The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-01-16
Total.


Gilbert PIllsDury (NnlCcD, Cnarlcstou- ~"
move that the convention declare Dr. MacKey
to be unanimously elected President. :,
B. F. WhittemOre-WI the gentleman with
draw his motion2 Mr.. Pillsbury assonted.
B. T. Whittemore-I understand that the
bolloting thus far has beon simply an informal
EXPRESSION OF the sense OF this convention; ana
it appears that as regards tho two higher can
didates- here named, it is fayorably disposed
towards DR.. Mackey and myself. certainly
| tended to me by those who have bestowed
| their votes upon mo. ] am certainly here Tor
| no other purpose than to assist In tho harmo-
nious organization OF this convention, having
| been. in no instance an aspirant lor this posi-
| ton. I desire simply to be left to represent
nv constituents upon the floor, ana 40 the
business that may come before us for conslde.
ration either here or in some humble part
| upon some committee, and to this end move
| that this body unanimously declare DR.. a. e..
Mackey the President Of this Convention
Ihe motion Vas agreed TO amid applause.
A. J. Ransier (colored) from Charleston,
moved that committee OF three be appointed
| Of the event, aud wait upon him TO the char.
F.J. Moses, Jr.,. (white) of Sumter, moved
| as an amendment that committee OF two, TO
consist of B. F. Wluttemore and Il. {. De-
Large, be appointed for the purpose.
A. J. Ransier declining to accept the amond-
ment. Mr.. Moses proposed that the name OF a.
| J. Ransier should be added to tho committee,
and the motion was then agreed TO.
On motion Of N. G. Parker, the convention
took a recess for fifteen minutes, at tho expIra-
tion of which time tho body was called to Or
| der tho committee escorted the President to
the chair, and no was formally presented to
tho convention by Colonel Robertson, the tem'
porary chairman.
In assuming tho duties Of his Office, DIR.
Mackey addressed the body as follows
Gentlemen ofNe Convention: While return
YOU my thanks for the honor that you have con-
| ferred Oil me, by selecting mo to preside over
| YOUR deliberations, I confess that assume the
chair with great diffidcncc as to my capablhty
| to discharge its duties. l can, however, safely
promise determination TO perform the lmpor.
| tant task with the strictest impartia!ity, and
with all the Judgment i'll my power.
The position in which your kindness has
placed me, will necessarily preclude me from q
| General participation in the debates OF the
Honse. and will condemn mo 10 silence on many
questions, on which, if I were on the floor,
| would wish to be heard. You will, perhaps,
| therefore, pardon me, if take the present oc-
casiou. once for all, to define my position Gnd
| to express my sentiments on some OF the great
topics which are now agitating our country.
The convention in which We are now sitting
| ia marked by two peculiarltics, which have dis
tinonisbed no other convention that has pre-
ceded it in South Carolina-pe,uliarities which
demand for it the commendation OF every lover
of liberty and respector of human rights.
Convened, as contend it has been-for else
I had not been hereby competent legal au-
thority it is the first constitutional convention
in this State, in the selection OF whose mem
bers, the ballot box, the true palladium OF ra-
tiopal liberty, has been made accessible to
oyery man who was not disqualified by legal
or political crime. In the call for the five
South Carolina Conventions which have pre-
ceded it, and which wore held in 177G, in 1777,
in 1880, in 1860, and in 1866, but portion oi
the people were permitted TO exercise the cleo
tive franchise, because slavery, that vile relic
Of barbarism, had thrown it's blighted in1u-
ence upon the minds of the people, and, fol
the noble doctrine that governments were con
stituted for the good OF the whole was substi.
tuted Chat anti-republican one, that they werc
intended only for the'bencft of one class at the
expense of anothcr But in the call for this
hody. every true man who could labor for the
supoort or fight for the defence of the Com
monwealth has been invited to representa-
ton. Manhood suffrage has, for the first time
been invoked to convene body which is to
make tho fundamental law for all. This is,
then, truly and emphatically, peopes' con-
yention-a convention by tho representative
of all who have minds to think-and to think
for themselves, or muscle to work-and to
| work for themselves.