The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1868-01-21
Address OF Gov. James l.. Orr.

Friday evening, January II, 1865:
Mr.. PRESIDENT AND GENTLEMEN OF
THE CONVENTION: L esteem the in
yitatien which yon have extended 10
me to address this Convention, as q
compliment paid to the existing ex-
eoutiye authority of the State, more
than to the individual who represents
that authority; therefore, in behalf
of the State for your kind considera-
ton, / tender you my thanks.
You. are here. in Convention to
frame Constitution for the people
of South Carolina, and have been
elected in conformity to the laws of
the United States.
Unfortunately, in my Judgment,
for the best interests of the people
of the late Confederate States, serious
differences have arisen between the
President Of the United States and
the Congress; in 1865, Immediately
after the surrender of General John
ston, the President appointed Provi-
sional Governors, and provided for
the calling of Conventions in all of
the Southern States. The programme
which he adopted was not in unison
with the views of Congress, and,
after very considerable delay, the
Reconstruction Acts of March were
passed. The Congress claimed that
the power to reconstruct the South
err States which were in rebellion
against the authority of the United
States, belonged to them and not to
the President. Hence, they ignored
his action. 1t is due to frankness
that I should say, that, in my judg-
ment, the plan projected. by the
President, and which has been car
ried into execution in all its details,
except as to the representatives in
Congress, was not only liberal, but
wise. With reference to the latter
point. however, Congress having
taken different view of the subject,
determined that the Southern States
shall not be admitted to representa-
ton and to equal privileges in the
Union upon any other basis than
that which has been prescribed. The
acts passed go even further. They
assume that the South, in relation to
the Government, stands in the posi-
ton Of conquered provinces, and that
as o conquerer, it has q right to pre-
scribe the terms and conditions upon
which the South is to be admitted
into the Union. Il
It is unnecessary, on the present
occasion, that I should discuss the
constitutionality or wisdom of the
Acts of Congress. Let it suffice for.
me to say that they have become the
law. of the land. They are laws which
have been adopted in strict accord
ance with all the forms prescribed by
the Constitution of the United States,
and as law-abiding citizen, not
only now, but from the time of the
passage of these Acts in March last,
l am one of those who believed that
it was not only the duty but the in
terest of the people of the Southern
States, to go to work in earnest and
carry them into operation.
Hence, Immediately after the pass
age of the bill in March last, 1 pub
licly advised the people of the State,
of all compilations, who were entitled
to register, to do SO, and then 60 to the
ballot-box and vote for the very best
men possible, to frame Constitution
in conformity with the provisions of
the Acts of Congress.
My advice upon the subject ought,
1 think, to have been received as dis
interested, since the execution of
these laws excluded me from all the
privileges Of a citizen, because I be-
longed to the disfranchised class.
At the extra session in July, the
Legislature made the restrictions
even more stringent than thoy were
before, and this harshness on the
part of Congress has had much to do
with the action of the white people
of South Carolina, in refusing 70 go
to the polls and participate in any
respect whatever in the election, of
delegates to the Convention. In
this, think great mistake has
been committed by the great majority
of whites of South Carolina. My
judgment was, and is, that every
white man who registered should
have gone to the polls and voted.
L even go further. 1 think that the
whites, who have the intelligence to
q very large extent, should, in con-
vention or otherwise, have submitted
to the colored people of the State
propositions as to the privileges and
franchises which they are entirely
willing to extend to them, now that
the whole of the race have been de-