Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1866-12-08
GOVERNORS MESSAGE.
[Concladvd from fourth page. |

''HS'ute ucrH"ilh COMMUNICATION irOul
the Hon. Wm. II. Seward, covering the con-
stitutonal amendment proposed to the seve-
ral States of the Union by the Congress of
the United States. History furnishes few cx-
amples Of ii people who have been required
to conccdo more to the will of their conquer
ors than the people Of the South. Every con
cassion we have made, however 50 far from
touching the magnamity or generosity of tho
victorS, has :hmpancd their malice and intcn-
silicd their rcvcn,a.
In the surrender Of orr last organized army
of the late Confederate Government, Como
rails Johnson and Sherman, each representing
the Military power and authority Of his res
pcctivc Government agreed upon certain terms
of capituation. While cxacting in some res
poets, these terms were in the main such as a
liberal and ycncrous victor would conccdc to
Il fallen foe They were accepted in good
faith by the Southern people, aud every Or
ganizcd body Of soldiers in opposition to the
laws Of the United States were in few days
dispersed. Scarcely had the fact Of the cap
itulation been made public, however, before
itwas announced that the terms were rcpu'l-
atcd by the Executive authority of the Uni
ted States, and Il proclamation was issued, Of.
fcring amnesty, withnumcrons excepted class
cs to those WHO had participated in the war.
These classes also acquiesccd, and conforming
to tho requirements Of the Chief Executive
generally, made application for pardon. Thcn
followed Military Governors and tho military
occupation of the country, under which the
rights Of tho citizen were regulated by no
known rules, and lie was tried and punished
by no linown laws This condition of things
was also ac1uicaccd in with remarkable pa
ticncc. Provisional Governors were then np-
point2l, whose functions were performed
jointly with the military commanders, and
conventions called by these Governors were as
scmblcd to change the organic law of the sew
crll States. illus did the people Of South
Carolina assemble and oblitcratc the Consti-
tuition that had been made and hallowcd by
such men as iutlcdgc, Pinckncy, Marion and
Sumter. We were required to abolish slave.
ry, whlch had existed for two hundred years,
and was intimately interviewer with the whole
social, industrial and financial fabric of the
State. We obeycd When the Legislature
assembled, we were required to ratify the con
stitntioaal amendment abolishing slavery in
the United States, and were made, in part, in
stvlncnts to accomplish that result in Ken
tucky and Delaware, when those States had
refused to do so of their own volition. We
obeycd In addition to this, all the citizens
of South Carolina with scarcely an exception,
took the amnesty oath ; which required them
to sustain and support all the procamations
and laws made durin. the war, and particu-
larly those relating to the abolition of slavery.
These olths have been observed by the great
mrss OF the people with singular fidelity, and
SS&Fy SJsSpS'2'd ehTbHHs tf"S ana Union t'a
has been exhibited and practiced In addi-
ton to all this, the General Assembly of the
State has, by solemn enactment, accorded to
the black race all the rights of person and
property enjoyed by the white race. They
can buy and sell, grant, convey and devise
III their person or personal rights are invaded,
the same judicial tribunals vinllicatc them.
They so upon the witness stand and testify :;
they are pcrmtlcl to testify in their own ca
ses, even when on trial Tor the gravcst often
COS. How many of the Stntcs now cn;oyino
representation in that Congress which pro
poses this amendment TO us for ratification ac-
cord by their own laws tho same general ryhts
and privileges to the black man? They have
bat Il mcagrc number Of negroes in their
MIDST, and if allowed to vote their Ignorance
and dcpravity would produce no appreciablc
elect upon tho result, being less than one,and.
eighth per cent. OF the voting population,
whereas their relative number here is as forty
one blacks to thirty whites Do sensible, fair
',''$,ius, men ut the North desire that these pco
pc, without Information or cducation-stcencJ
IN ignorance, crimes and vice, should 70 to the
ros'a and eject men il Congress who arc to pass
laws taxing and governing lhom? Now that nl
this has been done what further or gher pledge
OF honorable obedience can be given by one pco-
pc 70 another! Does the majority who now
rnic Congress expect to mike MS better men or
potter ciuzens--morc scrviccnblc to the country
IN peace and in war, by farther hnmiiatinc and
and degrading us? Notwithstanding all these
pledges and cnnccssions it is sought still fur
thcr TO hnmlintc and degrade the South. Elev-
en- OF the Southern States. includinr Soutb caro-,
ina arc deprived of their representation in
Congress. Although their Senators and Rcp.
rcscntatvcs have been duly elected, have
presented themselves for tho purpose of taking