The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1868-05-07
The New Constitution of South
Carolina.

The New Constitution of South
Carolina, just adopted by an over
whelming majority, is an immense
stride in new direction. Not new
for the Northern States, but new to
the people who for the first time in
life are permitted to vote on, their.
/ Constitution. Into the Bill of
Rights are introduced the most en-
phatic declaration of the inviolabil-
ity of the Union, and the declara-
ton that "this State shall forever.
remain a member of the American
Union, and all attempts to dissolve
said Union shall be resisted with
the whole of the power of the State"
This is bitter cup of itself to
the old nullifiers. -=z=----
Strange to say, until General
Sickles issued his famous order No
10, imprisonment for debt was of
daily occurrence in South Carolina.
That order opened the prisons and
enabled men to return to their
homes who had not seen their fam
lilies for three, five and seven years.
The New Constitution changes all
this, and prohibits Imprisonment
for debt Next to this in import
ance to the poor is the homestead
exemption feature of the Constitu-
ton. It secures to the head Of
every family homestead to the
value of fifteen hundred dollars.
At present this is for the special
benefit Of the whites rather than the
blacks. The new Judiciary system
is much simpler than the old one,
Izreducing the expenses at least one
third. "The new system is simple,
complete, Inexpensive and i'm
partial. It provides. for "a SUI
preme court, with appellate juris-
diction generally and the usual
special original jurisdiction. Below
are the two Circuit Courts-the
Common Pleas, with civil jurisdic-
ton only, and the General Sessions,
with criminal jurisdiction only !;
Judges Of Probate and Justices of
the Peace. Nothing could well be
! simpler
| Another very important feature
is the guarantee of universal suf-
frage, Every male citizen of the
United States who is twenty -one,
and has been a resident of the State
one year, is made ali elector of the
! State. Such persons alone are dis
franehised as shall be DISTINGUISHED
by Congress Not one rebel is dis
franchised by the Constitution, and
that in South Carolina, by a Con.
yention composed chiefly Of color
ed men who might have taken sweet
revenge on their former masters.
j This is splendid magnanimity. The
| Democratic twaddle about a "war
Of races counts for little in view
Of this.
4 The. next, and equally character
istic feature of the Constitution is
| the article on education. This is
generous, radical, comprehensive,
and the most gigantic stride tina,
any rebel State has yet taken. 1t
provides for a system of free pub.
| lie schools, supported by the, State.
Just as they are in Ohio. Itdivides
the State into school districts, and
orders the maintenance Of school
open to black and white, in each
; district, for six months every year
1t provides for State Superinten.
dent of Education and State Board
| Of School Commissioners, for the
establishment, within FIVE years, OF
a State Normal School and also fol
that of q State Agricultural College
: as early as practical. These las
are MOTTO be established immedi
ately owing to the poverty of thu
people, but the common school sys
tenn goes into immediate effect. Th,
whole article on education is care
! fully drawn and shows that wise
J heads were at work in the Conven
tion which framed the Constitution
y Such is the Constitution will
which South Carolina comes to Con