Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1868-07-15
lie sanctioned by the Court Of this State ard

l'ut even were the qneStlOn uouDllui, uhisI
the theory of the Reconstruction Acts, tba
the late Confederate States are cut Of lh'
Union, and beyond the operation Of the Con
stitution Of the United States, the adoption o
tiis provision prior to the admission OF Soull
Carolina, would still be strictly valid, on tho
ground taken by the Supreme Court of the
United Stafes-namely, that State laws pissed
prior to 1889, impairing the Obligation OF con
tracts, were valid, inasmuch as the Cons;i'u-
ton had not, previous to that time, exercised
any restraining influence upon the States.
TIE Indebtedness OF very many Of the best
citizens OF the State, the destruction OF pro-
per,y. and the general disasters that have en-
sued, render this Homestea Act and its &C
companying exemption, Indispensable 10 the
peace and happiness of thousands Of families
within the limits of South Carolina; and no
more generous or acceptable statute can be
passed by the General Assembly, than Tina,
which will at once apply the benefits of this
law to all eriStiag, Us vel! Is future liabilities.
whether they be in the nature OF Judgments,
executions or Otherwise.
Further measures of relief from the pres
sure Of Indebtedness will BE- required and
inasnu:h a, the courts are to be reorgAnized,
and new duties to be assigned to the Sheritfs,
it would be wise to allow the present crop 10
be gathered and marketed before claims are
permitted to be enforced.
], therefore, recommend tina! ali-Sheriff, be
prohibited from enforcing executions in their
offices. upon debts contracted prior t. the first
day of .,!ay, 1865 and that Judges be like
wise restrained, until the first day of March,
1869, from giving judgments i'll all such cases.
EDUCATION.
Under the new Constitution. the office Of
State Superintendent Of Education has been
created, and also that Of School Commis-
sioner for each County-thc Superintendent
and Commissioners constituting the State
Board OF Education. The first named officer
has already been elected, and will doubtless
enter upon the discharge OF his duties us soon
rs they are defined by law.
A commendable interest is manifested bv
all classes Of our people in the establishment
of schools; and The desire is general that
larger facilities than heretofore, shall he fur.
nished for this purpose. 70 devise scheme
adapted TO the wants OF S,nlh Carolina, and
applicable alike to city, will &C Oh lhinly popu.
lated country, will require a very full investi-
CATION of details, and not q little acquaintance
with the various localities Of the State.
Hence, unless great care is taken. no plan
adopted is likely to result in benefit at all
commensurate with the great expense to be
entaled upon tax payers
The Constitution provides that " there shall
be kept open at least six months in each
year one or more schools in each school dis.
Jrct" Gentlemen Of intelligence, who we're
members of the Convention, believe ;ha; the
fair construction Of this section will author
lie, when the system is matured, the cstab-
lishnert of separate schools FOR the whic
and coloured children Of the State. Another
section however, declares that "al the pubic
schools, colleges and universities of this State,
supported in whole or in part by the public
funds, shall be free :ad open to all the Chi.
dren and youths of the State, without regard
to race ol colour"
IF it shall be attempted to establish achools
where both race2 are to lie ianghl, no provis-
ion being made for their separation, the
whole system will result in disastrous fail
ure. The prejndic"s OF race, whether just
or uriust, exist in tnll force not more in
South Carolina than in New England and TIC
West. In the last named localities separate
schuaIs are provided for white and colonred
children, and il community We're th SO
pr,]udices prevail in so Strong 2 degree, how
garcasonah!o it is 10 attempt tine organizl
t,un OF mixed schools? II cannot but result
in constant icuds and collisions between tue
children, in which the parcns respectively,
will ncccssarii; take up tic qrarrei, and en-
tire communities thus be avolved in oontin
ual tumult-the consequence Of the mi,judgcd
efforts ii unvisc persons.
1t is the more remarkable that sncli clause
should have been inserted in the Constitution,
when no necessity cXis;. ior rlakirg such n
reckless experiment. il was demanded hy
neither the coicared nor the white race. and
if snhrnfroi 10 their decision, the idea nf mix
cd schools wonl have been Overwhelmingly
repndiarcl by both. lEili> attempted tn en-
force the law in those sections OF tie country
where he culourcJ population prrpord-rate;
the white children will be driven from the
schools :lIi il III. So sections where the white
prpu!a;ion preponderate, the colpured children
will Ike ise fad it imE,oasibla 10 scmain in
the SANG ruonl. Inthe new relation b-tween
the two RACES there already exist causes
enough for b;ckering AMI coniroS crsy. and the
prndruca uf grown people IS taxed to its lea
sion to prevent diSag-eetble antagonisns.
How mich less will such prudence cllarNc'sr-
iz. The relation between rhil.iroa OF the two
races under the same roof. M greater cru
ery COULD be inflicted by legislation upon the
parents Of children of Lw1 races, than that
which is contemplated Of this Objectionable
feature of the Constitution. lrdccd, the ming
ling of tho two races in the same school room,
in the face of known and uncom!'romiSing
prcjudses on the euhjecs seems to have been
u wan,on anil offensive effort to enforce, By
law. social equality which wll, never be recog-
nized or submitted to by the Caucasian race,
+, therefore, earnestly recommend that, 10
adopting an educational system, care be Ia
ken to provide for the white and coloured
youths separate places of instruction. AT the
salue time, in the name of peace and Of tue
happiness Of the people, lprotest '.2ainst this
amslgamation.
The Governor concludes his admirable
Message thus:
1r :,x.I ,I,o r,:J,o,a ~