The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1867-05-02

priety, your interests, require that
you shall labor more assiduously than
you have ever done. There is no
one now to provide for your wants.
Whatever there is in or around your
little family circle, whether it be
money or food, comes from you. II
there be comfort there, yoli bring it;
if there be distress there, you bring
it. As you thus control your own
affairs, let your chief aim be to mako
each one of yonr homes happy one.
TO do this, you must be economical,
industrious, energetic, civil and re
spectful. Save your money; put it into
Il small house, or, if you desire farm,
buy five OF ten acres and commence its
cultivation. You will feel that you
have stake in the welfare of the
community. There will be some
thing for you to live and labor for;
and my life upon it, when you have
thus become the possessor of pro-
perty honestly earned and paid for,
you will enjoy more respect for your
selves, and feel that you are entitled
to the respect of others. I repeat it
again-husband your resources; save
the odd pennies; indulge in no IN
necessary extravaganza in dress, liv-
ing or otherwise. Industry and eco
nomy will tell; but they must go
hand in hand. If not, no matter
how earnest you may have been, the
result will be that when your heads
have grown grey, you will have pro-
fitted no more by mere industry than
if you had led an idle and dissolute
life.
L am glad to observe another i'm
provement, namely: That very many
of your most intelligent and respecta-
BILE people, who have themselves ex-
perienced the awakening influences
Of the holy religion of Jesus Christ,
are devoting themselves to your spi-
ritual welfare. These persons have
it in their power to do your race much
good. or, if they take the wrong di-
rcction, much harm. Those who have
less intelligence must necessarily look
to their superiors, and it is therefore
important that you should be so in
structed by them as that you may not
be led into trouble, and that design
ing men may not be advanced or
aggrandized at your expense.
With reference to politics, my
friends, 1 have not great deal to
say. The man who devotes himself
to politics embarks in o very DOOR
employment. I have been ut it now
for twenty-five years, and therefore
have right to speak with some expe-
rience upon the subject. But the
days of my political existence have
nearly run ont; and when I retire
from my present position-I may add
here that I am both disfranchise.l
and ineligible-I never expect again
to hold or seek another political
office. What 1 may say to you, there
fore, upon the subject of politics, can
be relied upon as the expression of
one who has had no little experience,
and who claims to be disinterested.
Your State matters are of much
more consequence to you than na-
tional affairs. So far as you are con-
cerned, the constitution which the
State of South Carolina will adopt is
a subject of greater moment to you
than the Constitution of the United
States, and the legislation of South
Carolina of more Importance than
the legislation of Congress. Why?
Because the State constitution covers
the limits of the State, and affects
your interests directly. The State
laws are the laws to which you are to
appeal for protection, and the vindi-
cation Of every right. If man un-
dertakes to defraud you, you go to
the State courts to seek redress-to n
State Judge and n State solicitor. If
the Legislature imposes an unjust
and onerous tax, you appeal to the
State constitution, for the Legis-
lature is but the creature of that
constitution, deriving from it, and
it alone, the power which gives it
strength and vitality. In the ap-
preaching political contest, there
fore, remember that your interests
are more involved ut home and in
your own State Government, than in
any advantage which may be derived
from attaching yourselves to the tail
of either of the national parties, now
known as Republican or Democratic.
Now, your people must make up
their minds as to what should be
incorporated in the State constitu-
tion; for whether it be with reference
to free schools, to homesteads, to the
adjustment of Imprisonment for
debt, or to any other subject, the
Legislature is sworn to carry out its
provisions. See to it, then, when