The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-08-12
THE SITUATION.
LETTER FROM HON. W. H. rREsooTT.
rE,ou the anderson Es,seuigeneer.

tys-H HAzRwoop tNEAR PENDLEros],l
3D., August !, 1867. }
n ~rS.. Tho relation which, as your Represen-
ative have held toward you during the iast lew
sI hsa now been dissolved by no act OF youts VI
nine There Is no longer sate tsra sare T s ss
@ In nne of those Who by the Reconstruction ACT
re nrohibted from voting or holding once in s Sae,
or IN the Omitted ssss % srs s Ike myself could
ss sel that their would purchase tne
uyorsn Of your rights, they would cheerfuiy ascep,
ther s1cnsion nom polncMt panIs Conversation for
ms Sonors and ofces 10 which they are foroidaen 10
aspire. ...,., ,.sn so;a in a very unaenerous
tsr sayice now by the desire OF conctaong tne asor
~ the Federal Government and thus recommenome
themselves Radical Congress az NJ snt snrsy Il re-
iess oniy ordinary intelligence TO perceive that suGS
Tonrse on the part Of one ambitious o5 Iususe RI .
honor South Carolina Ii Atal Is wen ~ @ and fe
-rv N che aoYernment which made him an e1oePtoh,
~ ~ citizens would be more fata tnan i% MIs
to influence and repntason em the
2y.t,on Of taoee with whom he hsd sscrihced and
Ssed the disability from which pc woula De iensyso ,as
ans e - that n ths hearts Of
n1aca Hnt the men who have been dsfranchised,
sre not obscure men You now hs % you 1ar;nS assS
@ tsal to them you entrusted your honor In the
SsG and your interests In the councn For you Itey
mst danger and death @psonmssns ana os vSar chill
arm and thsr words are recorded ~ nsso,y - YOU
Sicson TO posts y. II you behsye that soon !! men
os besy the honor OF Souta ses tSs nor @ nryiege
- s,tss or honors, which viii be reproaoh TO thelr
sss foeeyer L. at the grsyest crisis OF our soe we
-, fon eet an re have done and Sunerea oeeIef 81.
,saSr cnr own sounsel with angry cxmmanen, " Ho'
.th h,ia DO iscuss our future. Our failure has IN
dsed become ignominious, and 1t matters 1ste WIG
oomrletes the degradation OF this once famous
Ifnov that you shrink, with very natural aversion
e.ono 4 renewed participation In "pothcs. Nsnes.t
sned by the past = sans Sne sna and let the M
- t,te care Of itself. The necessities OF aaly e
resx hardly upon you. sud you hsye scarcely me ue
s1@pcs o. mrround you But this is not question Of
.otica Il is question OF hts sna de' M 5,nUrs 81 nUe
or sIiIa Il WIN not be one month affer tne soa LEI,
,t ~ t,,e Convention soon to assemble. pelore you
I'm al ts oonseouences of its action IN your courts
and IN your churches In your schools and a your nre
ses IN your taxes and upon your npor VIM SUI ' NJ
sss, AIT is to be- in which for the future you wi
i've move. and havs your being, depends upon the Con-
st,t,,tiom Thich that Conyen6on will frans may oe
ysry make ne aea s,S nas ass aad 'ss the onS
Question with every man ought TO be what is his duty 70
SSir,1san 10 his children, to his State?
Fnr the purpose Of tho aIgument 8nlcn 8isn ~ ~
dres Jon, only very bsf reference 70 Inc paS' Is ne
- ian Che STATE Of South Carolina severed her connec-
Hon With tbs Dnted States joined the other Southern
stass IN ~ ~, Sr years msintaned thst independence
hss the world AZ the end Of these four years our AZ
mics sbsnded 0gs Msssy ~ snssS s e Con.
fodsracy, Of which We formed part ceased to eIss
Nohins remained but the ststes Of which had besn
composed and they were asS sstss hs ~ @
h moi ardent secessionist who claimed for the State
he rscht 10 Withdraw from the Union OF her own nee
~ yst1,rn: md ak weeks after the surrender
tbere WAS not anywhere within the former ter
yifny OF the derscy, either ability or nenuon 70
ras the power Of the United States The question then
Sis ramedstaly arose was were the seeded States
20 Be restored 10 the Union u So upon wnat selns
md by whom were those terms to be prescrDedf az
that time the o. tae EaseH aSs1 nsa ond
h.ye been fuiled without question, but un1ortunasey
for tSo DE Executive and Legislative branches OF tnas
- ~ ihs nnode Of reconstruction. his difference ex-
CITED political contest which lasted TWO years ourlng
which We were not only excluded nom tne Unlon' ~.
