Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1867-06-12
Letter From Hon. Ellison S. Keitt.

Letter From Hon. Ellison S. Keitt.
The Columbia Phoenir contains q letter
from this we'll known gentleman, in response
to requeot signed by many Of his consti
tuents," fer his views on the political situa-
ton, from which we extract the following
The bills recently enacted by the Congress
of the United States for the reconstruction
and reorganization of our State Government
by reducing South Carolina to the position ol
a conquered province fully ysjustifies the theory
of the government which we have ever upheld
and maintained. to wit: that sovereignty re-
sides in the people of all the States aggrega-
ted individually in an entirety. A sovereign
State in tie Union cannot be reduced to the
position OF a conquered province and he in
the Union. South Carolina, asovereign State,
is reduced to the position of conquered
province. She cannot, therefore, beln the
Union. 4. sovereign State ia the UHion can
not get out Of 10, except by her own voluta
ry exercise Of sovereignty. South Carolina.
was. sovereign State in the Union, and is
now out oft. She, therefore, gol. out of it
only by her own voluntary exercise of sover.
eighty. For State to exercise sovereignty,
sovereignty must reside in her. South Car.
olina, in getting out of the Union, exercised
sovereignty; therefore sovereignty must re-
side iu her. Wherever sovereignty resides
there alone the allegiance of the citizen is
due. Sovereignty resided in South Carolira ;
therefore the allegiance of her citizens was
due alone to her. The conclusion Is irresis-
tible, thai the bills recently enacted by the
Congress Of the United States for the recon
struction and reorganization of our State
Government by reducing South Carolina to
the position of conquered province, ex-
pupge from the statute books of our country
and the history ofour times every trace nf
charge of treason and perjury against the
heroic and gallant dead and living who fought
for the independence of their State and sell.
government; and it tshould BE- source of sin.
cere cong-atulation among the friends O. civil
freedom aud constitutional liberty that the
government, by the releaseircm prison OF Mr..
Davis, ba, shown will TO carry them to their
legitimate conclusion. and has not let the es.
cutcheon Of this great republic go down TO
posterity stained with the Charge tnat she de
MED trial and kept In prison until he Ian
gnished and died noble citizen, because he
obeyed the laws of his State aud imperiiied
his life and fortune for her independence AMI
self lfgever0meut.
The FIRST one of the bills begins by affirm
ing that g no legal State Government exists
in South Carolina; that is to say, South Car
olina politically is dead, but geographically
she still lives-the word S at being two fo'd
in its signification. The bilsthen give in de.
tail the modus opcrandi by which political
life may be infused into her inanmate form.
and she raay be raised to her former position
of an independent sovereign State in the, gal
axy of States that compossthe Union. Whelh-
er or not all the provisions OF the bills are as
wise and just as brave and gallant people
might have expected from q uagnanimcus
foe and an enlightened craftsmanship is not
for us to pause ami disc 1873, hut for history to
tell, aud upon which coming generations will
.asa semi ence. tits not a!ane mon Us that
they are 10 mako tKeiT7 impress, Out upon
yet unborn. To accept the bills
is am im2ossbiliiy. Tor to accept Implies tie
right to reject, aud asa vanqu!shsd pcOpr,
held down at the point Of The bayonet a.d
edge of the sword, we have 10 right or power
to reject therefore We cannot accept. The
only thing left US is TO boweoarteons 6y TO our
tate-to submit to and carry Qut The terms
strictly and to the letter.
Just as certain as sovereignty resides in
the. people Of the several States, and South
Carolina by the inlerposi'lon Of her sover
eighty, withdrew from the Federal Union.
lust SO CERTAIN do the States hat remained
IN the Union constitute the lInion, and the
Government is theirs, and they have risut
70 impose upon those that withdrew ter"s OF
re-sdmlsson. Had the States that sect ded
Ind Withdrew from the Federal I ion sue
,eeded in establishing the new Union anu
Government iur whicn they fought, they
would have been known among the powers
If the earth as the Confederate States, and
lie States that remained in the Union wou:d
,avo constituted the Union, and they woaii
lave been known as the United States. Tue
atilicaliun OF the conventions of Linc States
hall be sulclebt for the establishment OF this
Constitution between the States so ratifylng
he samd." Art. II ,Sec. 2, Con. y. s. The
ct Of ra.ilyiug, then, created the wod Un
on, and the people severaiiy OF nlne Stats
vas. sufficient do it. There was originally
hirteen independent sovereign Si;:teS, and as
he Cuns:nuilun declares that tile ratification
f the conventions Of nine only Q! them was
uificient to establish it between the States
atitving, if. the conventions OF only nine "f
be States had ratified it, it wUuld have been
.e Constitution between the States ratify-
~, and lhe Union would have bsen crea e..
lie other |, ur States, II they desired, coaid
ave formed different government or govern |
tents, MS each one acted voluntarily an1 10 IL
II, in it.; independent svvereiln' caaracar
Whatever rs sufficient to create IS >o!ii ie:it o
reserve. Nine States alDne was Sufficient t.
reate the Uuiou. Nine States aicpe, there
IRE, is sufficient to preserye L, aii II can
ever be dissolved except by the voluntary
Igg stion and Withdrawal, in their ndrpen-
cut, sovereign caarncter, q. a Sutli ledt nn'n.
er OF Stuts, apd the establishment oi the
usiion they a,suln su as u rnduce the
lumber Of Sta;cs hat remain III the Uni"n
Glow nine-the minimum number sufficient
create and preserve the Culon. The pen
ty of the iuterposition Oh State sovereignty
nd withdrawal! from the Federil Union, aud
Ie failure to establish the position assumed,
to BIZ ccushed politically, and remould
I'd readnitled into the Union upon the :ernl>
thuse States that remain III alld constitute
Ie Union. This is the ordeal through which
e are now passing. just as. Certain as ours.
Erde rsl and nut a National Government
that sovereignty resides in the pe"ple.oi
e several States, and not in the people OF
the States aggregated individually in an
llirety, and that South Carolina, by her or
.al of secession, withdrew from the Federal
nion, just so Certain was ours war for III.
pendence and self government, and hos an
surrection or rebellion against lawful au-
oiity.
Ours being n Government in which the