The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1868-01-22
From the Charleston Mercury.
SECOND DAY.
CHARLESTON, january Is, 1868.

by B. +. Randolph, delegate from Orange
burg.
The roll of delegates being called, lo9
responded to their irnamcs-seventeen more
being present than on the preceding day.
After some diecussion as to members
not having certificates of Identification:
the l,al-keeper was appointed door-kceper
until a permanent organization.
The body then went into an informal
ballot for President.
A recess of fifteen minutes WAS moved
and carried to allow the delegates to pre-
pare their ballots. at the close of the re-
cess the ballots were cast, and on being
counted the result was as follows: y. G.
Mackey. white, delegate from Charleston,
~ votes: 3. L Whittemorc, delegate
from Darlington, 81 votes; Thomas j.
Robertson, white, delegate from Richland,
and temporary chairman, l vote; James
NJ. Rutland, white, delegate from Fair
field, l vote. Not single colored man
received vote for the office of President.
After the tellers had made their report,
the temporary chairman announced that
a. e. Mackcy, having received majority
of the votes cast, was duly elected per-
mancnt chairman of the Convention.
This was all error Of which he WAS inn
mcd;atcly reminded by several delegates,
who stated. simultaneously, or nearly so,
that the ballot WAS simply an informal
one.
This being the fact, and the chairman
withdrawing the am ounccment, white
delegate moved that the election Of y. u.
Mackey he declared unanimous.
.it-the request OF b. f. Whittemore,
white, the motion WIS withdrawn, and
Whitlemore, in Il short speech, withdrew
in favor Of AIackey
On motion of Gilbert Pi!lsbury, white.
delegate IRON Charleston, the election OF
Mackey WAS declared unanimous.
L. j. Ransier, light coloret delegate
from Charleston, then moved that Il com
'mittcc of three be appointed to wait on
the newly elected chairman, and invite
him 10 take his seat lis President OF the
Convention The motion being adopted
by the house, the temporary chairman
appointed +, j. Ranscr, light colorcd
delegate from Charleston; B. i White,
more, white Yankee delegate from par-
hnglon, and H. &. Del.algc. light colored
delegate from Charleston, a committee OF
three to wait on ~. G. Mackey, tie newly
elected permanent chairman, and INTRO
tuce him la lhe Convention.
Il, assuming the duties of his Office, Dir.
Mackey addressed the body as follows:
GENTLEMEN orT;lE CONVENTION H hile
return you my thanks for The honor that
Won have conferred on me, by sciccti-!g
me to preside over your deliberations,
confess that | assume the Chair with great
di.lidence as to my capabiiily to discharge
it's duties can, however. safely promise
determination to perform the important
task with Tie strictest impartiality, and
with all the Judgment in my power.
The position in which your Kindness has
placed ne will necessarily prcclndc me
from general participation in The debates
Of the house, and will condemn me TO 81
lence on many questions, on which, II
were OH the lloor, would wish to be
heard You will, perhaps, therefore, par
don me, if take the present OCCASION
once for all, to define my position ard t'
express my sentiments on some OF the
great topics which are now agltalinS ON
country.
The Convention in which we are now
sitting is marked by two pcculiarltics
which have distinguished no other Con
venton that has preceded it in South Car
olina-pccnliaritles which demand for il
the COMMUNICATION OF every lover OF liber
ty and rcspcctcr of human rights.
Convened, as contend it has bccn-to'
else had not been hereby competcn
legal authority, it is the first Constitution
al Convention in this State in the selcc
ton of whose members the ballot-box, tho
true palladium OF national liberty, has beel
ma e accessible to every man who wa
not Disqualified by legal or political crime
In the call for the five South Carolina Con
ventions which lave preceded it, anc
which were held l77G, in Iii, i'll 1880, ii
1850, and in 1865, out 4 portion OF the
people were permitted, to exercise the cleo
tive franchise, because slavery, that viii
relic of barbariSnl, had thrown its blighte,
influence upon the minds of the people
and. for the noble doctrine that govern
mcnts were constituted forthc good OF th
whole was substituted that art-republical
one, that they were intended only for th
benefit of one class at the expense Of an
other. Bat in the call Tor this body, ever,
true man who could labor for the supper
or firht for the defence Of the Common
wealth. has been invited to representa-
tron. Manhood suffrage has, for the frs
/ time, been invoked to convene a bod.
q which is to make the fundamental law TO
all. This is, then, truly and cnphalica i.
Il leop'e's Conventional Convention b,
the representatives Of all who have mind
10 rhlnk-and to think for themselves, o
muscle to work-and to work for them
selves.
Again. In the five Constitutional Con
yentions held in tie State, TO which l haY'