Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1867-04-10
Gov. Orr,s Address.

The following is the address of Gov. JAS.
L. Oar delivered at the dinner given b the
Charleston Boa.d Of Trade, on Tuesday eve
ning the 2l inst:
Mr. President and Gentlemen Of the Brard
of Trade: Allow me to return my thanks for
the fl ti.ttering reception which you have &C
corded to the sentiment in honor OF South
Carolina. | receive this testimonial MS an
indication of the same respect, regard aud
affection for her Executive in the present, as
has been exhibited for her Executive in the
past, and hope will be in the future. am
glad to meet you on the present occasion for
many reasons. I think that such meetings
as these are calculated to promote the pros.
perity of our commercial interests, and in so
doing they must promote in the same proper
ton tie interests Of the State at large. An
other reason why ain glad to meet you on
the present OCCASION is that see around me
the high dignitaries OF the aruy and navy OF
the United States. also See around rne the
civil officers Of the United States, aud also
rccogn;zc the chief magistrate ot the ptinci.
pal city of South Carolina. i; iS the first
occasion, ut least within the limits uE South
C4roIiua, since the close of tine war, thst
have been able to witness such Substantial
evidence oil recor struction, sad he re cstab-
lishment Of the same bonds of uuion that
existed previous to the war.
I would be glad if it lay in my poaies to
indicate any means by which the prosperity
OF Charleston could be restored. This CIT,
is decp-rooted in the affections Of the people
o. the State, and in that respect she Is excel
cd perhaps BY no city in the world except
Puris where, sin fact, Paris is France. /
know, however, OF no other means than tue
introduction Of capital. When | look around
,ne and see aud recognize the inauy men OF
high intellect and great enterprise, feel ard
| know that Charleston does not lack in these
important elements Of prosperity. Her great
need is. capital Aud now ask you, gentle
men, how is this capital to be obtained? Blu
siness men Ike yourselves have doubtless
had your attention drawn to this question
time and again. Before the war there wss
iu this city banking capital Of $l4,O00.0O0,
aud now you have banking capital of only
100000. just to think of the contrast, gen
tlerAen What's difference between Sl4 U00,,
900 and S4OO,O00. Now, too you need the
Sl4,0000OO more than you did then. Nov
the Cotton crop of the State is only 100000
bales, then it wss 100000 bales. Doubtless
this has seemed to You great reduction (;
bat 60 over thi4 whole State now aud eSam-
iue the prospects for the incoming crop, and
it is obvious that there must be ; still further
reduction. And why is this go? Why has
not more Cotton been raised this year than
last? 1t is because you have not had the
capi al to enable you to afford 10 planters tke
necessary facilities for the cultivation of their
crops.
How, then, is this evil to be cured l have
been trying myself for the last two years to
cure it according to the plan laid down by
the President IF the United States. That
plan has, however. proved uuarailing. Within
The lare thirty days; after South. Carolina had
done all that the President required her to
do the Congress of the United States has in.
terfered and declared that it Wa, for that
body aud not for the President, t, dictate the
t.rlns on which ahis country shall be reorgan.
lied aud restored to state of peacc and
civil government, and in pursuance of this
doctrine they have passed the acts known as
the Sherman bill and the Supplemental bill.
The great aud vital question, not only for
i, South Carolina, but for all the Southern
States, is, shall we come forward aud accept
the terms proposed, however unjust and un-
Generous, and carry them out in good faith,
or shall We fold our srms aid say thst We
sill take no step in this matter?
propose, on this occasion, to offer my
opinions as to the course which South Caro-
lima should pursue in this lnomcnlous crisis.
They are, however. but the opinions of an
Individual and do not wish 10 force them
down the throats Of those who may differ
With me-. If the opinions express are not
eo,d, and I cannot snostaniiste them by
s,und reasoning, let them reject them.
think, however, that it is capable Of demon
stra.ion, that sil our interests, agricultural,
commercial and manufacturing, will remain
paralyz-d until our political relations shall be
re.established. So long az tbs constitutional
amendment was offered to the people Of the
South for their acceptance or rejection. 80
long as the Congress Of the United States
treated the Southern States as States, ad.
yi,ed against It's adoption. Congress has nos,
however, assumed that this Is conquered
territory, and that to it be.ongs the right To
dictate terms of peace. Their power is good
for two years at least, and they have placed
themselves souarely on the ground that VIC
are conquered people, and that ground they
arc able to maintain. for one oppo.e IN
,nneal TO the Supreme Court, and believe that
onr true course is to come forward and &C
zen. the terms offered and carry them out in
ooo,l fsith. have said to you that the terms
are uucenerous and unjust. but they have the
power to demand these terms in spite Of the
Effort. Of the President to the contrary, and
when they speak, and sec their power,
think that our true policy is to yield. That
the.e views are disinteres.cd. even those who
have heretofore chosen to look upon me with
d;stru,t must acknowledge. l am among the
d;sfrapchised. csnnot vote. cannot hold
the bumblest Office in the gift OF the people
believe that the disfianchising clause Is ar
nnfortuus,e one, and believe that Congress:
viii find it to be so. According to an snaly
o;, of the population of Anderson District
IN which I reside, which has been carefully
nrsnsrcd and OIL wich I think we can rely
the proportion Of d'sfranch'scd persons !:
one eighteenth of the entire population, anC
! believe that is the average throughout tat
S,ste. OF these disiranchiscd persons many
euiov the esteem and respect OF their fellow
eii;.ens. and many honestly believe, are
neoded to carry on the government, and then
ahsence from tho convention for framing
neg constitution will be q loss to the State
and country, not only on account of the lniia
ence which they WELD, bat likewise on ac'
e)unt of the wisdom which they posses. \ ct
with all that, believe it is better that they
should be excluded from the privileges o.
voting and holding office. thsn that VIC should
refuse the terms offered, when there il q
reasonable certainty that worse vii! be de-
cnanded and enforced. The cnrfiscaiion bill
for instance, will in all probability be passed
and carried into execution il we resist, but
- u .=a / r,nl,inrr th .rnfnrn tc