Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1868-01-23

w. U.
point of order. A motion has been made to ad-
iourn, and it is not debatable. :
The question then being taken, was decided in
the affirmative, and the convention took recess Of
fifteen minutes. - = "a =
On being called to order, balloting commenced
for the election of permanent President which be-
ing concluded, the chairman announced the resultas
follows:
Dr. A G. Mackey,. ......................74v votes
b. i. Whittemore,. ............................4
L. j. Robertson. .............................. l
James NJ. Rutland, Observation-Disclosures :"
IOtal,................ ......."...................ll3
Gilbert Pillsbury, white, Charleston-I now
move that the convention declare Dr. Mackey to
be unanimously elected President
B. T. Whittemore-Wil the gentleman with
draw his motion Mr. Pillsbury assented.
B. F. Whittemore-L understand that the bal
loting thus far has been simply an informal e1-
preston of the sense of this convention; and it
appears that as regardsthe two higher candidates
here named, it is faYorably disposed towards Dr..
Mackey and myself Fcettainly appreciate the:
kindness which has been eiepded to me by those
who have bestowed Their votes upon. me; am
certainly here for no other purpose than to assist
in the harmonious organisation Of this convention
having been, in.6o Instance, an aspirant for this
position. desire simply 10 be left to represent
my constituents upon the floor, and do the bus-.
ness that may come before us for consideration
either here or in some humble part upon some
committee, and to this end move that this body
unanimously declare Dr.. A g. Mackey the Presi-
dent of this convention. a.t ;a !
The motion was agreed to amid applause =, a.,
A. J. Ransier (colored) from Charleston, moved
that committee of three be appointed to wait up
on the president elect, apprize him Of the event,
and wait upon him 70 the chair g. ~
an amendment, that q committespf two, to consist
Of B. +. Whittemore and b ,peIarge, be ap-.
p A. J. Ransier declining psosspt the amend.
,nent Mr. Moses proposedt thagae name of A j.
Ransier shouldibe added toths xdnmittee, and the
motion was then agreed to-. iTSost 80, .:,.;.. -.
On motion of N G. Parker, the convention took
recess for fifteen minutes at the expiration of
which time the body was called to order, the com.
mittee escorted the President to the chair, and
he was formally presented to- the convention by
Colonel Robertson, the temporaryc
In assuming the duties Of hisefice, fDr. Mackey
addressed the body as follows ::e;;Ss:,; -. -.
Gentlemen Of the Contention: While I return
you my thanks for the. honor That you have con-
deliberations, confess that i. assume the chair
charge its duties can, however, safely promise
a determination to perform the Important task
with the stictest impartiaitys and with oil the
judgment in my power. ;;f'E tsa'i ..i =.
The position in which your kindness has placed
me, will necessarily preclude me from general
participation in the debates Of the house, and will
condemn me to silence on nsmany questions, on
which, if I were on the foori i would wish to be
heard. You will, perhaps therefore pardon me-
if take the present occasion, once for ALL to de-
fine my position and to express my sentiments on
some Of the great topics which. are now agitating
our country.
The convention in which we are now sitting is
marked by two pecuEarities, which have distin-
guished no other convention that has preceded It
in South Caroina-peculiarities which demand for
it recommendation ofeVery lover Of liberty and
respecter of human rights. 4
Convened, as I contend il h@ been-for else
had not been hereby competent legal authority,
it is the first constitutional copyention in this State,
In the selectionof whose members the ballot box,
the true paladiuH Tof-saefon& liberty, has been
made accessible to every man who was not disqual-
fled by legal or political crime In the call for the
five South Carolina Conventions which have pre-
ceeded it, and which were held in 1776, in l777,.
in 1890, in 1860, and in 1865 but portion of the
people were permitted to exercise the elective fran
chise because slavery, that vile relic of barbarism,
had thrown its blighted influence upon the minds
of the people, and for the noble doctrine that gov
enments were constituted for the good the whole
was substituted that ant-repubican one, that they
were intended only for the benefit of one class at
the expense of another. But in the call for this
body; every true man who could labor for the sup
port or fight for the defence of the Commonwealth
has been invited to representation. Manhood
suffrage has, for the first time, been invoked to
convene body which is to make the fundamental
law for all This is, then, truly and emphatcaIy, =
a peoples conventions convention by the repre-
sentatives of all who have minds to think-and to
think for themselves, or muscle to work-aud to
work for themselves. T5t
Again. In the five constitutional conventions
held in the State, to which Ihaye already alluded,
The fundamental law therein framed was made
inality. The people were ignored as part of the
body polite by the convention, which declared it.
,ef as possessed Of despotic and irresponsible au
shorty, and, in every instance, refused to submit
It's proceedings, and the constitution which it had
framed, to the people for their ratification. This
was but natural and necessary result of the in
auences Of the political sentiment that then pre-
vailed. It was but consistent that those who
deemed one-half Of their fellowctizens to be chat
els should forget or overlook the. manhood of the
other half 49,.
But we, who in these days, when the rising
beams of political truth, promise, after so much
storm, brighter sky for the Republic, we who are
emerging from that cloud of false opinion into the
iull sunshine Of that truth, know and claim our
elves to be only the representatives of the people.
We arroganly assume no final action, no irrespon-
'ble power, recognizing the rights of all men, of
Il, races the poor as we'll as the rich, the Ignorant
Is well as the wise of all men who make the State
heir home and identify themselves with its inter-
,sts. We dare not present to them an organic law
or their government, as something with which
hey have nothing to do but to hear and obey Our
work here is not to be considered as completed un-
il the people shall have reviewed it and ratified it.
Not we, ourselves but they who sent us here, are
o say whether we deserve the reward of 'weH
lone, good and faithful servants" For the first
lime in the history of South Carolina will the peo-
pie be recognized as the true trainers of their own
organic law. Ofsuch convention organized on
he great acknowledged principles of Democratic
am proud to be member far
more proud to sit here beneath the folds of that
beloved flag which is this day floating from our
oof, than I should have been in that other body
which met in this city in 1860, with no such loyal
ymbol to protect it, but which rather sought to
ear its stripes to tatters and to dash its stars to
he earth. .'' s's -
Yielding to none in sentiments of devotion for
hat flag Of my fathers, and an abhorrence of eve
y sentiment Of disloyaty and treason to that gov