The Portland daily press., 1867-09-25

Sickles the President has made ont o,,,ar..ot
ly stronger case than against any other of the
subordinates whom he has seen fit to re,nova
so strong that conservative Republican paners
like the Springfield Republican, have de.
clared that the conduct of the Executive was |
entirely justifia5le and that Sickles had clear
ly transcribed his powers. But the great ma
iority of the people have thought otherwise,
and their opinion gains great support from the
views of man whose position and prejudices
might be expected to lead him to agree with
the President We give the correspondent in
full: tlA 1Ei lob y
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT,
COLUMBIA, s. c., Sept. Z, 1867.
Maj-Gen. d. E. Sickles, Charleston, s. G. .
SIR: have learned from the public press,
although have received no official notice of
the fact, that you have been relieved from the
command of the Second Military District en-
bracing this State and North Carolina, and
that by order of the President Maior-CIenera
Candy has succeeded TO the same 1 desire to
express to you the great regret which / feel
personally and officially at the course taken NV
the President and his advisers in this matter
There are many OF the orders which have been
issued by you since the passage OF the Recon-
struction bills in March last which did not
meet my approval; but it is due to you and to
your official action that L should bear voun-
your administration, and to express the opin-
ion that the almost unlimited powers with
which you were invested by the acts Of Con-.
gress have been exercised with moderation
and forbearance. Your General Order, Num-
Der 10, so far as this State is concerned, was,
| last spring, in my opinion, absolutely nec-
| essary. Looking to the impoverished con-
| dition of the country, the sbortness of
provisions and staple crops last year, to
| the general pecuniary distress pervadins
the country, and to the necessity of protecting
| the small means of farmers aud planters at
that time from the process of the courts, they
| were thereby enabled to snbsst their families
| and grow the present crop. This crop prom
| ises to be in many respects, and in many Sec
| tions of the State, the most important and the
largest which has been grown for several years.
| and when harvested you could without hazard
| or apprehension, have executed your purpose,
| as declared to me, of modifying General Order
| No. 10, so that creditors could have enforced
their demands without producing general dis
tress, if tnothing more 1t is also due TO yon
| that L should say that in my Judgment if Gen j
| eral order No. 10 had not been issued last
| spring. a very considerable increase in the
| number of troops in this State would have
| been necessary to have been stationed at many
| of the court-houses to preserve the public
| records from destruction, and insure the sher-
ifs in executing civil process in their hands,
which they had been ordered to levy by
thoughtless and heartess creditors.
In my opinion General Order No. 10 received
the approval of avery large majority of the cit
liens of South Carolina and your general adj
| ministration as commandant of the district is
approved by majority nearly as great.
In all the official intercourse we have had, /
beg to tender you my thanks for the uniform
Kindness and courtesy with whichI have been
treated personally, and for the disposition you
have always manifested to make the burdens
of the military government as light upon the
people whom represent as possible under the
| circumstances.
have not the pleasure of personal ac-
quainta ice with your successor, General Can
by, but hope that my official relations with
him may be marked with the same harmony
and kind feeling which has characterized our
official Intercourse for nearly two years past.
L have the honor to be, General very truly
and respectfully your friend and obedient SER
(signed)T JAMES L. ORR,
Governor of South Carolina.
WASHINGTON, 2lst September
SIR: Your EXcelency's letter of the ID inst.
was forwarded to me ut New York and receiv-
ed on the 14th. The cordial terms in which
you are pleased to refer to our official and per-
sonal relations during my service in the Caro-
linas are gratefully appreciated. In my sue
cessor, Breyet Major General Candy, you will
meet with an officer whose ample experience
and disting gulshed service have justly COM
mended him to the confidence of the govern
ment. In view of the announcements already
made by Gen. Candy, adopting and confirming
the orders heretofore In force in tls Second
Military District, it is not probable that any
material change in the conduct of affairs will
result from the change in command.
