executive of the Com
monwealth; it had the double force
OF an appeal from a man trusted by
the Southern people, and who had
made himself acquainted, by per-
sonal conference in the Union Con-
ventlon, with the real sentiments of
loyal liberal men at the North. Sum
marlly, Gov. Orr's recommendation
to the Legislature involved neither
more nor less than the incorporation
into the State laws, of the seventh
article in the declaration of princi-
pies made at Philadelphia, which
reads thus:
7th. Slavery is abolished and for
ever prohibited, and there is neither
desire nor purpose on the part of the
Southern States that it should ever
be re-established upon the soil or
within the jurisdiction of the United
States, and the enfranchised slaves in
all the States of the Union should
receive. IN common with oil their in
habitants, equal protection in every
right of person and property.
This declaration South Carolina
has now embodied in a legislative
enactment, which provides, as will be
seen by our special despatch, for a
perfect equality of rights between the
blacks and the whites before the State
courts. All the old black laws, in
consistent with the Act now in force.
are repealed. and South Carolina
stands, to-day, on the same platform,
so far as concerns the repeal of the
barbarous portion of her code, as the
freest State in the Union. Surely
there is solid gain here to the cause
or restoration and thorough recon
cllement-if there is not also q step
taken toward the acceptance of the
constitutional amendment. Under
Gov. Orr's advice, and acting under
the enlightenment of the Philadel-
phla Conference, the leading State in
tne secession movement has rol,ntu-
rly purged herself of all that re-
mained Of her former barbarous sys-
tenn. She has done so in way which
mas done no violence to her self-re-
sspect; IN way, too, which will give
the poor freedman q far better guar
antee for protection and safety, and q
lar better assurance of kindly treat
ment, than they could have as the
result of outside legislation, or mill
tary DEGREES.
1t is in the way of example, con-
sultation, friendly advice and kindly
remonstrance, that the aims and the
action Of the Philadelphia National
Convention have been and will be
felt. If it inaugurate no party revo-
luton, it has none the less claim to
be regarded as an agency of recon
citation between the divided sections
or the country. If its action fail in
lnodcr@ ing the extreme views of a
faction, IT'S influence upon liberal
conservatives will be healthy and per-
manent, as pointing the way to
honorable compromise ground and
substan tial peace.