Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1866-12-08
2 @ L I II T O a Il
GOVERNORS MESSAGE.
EXECUTIVE DEPA RTAlENT, J
COLUMBIA, S. G, November 81, 1866.

rtScHfUftGGS.
Your annual assembling at the scat of gov.
ernnlcnt has heretofore been the occasion Of
congratulation by the Executive, upon the
continued happiness, prosperity and improve
mcnt, OF the common wealth. | regret that
no such greeting can be extended to YOU on
the present occasion. We no longer hear the
clash OF arms. nor the tread Of hostile armies,
and our people have escaped tie scourgc t
that terrible disease, which rrvclS in the shock
ing carnival Of death. Whilst the general
health has hnt been good, the virulcncc and
mnlignity Of disease have been m;tigatrd
and comparatively sn,all fatality has visited
the sick rpom For these blessings, our :lla,.},s
arc due the great Ruler Of the Universe In
the depths OF humiliation aud coutriton, let
US invoke Him tn avert the evils that are ur.
on us--to Stay the hand OF our prosecutors,
to turn away tho wrath, and bring to nou.ht
the c0unscIs at those who would cypress and
destroy us, aud to restore 70 US The iap,,,rss
and prosperity of former years
The toilof .!.e husband ,nan has b, ourht linn
scanty return from his .ells--tl.e grain crop
is alarmnuly slail-lhu cotton crup i'm many
p'rtlous OF The State will not suffice ,u furnish
q mems Of supplying rroyi>ons--our pop
ulation, white aud cuur,d, are ahanloninu
thcir old homes ad country, and are cmigr,
ting to strange places, where they can ii.d
bread " lts the loss Of labor. our farms
must dia)ndatc, our fields remain Untitled
our grnnailcs continue empty. and our FRO
ErcSS III developing he resources ui the State
must TIC arrested The failure of to earth
10 make generous return IL the toll of the
hnsbandman causes the no"dS of the mcr.
chant to rest uusoId on Lis Shclvrs-;ud keeps
the tool Ct tie mcrhau;c l|c--tlr learning n!'
the professional man useless. The political
condition OF the c"nn.ry the intolerance Of
our conqucrnrs--t'.c prnscri rtion 10 which We
arc subjected, by those who should be our luv.
ing brothers aud who wiri.l lhc de<tinirs of
this great natiun--thrse evils intimidate can.
ital, paralyzc enterprise. dis"rganizn labor, and
destroys hope and confidence. The enormous
tax ON cotton dscour,ycs productions and ng.
gravatcs the financial embarrassment OF the
people.
Never. therefore, in tho history of the State.
has Legislature assembled under IS favolY..
bic auspices. to provide for the wants Of al
impoverished aud 'lishna,tnne,l CONSTITUENCIES
i'nt these extraordinary rnblrraSsNcntS
must be met with wi~'lnrn, pn,rnce and cour
age, with energy and hope aud mauly re.
solve to snbduc ard overcome them. We
must keep our p"rui+tiun hcrc--w we must pro.
vide for their present ncccssitics--wc nnst
stimulate our white population to 20 earnestly
to work. aud let them see that labor is hunUr
able and idl"ncSs rcprchcnSblc. catering Il
new year with this fixed drtrrminulnn. our
fields will be better cultivated, and the mex,
harvest time vii find our garncr< well flied
with the products of the soil The staple
crops will Lc more abundant, and the fnan,
cial cmbarrassn,c,ts Of the people wil, by
hn roll vail .t nc
cherish hope and practice such industry as
shall merit tho Iuiiiiinlcnt of these unt;cipl.
tions.
DISTRICT COURTS.
The third Article of the Constitution of
this State, in the third paragraph of the first
Section, directs that " the General Assembly
alrl', as snon AS possible, establish, for each
District in the State, an inferior Court or
Courts, to be styled 't!c District Court -
the Judge whereof shall be resident in the
District, while in office shall be elected By
the General Assembly for four years, and
shall be rc-cligibc which Court Shall have
Jurisdiction Of all causes wherein one or both
of the parties are persons of color, aud of al
criminal cases, wherein the accused is I, per
son Of color; and the General Assembly i
empowered to extend the Jurisdiction Of the
said Court to other subjects 1t is unrortu
nate that this clause WAS Inserted in the Con
etitution The first paragraph of the Section
declares, That " the judicial power shall bt
vested in such superior and intsror Courts
Of law and Equity as the General Assembly
shall, from time to time direct and establish y
ard t!:i: Is sufficiently comprehensive tn M
thorze the establishment of any inferior Court
which tho wisdom of the General Assembly
may detcrmn>, whether it lea Police. Dis
trict. County or. Magistrates Court Here
the largest discretion is given to you; and
such tribunals may be established as cxpc
rienco or necessity may dct,tc; but The clause
already quoted rrqni'es the General Assembly
to "cstablish Districts Courts" md these