Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1868-01-29
Gov. Orr's Address to the Radical
Convention.

before tho "augustb body" This address, circutn-
stances have prevented US from publishing in full.
Gov. ORR began by thanking the president and
"rcntlcmen" of the Convention for their invita-
tiou, constituting the same rather as q compliment
to the "existing executive authority of the State
than to the individual. And just hero we must
saw that Gov. ORR hugs to his bosum q huge de-
lusion. The idea of his being the "exis,ing e1ecu-
tive authority of the State" is profoundly absurd
We have now no State, no Governor. A military
dc:potism rules over us by the arm Of lawless,
unauthorized power. This same "august body"
is holding its sessions upon tho fragments of our
ruined government, and upon the grave of our
freedom.
The f.llowing paragraph from his address,
pride, or Of decent consistency; and that no is
still in the market for the Rudcals, at any prico
they may offer him:
1 say tn you, very frankly, that regard this
body rs invested with the sovereign powor Of the
State, and that the constitution which you may
adopt for the people of South Carolina, is one
which will not only be ratified and accepted by
Congress, but under which all classes in South
| Carolina Will live lot years 10 cVulc.
But We arc not going to abuse either Gov. ORR
or his address. Indeed VIC must say that the
latter was more honest and candid performance
than the Gov. is usually guilty of. Imagine him,
for instance, telling the rnged-atreaked-and-
striped gentlemen, to their very faces that they
did not represent the wealth, intelligence and re-
fnenent Of the State. This was, of course, as
much as to say that they represented pduperism,
vice, ignorance. barbnrism: And SO theyao, most
emphatically. And for this plain truth,we give
Gov. ORR one good mark.
As regards the framing OF new State Consti-
tuition by the members of this Convention, Gov.
ORR advises as follows:
The party which has passed the Reconstruction
laws. has undisputed control Of tho government
in both Houses of Congress, aud will retain it un-
til the 4th Of March, 1859. Prior to that time
Presidential election will occur. Tho probability
is that an individual representing the Conserra-
tive ana Democratic element in the North and
West will be elected President. 1t may be that
Conservative element will largely prepondcratc in
the next election for members Of tho House OF
REPRESENTATIVES on tho 4th day of March, 1859,
aro Conservative or Democratic, and opposed TO
the legislation that may have been adopted, it
wll!be impossible to effect repeal of these acts,
obnoxious rs they nre to the new party, prior to
tho 4th Of M,rch, 1871, Confirmed as am, there
fore, in the opinion that the legislation Of tho
present and preceding Congress will remain in
force until the 4th of March, II. and that any
constitution adopted by this convention vii! con-
tinue to he of forco until that time 1T least have
felt it to DO my duty as the Executive of the State,
and as an individual, TO be present in Charleston
during tho sessions of your convention, in the
hope that through official if not personal influence,
| I may plish something in securing from the
convention, liberal, just and wise constitution
| IF such Il constitution is adopted, harmony
good feeling und prosperity will prevail. If,
| however, extreme views and measures are en-
grated upon that instrument, it will increase the
interest, which now exists between the two races,
and force tho whites of the State, who hSrc the
means to do 60, to leave its borders and GEEK
| homes in other communities. 1t will produce
discomfort and disquiet every where, and conf
dorce trade and enterprise, will al be paralyzed.
As responsible duties are, therefore, deroved upon
4 you as we're ever devolved upon similar body
of men in any S'ate, the interest and prosperity
Of South Carolina depend not only upon law and
good constitution, but upon the kind relations
which are to be established between the two races.
And as regards the Suffrage question, thus:
In voting upon the ratification of tho constu-
ton you may adopt, all registered voters will of
course be included, which will of course secure
its adoption. With tho view of carrying out fully
| the view, of the convention, the first legislature
to be elected under the constitution may be elected
| by all male voters over twenty one years Of age,
but after that time, if not before, urgently re-
commend that qualified suffrage extending to all
classes and races be provided for in the consttu-
lion. man who goes to the polls after January
|. 1870, whether he be white or black, who is not
able to read or write, should be excluded from the
privileges Of avoter.
Rrpresentinc as you do, almost exclusively the
colourel clement Of South Carolina, you are not
invisible to the fact and to its legitimate results,
that very many Of the voters who have sent you
hero have not that intelligence with reference to
men and measures which should cntitlc them to
cast vote. You know that thousands of them
nrc utterly incompetent to exercise this high pre-
rogatiye.
You may think that to perrcuate your power
and to preserve your organization, it is necessary
to continue the fr.nchiso this class of persons
but eventually you will find that you have been
sadly mistaken. Many Of the coloured men of
the State have an intelligence which entities
them, in their new relations to the privileges Of
citizens; but very many are incompetent to e3.
ercisc them with discretion or judgment These
will become tho prey Of evil, vicious and indis-
posed men. When an election is to occur with
such voters, the bad will get their votes, and not
the good.
In view of the fact that the coloured population
have large majority in this State, and that the
| bulk Of them are to be controlled by these evil
influences, what kind of judges, legislators and
executive officers you hopo for? Is vice and
ignorance to elect your judges? Arc tue repre-
sentaives of vice and ignorance to elect your log
slators? II 70, what security have you for tho
rights of life, liberty and property? I, therefore,
in view of the responsibility before US. and in all
probability in antagonsm to the sentiments of u
very large majority of this body, recommend
earnestly that in framing that feature Of the con-
stitution comforting the elective franchise, you
establish an educational qualification for tho voter
but-not being able to read or write-that you
establish property qualification.
And rs regards n Homestead Law, thus
II you desire that this convention should COM
mend itself to the favorable consideration of the
people Of the State, white and coloured, recon-.
mend that you adopt in the constitution proyis-
ion for liberal homestead law-thnt you mnke
| it applicable to all those mho now own home
stead, and protect them against anccedent debts
The disasters resulting from the war, the aboli-
ton Of slavery, and, thcr'by, the wiping out of
the fortunes of very many of those who were
wealthy prior to the war, matter Of humani-
ty demands that you should protect them us to
the past by liberal homestead lar, and securing
| TINT home to its owner in the future. The home
stead law which guarantees to a family fifty dol
lars or one hundred acres in tho country, and
town lot or house in the city, is not only humane
but patriotic. In the country, where the head of
family knows that his homestead is protected,
he COOS to work to beautify md adorn the same
Hc plants his orchard and his vineyard. He
crects his buildings, dccorates his dwelling, and
makes all of his surroundings comfortable, and
invites happiness and content to his hearth.
Perhaps one of tho greatest troubles in Amcri-
can legislation has boon in not protecting tho
homestead. It has made the American people