New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-07-16
SOUTH CAROLINA
v,DrwEIL ADDRESS OF Gov oNN'

100 what has been done by tue -" 90 1868 to re
srn his term Of Office, since 'anccessful war; the
1,ir the disasters Of q bloody anu
Governor says ,sted 10 defeat. by ylolenVedi
No combinations ard no riot between d rGcr which
frJ races has marred Una since the cessation oil nos
has prevailed ~ sO9ln OF tranquility as NOT oDjv
tnites Indeed uesdly cha nge comPi LIE ui0, any
career which may ICo2ederate states D9E M h I
with any o. Inion within one t are Voluntarily passed
Of slavery The Which secured to the coorsG al s a,
a"Cy kEn'Si oyed by any AN cases The traii,
and be- sued, aud 10 g from the mother country Wie
tonal IoSSisbed FOR ages against ramse civil or
pST interest to down aud the law now invites ties
ernna was Dlv source which IL calculated 10 tNUi,o
tIpohy run tn,b leaving II TO jurors anu J""o' "
he Wh0Ic uusIsence shall be gwen thereto
mine WHAT % 70 recommendations made by NM rom
hiter ANU ., the LEGISLATURE, touching the reheI Vi
H " Gov Orr reviews his course since INC P"S9"So Va
aeotoS' acts Of Congress- and the reasons 'na'
9he k ~, conduct with regard to them In TINS con
necton he says A., ,s.oroo NJ several OF the lead
~ iti1ens OF the State, visited Washing ,V; @
hg N oosferrnce with leading senators anu rs ,
iuh H. Rcmbican party, became satlsne1 lha6 ui
49, circumstances would they ISCosi@o In Which
dents plan rnded TO adopt the alternative presenIed
vas either qualified or nnivSIs'tt ~ Unconstitutional
race IN WV " prepared by several leading southern
statesmen then IN TO the Legislature of North
Publcans a M home that that body would accept !he
same, and rclues. D Howard amendment. 1t, however,
bnrteehh Nrt6 Carolina legislature on my return
70 the city Of Charleston ea2 n the cify stated that
vas in favor Of admitting me SoU 6 vie op Who ms
- sufrage who was able 10 Ieasuo. anu "' " W." ~
sessed nrOperty TO the Value Vi Wv 80.
81 6oyernor then reterates the reasons he had at
] times expressed in favor of the policy ABOVE men
toned, and continues ,..,ou into Tho 1,nior and
SI of representation has been denied us ana Con
the 1Gavine nc power TO enforce thelr views, ana e
President being impoent 20 eAe1He NY LIZ ,S the
NOT wise for South TO accept lnaC I m
speeiicst restoration TO repreSentaton IN
Although many OF our etitlcd 70 90 10 the ballot
- IN bpug eligible 10 official pOsllloI, lney COulq
have controlled the Conventions ny mteIhgence anu
nave 'o J l"Ijed constitutions in all OF the Southern
states under which both races might nave hNed IN mar
nony was satisfied that our maieial prospvry CIo
dSvopment OF our resources and the restoration O con
eSeNce and credit could not be secured unt te pOeH
,ssnes involved the question OF reconstruction were
1eed and the representatives OF lhe south on wv lOO
~ Congress could make known Der wants and protest
against her wrongs Our capital had been swept away by
tS sower of the population had been killed in the war;
IN ndustra empoyments either crippled or broken
nareg Inv indncng capitalists nom the North and from
frN0pe 10 locate In our midst and bring with them their
sIIzahs 1e ialaT Is Wealth Itself Tie struggle which
imnoversbed us made the North rch and since the Tor
tation Of the Government capital has never been so
hdVt ar 80 ready TO embark in safe investments Yet
1or three long years both capital ana engahs have Deeh
deferred from seeking arestngplaee ~ tne south Tar
fsans uDg partisan press for partisan purposes nave
represented the South as being still IN condition OF
o1tas rebellion. Life has been declared TO be insecure
md prdery uncertain Ii said that Northern men,
who had the einery TO seek homes IN the SOUTH were
Get upon by ruthless nobs and murdered Every species
Of enormty was attributed 10 the Southern people 10
Subserye political aud partisan ends Inc eneet VI suen
Misrepresentation upon us has been most disastrous
few tourists have come to the State, few adyenurers
looking 10 political promotion have rested here; but
comparatively small number have brought their captal
themselves with the State and aiding her people TO re-
build their broken fortunes The appreciation IN tne
~ tho fgLre nd al
months past furnishes conclusive evidence OF Tue cor
recnes of the opinion that Northern capital would not
be trusted i'm the south until representation In Congress
