The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-09-28
COLUMBIA. (.
Friday Morning, September %, 1896.
VIII South Carolina Accept!

column, from the New York Times
an article designed, we presume, to
be. complimentary to South Caro-
lima and Gov. Orr. In our opinion,
it is not so to either, and if the Times
comments are explanatory of the
platform of the Philadelphia Con-
vention, then did Henry J. Raymond
play false in the prominent position
he assumed in that body.
In the first place, the Times as
sumes that Gov. Orr's recommends
tion to amend what was known as
s'The Code"-being system of le-
gislation for the colored people of
the State-was the result of his being
q member of the Philadelphia Con-
vention. This is absurd; the code
never went into operation in this
State, and we are free to say that
three-fourths of our people were op-
posed to its provisions. They were
opposed to it from necessity; for SO
long as the State was under military
rule, and provost courts took charge
Of the interests of the freedmen. the
code was nullity. AS far us we
know, it is so yet, with all its amend
lnents, be it made at the bidding of
the Philadelphia Convention, or the
military authorities. We have heard
Of no order dissolving the provost
courts, and there is still IL General
Commanding" of this department.
In relation to this point, the amend.
ment Of the code was necessity-it
ought never to have been passed-it
created S'negro court" in contra-dis-
tinctlon to courts for white men-it
was repulsive, under the altered con-
dition of the negro, aud found little
favor among the people of South
Carolina. The recommendation Of
Gov. Orr was natural, as response
to the sentiment of the people, and it
was necessary, if we wanted the civil
courts to take charge of the col, red
violators of the laws of the State.
They were taken care of by the provost
courts, and it remains to be seen
whether the legislation adopted in
conformity to Gov. Orr's recommend
alton will avail. We donbt it, and
will continue to be unbeieving, until
an order from the War Department
abrogates provost courts in South
Carolina. We have heard of causes
against freedmen tried in one of
these courts, for violations of civil
and municipal law. in which the pun
iishment or penalty awarded was no
minal, and would be ridiculously so,
if applied to white man in one of
the courts Of the State.
We have denied that Gov. Orr got
his cue from the Philadelphia Con-
vention-he got it from the known
will of the people of South Carolina.
But this is not the important point in
the article Of the Times. 1t is this:
It says that the Act in relation to
freedmen, passed at the extra session,
"is a solid gain to the cause of resto-
ration and thorough reconcilement-
if there is not also step taken to,rar1
the acceptance Of the Constitutional
amendment.
If the Philadelphia Convention
of the platform of which body, and
the address issued by it, Mr.. Ray
mond is the reputed author-was a
cabal Of political intriguers, then we
regret that South Carolina was repre-
sented in it, and that we ever advocat
ed its measures or its anticipated use
fulness. If the recommendation of the
Governor in relation to amending the
laws for colored people, and the legis-
lation consequent thereon, was an
emanation OF suggestion from Ray
mond's convention scheming, recog-
nizing it, as he now says. as "a step
towards the acceptance Of the consti-
tutional amendment" then we say
that the people Of South Carolina