The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-01-24

months; the legislature to have power to re
quire every child in the State between the age
equivalent to sixteen months, unless educated
by other means. Referred to the Committe
on Education.
REpUDIAT1oN.
R. G.. Holmes (white), OF Beaufort, intro
duced resolution, which was referred to th'
Committee on the Legislative part of the Con
stitution, that no debt contracted by South
Carolina during the war shall be paid by an.
act of the legislature of this State.
NO DISTINCTIONS.
B. F. Randolph offered resolution, which
was voted down, that the constitution shal
hereafter make no distinction on account oi
color in such laws as it may adopt with refer
ence to the public schools.
]. J. Wright moved that the resolution be
indefinitely postponed, and it was agreed to
sHER1FFs, MAGISTRATES, &C.
J. M. Runion, of Greenville, who appears
from the character of the resolutions he offers
to be fishing for political popularity more thar
the zeal welfare Of any particular class, moved
that sheriffs, magistrates, &C., be elected BY
vote Of the people for four years, and that fol
four years thereafter they shall be ineligible To
Office. Referred to committee.
PICKENs DISTRICT.
The hour for the consideration Of the special
order having arrived, DR.. johnson took the
| floor and warmly advocated the division OF
Pickens District. He described the people,
the country, it's extent, its wants. he said it
ws3 benighted place, and wouldn't improve
until it was "cut in two;" that o man might
travel there by night or day, and when he got
fifteen miles beyond the courthouse he couldn't
find decent meal Of victuals or a drink of
whiskey. 1t was essentially in need Of recon-
struction in practical sense, and the people
generally agreed with him that, to bring it out
OF the slough Of Despond, some action like that
proposed was needful on the part OF the con-
vention.
A lively discussion ensued. The spirit
against the proposed action of the convention
waa strong, but Edgefeld and Barnwell, both
Of which had made similar propositions to d-
vide territory. both rallied their forces and
made good fight. The Barnwellians were di-
vidsd among themselves, however, and Leslie,
one Of the white delegates, made humorous
speech, in which he said that he represented
only FIVE white men in the district, and not one
Of these, to his knowledge, was in favor OF any
change. AS for the colored people, he did not
know solitary individual who had even
dreamed that it was essential to their salvation
or the maintenance Of their race to divide the
district, and he should therefore oppose the
motion on general principles.
j. J. Wright (colored), thought it was new
wrinkle in national jurisprudence that legis-
lature could change or annul the constitution
OF State; it was as imprac cticable as for Con-
gress to declare null and void the decisions of
the Supreme Court of tho United States.
After much rambling discussion, the further
consideration Of the question was postponed
until Monday next, at o'clock.
sTAY-LAw.
The next special order of the day was the re-
solution requesting General Candy to suspend
oil oo1aa ~ rrOperfv dahta cnOt ctAd DriOr
to June, 1865.
The object of the opposition was to kill it by
amendment. Two or three were offered, when
DeIarge (colored), called for the previous
question. Subsequently this was reconsider
ed. and T; j. Robertson, Esq, read speech
which he had prepared on the subject.
He claimed that those who had brought
about the impoverished condition of the coun-
try were not the poor men or the loyal men,
but those who pretend to represent its wisdom,
intelligence and wealth.
It was this class who we're clamoring for
stay-laws and homestead laws. Some of them
assert that they cannot live in this country
that war of races is inevitable. They are
the principal debtors of the State, and do not
want to pay their debts and they never will 80
long es they have unconstitutional stay-laws
to protect them. 80,
For one no would say, let the property OF the
country change hands, and if lands sell cheap,
80 much better for the poor man Of the State,
because it will enable him to provide himself
with home, and thus identify himself with:
the soil.
INF. Robertson did not say, in this connec-
ton, that with one hundred OF his four hum
dred Thousand dollars he expected, on the first
Of February next, to absorb the property OF
probably seventy-fve poor farmers and turn
them adrift in the world to seek homes else
where
The men, said the speaker, who are asking
for relief, are those who do not recognize the
validity of the Reconstruction acts OF Con-
gress, and who refused to vote for delegates
to this convention. Some of them called the
convention menagerie, but it is the menage-
rie which is to protect their property at the
expense Of the loyal citizens and working men
Of the country.
The speaker continued in this vein, 30 well
calculated to appeal to the passions OF the
oolored element, and when Mr.. Robertson took
his seat, he was followed by R. 81. Cain, OF
Charleston, colored preacher, who said that
the only reason Why this peculiar question was
before the house was because 1T affected tne
DOOR man as much if not more than it did the
rich. He was in favor Of measures of relief,
but did not believe that any act Of the conven-
ton could effect relief in such manner as
would be either just or constitutional. Even II
it possessed the power, the men to be most
greatly benefited by the passage OF the reso, 80
UelOuSCQ w uAuV Sttoo WV,
war, have done all they could to antaRonlze the
true progress OF the country II these people
had made contracts they had done 80 with
their eyes open. II they nov suffered 1t was
only in consequence Of their own sins, and TOR
one he was not willing to afford them any rehef
Yhhtever, They not only should sell their
lands, but he would make them sell their lands
and give the poor man chance. 4
The remarks OF Cain were thoroughly reyot
lutionary in their character, adroltly madei
and well calculated to arouse, as no intended
they should, the passions Of the colored dele
gates The speech will probably have the Ell
feet Of dividing the two races on the t1oor,I
breaking up all combinations OF moderate meni
and dragging such as Whittemore, .Bowen|
Whipper, Wright, Langley, and others into the
ranks Of the negro extremists.
We said at the beginning Of our reports that
the negroes had the advantage OF intellect on
the floor, and few more such exhibitions as
those Of Cain will draw the white meu body
and soul into the range of colored control. No
colored man will dare to risk his reputation BY
answering Cain, OF put himself beyond the
pale of his party by antagonizing what are
now evidently the prejudices OF the conven
vtion.
The hour OF adjournment arrived in the
midst Of the debate, and the convention ac-
cordingly crested from it's labors."
UNITED STATES DISTRICT CoURT-HoN. GEO.
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