aet - terminated in 1857, by the passage OF the
Tecmsruetion Act This Act was vetoed BY the PresF
dent but passed by the requisite consanCn1
had passed with his approval !s eonsatuaonany was
fsssd before the supreme Court and that tribunal de-
inte.tere With ID % mt :. p. scus
roa giving TO its proviEons, under the opinion OF tne
HttosnsyA construction favorable 70 the exist
ina state governments. Congress reassemoed passed
N at for6iddng this executive construction, and taking
md he WHILE protesting against the military desposm
ynSn ss repealed If that dssposm can
not Sc removed or controlled Today therefore, the
Reconsruction Act stands unimpeachsble upon the
tstute Book and what ia more, power anywhere
M Interference with its execution.
,rsrt OF Military District It's local government to be
eci and void its State officers to be the mere agents
a. Me Military Commander, and it them directs that
To have made registry of all the male inhabitants
kxv.v,k
~ sa ana have resdsd for twelve months within the
stats II then makes an these registered inhabitants
yrs Of the State, excluding from the right Of registry
al those citizens who have n.1 held certain snd
s3fsrVsrd participated In the rebellion.
Havfng completed this registry he is instructed to
election for &C of M the p people q e
t st this election the yoters have the right to vote for
or against convention and. Of course the majority
The point to which would first draw your attention,
IA That the Reconstruction Act Is law not an agree
mank law made for you, not an agreement made tth
Ard ssss SS Tedes
smnly absurd Yoa might well talk ofscceptng the
Mfftsry Commander. The law directs registry to be
Ysp 9r pS os NOT
fhsn register, yon can pay the penalty. but the law
stands whether you obey It or not In plain words the
Government Of the United States, having taken military
so.aasaon Of South Carolina, has passed law creating
4hs voters Of the State, ordering registry Of those
ters and appointing an election ct which they shall de-
- x,hether they wish or do not wish Convention to
.rs guch steps viii give them foil representation in
~ Tfntou. The practical question then submitted to
os ~ the Act is, Convention or no Convention ana
question the Act , a sses sGu anS peSef
~, mn OF course register II you wish TO vote for
G,nyention you vii, equally register, and endesvor
- secure the election OF proper ana competent
them the pocS of the State to vote for Conven.
..1a Won have been advised BY very high authority
uI,noa II or,A
= not s e 9our RESPECT has, ii series Of
St sressed to the voters OF the state ADVISED you
- o,.sr secure your right 70 vote and then to vote
as.ns SesTs this sdVioe not only nud
tes Int ssstrous and the most convenient way OF
iscssine tie whole subject WIN review sne n
he has submitted to you. lWln eunse.oI ~ So 1 @ ~
stms fsiry he advises you to vote against ConVen-
Becsuse You have already done all that was requrso
of ron by the President and have nos been reseSrea
fhe Union and you have reason to believe
compliance with the requiatons Of Congress VIII De
suy more successful.
Becsuse, il you refuse to call Convention the pre-
s military sn Ta anv DG %SeS the Convention
Vuult frame. ai
TSst II you call Convention, you win have to re-
nm place the control Of the State In the hands
of the unmea1cal majority, which Is coored aud that
the Ieesshon on the State will In consequence be used
to the3ptury and degradadon OF tne Wne cu2ens "no
ist ma Examine ther and FIRST: That we have already
done IN that was required by the President and have
o been restored to the Union This is unquesonsbly
t,ue We obeyed the Presidents Provisional Governor,
aected Convention he directed. abolished slavery
rescnded the ordinance Of secession and bys vote Of
tSe Isissture adopted the first constitutional amend
msnt that was submitted to u.s. But surely there is
vey simple question to be answered before We can claim
the ber et Of this action. By what authority did the
Presidsnt CAN upon us to do these things and vhst
power had be to guarantee our restol alton II we COM
pedf Nobody denies that after the surrender some &C
Ncn vas necessary the part Of the United States to
restore the ssceded States to the Union. Who was au
thored to represent the United States for that pnr
poee2
auSwer this question IN December 1868, by Proclama
Con 10 which he declared that whenever in any Of the
Southsu States onssenth Of the.nhabianta who were
a nsSS aa01 T 5Gsa s