The Orangeburg news. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1867-1875, 1868-01-25

added IN explsnatlQti AIS opinion the 4
Judiciary Committee h4s9 enough to do, and
as the stase needs maok s5vdrhaulingjt ought
to bo given tos sopa3fate Committee. Il W
The ehaif suggested thae Tho move meant
geographical divisions and not political divis-
ions, but Benjamin Byas declined to take the
suggestion. He insisted that he had reference
to political divisions Referred to- Copmittee
on Legislation.
Timothy Hurley read the following, which
was referred to the committee on the judicial
ry;
An ordinance to annul all contracts and liza
,Pility made for tho purchase Sof alayes,J when
TIE money has not been paid. ~ ''a 81 +
!; Be it ordained, by the people of South Car
olina, in legal, convention assembled, that I'LL
contracts made for the purchase Of slaves,
whether by parole or under iseal,i When the
money has not been paid, shall be declared
null and vpiid and all Clerks IF courts Of coih-
nom Pleas s and Masters sf in Equity be rrcquirea
on proper af6davits, to, annul the same T ~
On motion, the convention then adjourned
until halfpast seven o'clock, this evening.
Ereaiy isession.-At about 8 o'clock, Gen.
Candy. accompanied by Captain Caziarc, A. A.
c., Second Military District, entered the hall,
aud was introduced to the convention by the
President, There was some applause, and
whcnit had subsided tho President said that
General Candy was not there ready to make a
speech, but that he desired to return his warm
thinks to the members. f.
Shortly afterwards Governor Orr, accompan-
led by, Judge Noses and several, other gentle.
men, entered the hail. and was presented BY
the President, who said that the convention de-
sired to hear the Governor, because they knew
that, in his position, he had had many oppor-
,tunities Of. knowing and learning the wants
and necessities Of tho people, and he could as
sure him that he would. receive . careful and
patient hearing at the hands of the conven-
tion. ,o-. ,,..o,
THE GeNERNORS SPEECH.
Mr.. President and ,Echdemenef Ae vonrsn-
tion:
esteem the invitation which you have ex-
tended to me to address this convention, as
compliment paid to the existing executive au-
thority of the State, more than to the individ-
ual who represents that. authority, shercfore, in
behalf of the State for yoar. kind considcra;
ton I tender you my thanks. ..,t, i.
You are here in convention to frame con-
stitution for tho people Of South Carolina, aud
have been elected in conformity to the laws of
tho United States. .
nd i,*,G & = M = III n,,,*
The iIact cannot be disguised however, that
tAe white population has almost unanimously
,ahstained from exercising the privilege, and
your eonvcntioris is therefore, strictly speaking,
,the represcntivc only of the colored population
of South Carolina This being the case, it
cannot be denied, that tho intelligence, refine
lncnt and weaAA off the State is not represent
ed by your body. Hence the very high duty
is, ,devolvoa upon you of discharging the I'M
portant trusts confded to your care in such a
manner as to commend yaar action to the con-
fdence and support, not only of those by whom
you were elected, but of those who refused to
60 to the polls and vote in the election. ta
{" say to you, very frankly, that regard this
body rs invested with the sovereign power of
tho State, and that the constitution which you
may adopt for the people oa South Carolasa, is
one whichwill not orlv be ratified and aooept-
led by Congress, but ON. lnier which all classes
in South Carolina will live for years to come
." ~ - ',pr x,.ii;.;* =
The experiment. Of giving to the colored
people Of the South nll of the privileges of the
franchise of citizens is novel. one, and time
only can! determine whetheri it is to be sue
cess or a failure. DtOnr the one hand it is said
that the negro is utterly incapable of exercising
the rights and privileges Of a citizen. i On the
other. hand it is said that the "re5el"-the man
who participated in the war-should not be
allowed to participate in the government.
Those of you who arc to the manor born know
tho fact that very few white men in South Caro-
linn abstaiDcd from some participation in the
late war. You know further that the intel-
gencc, wealth and virtue of South Carolina
entered eagerly into that war, and that when it
Is attempted to disfranchisc or dcnounce these
persons MS unworthy of public trust, it is to ex-
clude tho real intelligence and experience Of