was contaminated. In January last, SCUM caro-
lima State and bonds were selling al ~ ana - cents
on the dollar Now with restoration assured. they are
worth from GO &C cents on the dollar In the spring
and Summer OF 1861 money readily comnanqea rom 1s
readily borrowed at from TO per cent per month Cd
Ieeonable the Reconstruction acts, or the new Con
gnton or the privilege OF universal suffrage 10 the col
bred race may have been was II not the part OF WsdO
oong AT the condition OF affairs IN the material sense
IN which have referred, and 10 the fact that the dOn-
nation OF the bayOnet could not be superseded ny the
pdGe and the TO have accepted these obnoxious
measures controlled as far possible the conventions
acquired tue best constitutions gained readnssOh mo
dc Federal councils and trusted 10 the future 10 correct
meh errors remove such burdens, and rcbuke such
tyranny made Odous either he acts OOA6Iess VI Vo
constitutions legislation Of the statesf
After remarDg that he had coOperated in good faith
With the military authorities in carrying out the law Of
Congress the Governor baes the whites OF the State Tor
not taking more active part IN framing the now Const
tuition. He says:
When the election occurred for members Of the state
Convention the white population OF South Carolina, by
their action al least seemed TO have adopted opinions
adverse 70 those which have expressed very rev re-
paired TO the pos to vote for delegates to that body
There appeared be strange deluslOn pervadng the
public mind that the Convention would not meet or, II
DID meet that its action would be nugatOry IL IS per-
haps the first instance in the history Of free, intelligent
people where the ballot having been gwen TO them they
have refused its exercise and abdicated the power the
rights and privileges which theirinelgence experience,
and wealth would have enabled them 10 Weld success
fully They ignored their opportunity, and surrendered
10
Svely the selection OF delegates 10 the Convention H.
therefore the Constitution framed is obnoxious very
many Of the intelligent white voters Of the State must
feel that the fault is their own Their action, perhaps
has been wiser than my advice Time alone must decide
The colored population IN South Carolina outnumbered
the whites by 10000 Many Of the cOlored enjoyed
lome educational advantages, aud others had accuuu
lated property In making laws which were 70 operate
upon this entire class as well as upon the whtesaWs
affecting the life, liberty property, ana pursuit Of hap
pess Of 80 considerable majority OF the popuauonwas
just light that this class should De excluded from
any in choosing the representatives 70 enact those
lawsi Would they have patiently and tamey submitted
70 asystem Of laws which they had no agency in making
or to taxation without representation there had been
no open combinations 70 resist and defeat such legsa
hOn could secret societies, cOnspraces, peTurcs and
assassination have been preventedl Would single ind
Nidual Of that elass-0e ls Intelligence and virtue what
may-haye had any nducement TO cooperate In the en-
forcement OF laws thus passedi
Touching the general question Of negro suffrage the
Governor speaks as follows:
Looking to the interest Of that race Congress- in
my judgment committed a grieyOus mistake I'm bcstow-
Ing upon Il universal suffrage IL may secure q tempo
fary party triumph but it will inevitably lay the fouuda-
Hcn OF a corrupt gOyerDment-Of corruption among
voters and corruption among legislators and ministerial
omeers Can be expected that wholesome laws will
emanate from legislators whose Constituents NAV he
Ignorant and vicious Again. where the large majority
OF voters are ignorant, do they become e IN
stTuments OF corrupt men, in eleyatng TO power those
who are utterly unworthy Of their suffrage How can
voter whose mind Is unenlghtened by experience or in
tellgence, protect himself from fraud or Imposition
una !e as he will be to discriminate between TINT Winch
u fai>e and that which Is tuethat which upright ana
that which Is depravedf Universal suffrage Ia An eV1
which has been appreciated for many years and the
evil results from the fact that the ignorant voter enables
the corrupt asprant for office by bribery persuasion
or importantly, to fOst himself into position, and
then protect himself In his tenure by means al
once lhegiumate and dishOnOrabe. II is for these
reasons mat universal suffrage has been repudia-