In my retirement it is a source of much sat-
lsiactlOn to compare the present condition of
| South Carolina with that which fouud ON as
Stunning command in the autumn of 1865, The
eJste,a> Sf fsec isi'oi Was pcen successfully IN
augurated; the emancipated blacks have been
! invested with civil rights by the voluntary act
of your Legislature, the tranquility and order
which have been maintained attest the gene
raj desire of all classes of the people to OBJ
| oh Itsraf HONS xf
abundant harvest has rewarded industry
grain is now exported from Charleston; regis
tration has proceeded almost to complexion
without commotion or tumult or any serious
Interruptions of the ordinary avocations Of the
people; since October, 1865 the courts of the
United States and of the State have exercised
nearly all their ordinary powers without him
drance. The jurisdiction of the courts, al
though permitted juris 1ietion, has never been
restricted except in particular cases impera-
lively demanded by the exigencies of the stu
alton; and the civi' authorities in general have
been upheld, and civil law has been adminis-
| tered with only such limitations as became
necessary in the execution of the several acts
of Congress.
The particular measure ofmy administration
which you are pleased to mention with special
commentator, General Order No. 10, was it
is said, the occasion of my dismissal from com
mand. You have justly described the order in
question as intended TO enable the people to
make good crop this year, and thereby obtain
|
debts. Ifmy removal had been provoked by
some act of oppression, spoliation or cruelty, it
would have been matter of more regret to
myself As it is i find no reason to reproach
myself for endeavoring to restore, in some de-
gree, the material prosperity of an impoversh-
ed population, and to avert the serious disturb
ances that would have followed the prosecution
OF more than thirty thousand suits for debt,
pending in South Carolina when General Or
der No. 10 was issued, in April last q
. | AlthrOu0h nv official relation In the Dena RI
ment OF the Carolinas has ceased, cannot be
indifferent to the welfare ofcommunities whose
interests were so long confded to my charge,
nor is their prosperity a matter of indifference
to the people of the United States or their re-
representatives. in Congress-
The population of the Carolinas have not
tried to prevent the organization of legal civil
governments in the rebel States, and it is only
Just tor Inc to state that your own prompt and
patriotic acquiescence in the requirements Of
the government relieved the people you
represent of many of the burdens of
military government, and at the same
time removed some of the most serious mpedi-
ments to the execution of the Reconstruction
acts in South Carolina. F
L trust your people viii not suffer any det-
rment by reason OF complications for which
they are not responsible 1T only remains for
| them to comply with the conditions presented
by Congress, and South Carolina will soon be
restored to the Union with all her ance nj hts
| and dignity sovereign State unmpared
These conditions have no other object than to
make our institutions truly republican in sub
stance and form, that justice may be done and
that no occasion or preteXt for conflict may
hereafter be found. ....r...=s. -ti
There is not in my judgement, any sufficient
reason 20 apprehend that the colorcd people
will not make good citizens Freedom and
education are rapidly developing this long dor
mant and helpless class. With advantages far
inferior to other races which have found their
way to this country the African has proved
himself loyal, industrious and obedient to the
laws. Generously fostered and justly treated,
the freedmen will become the bone and sinew
| of Southern population and power. With the
solution of this problem, and the disappearance
of the asperities incident to a long war, the
Caroiinas will enter upon new career OF pros
perity, alike attractive to the philanthropist
who seeks the happiness of his fellows, and
| gratifying to statesmen whose ambition is
| eratified in the progress of the commonwealth.
Remembering with pleasure the courtesy
| and consideration always shown to me by your
Excellency in all our intercourse, official and
| personal, and with the liveliest interest in the
| years of strife which have already 200
| long afflicted our country, / remain, dear SIR,
very respectfully, your obedient servant,
| Yours truly,
| D. L. SIcKLEs, Major-tfeneral.
| A Canadian Poet.
A correspondent of the Springfield Repub-
| lican, writes as follows: