The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1869-03-31
Interview of South CarOli1l-
ians with President Grant.

, Interview OF SOuth CdlOllH~
ians with President Grant.
Among the visitors who called
on the President, on Tuesday
morning last, were the Hon. }. 2.
Reed and Hon. W. D. Simpson, OF
South Carolina, who were present
ed by the Hon. Thomas l.. Jones,
of Kentucky. During the inter
view Mr.. Reed read, for himself
and Mr.. Simpson, the following
paper in relation to the condition
of affairs in that State
"We have called Mr.. President,
as members elect from the old
Commonwealth of South Caro-
liua to the Forty-frst Congress of
the United States, to tender tor
ourselves, and the people we have
been chosen to represent our con-
gratulations upon your auspiclous
assumption of the Office of Chief
Magistrate of the American Union
We arc, sir, natives of the State
from whence we come, and claim,
as representative men ofits ancient
population, to be familiar with
their political and material con-
dition, their sentiments, and as
pirations for the futue.
"Poiitically, in addition to the
loss of nearly all their pecuniary
resources, they have, by the re-
suits of the war, been practically
excluded, for more than three
years, from the family of States,
and the blessings Of civil govern
ment; but having been recently
restored to their original position
in the Union, upon the plan which
the Congress in it's wisdom saw
fit to adopt, without concur ing in
the manner Of their restoration,
they have accepted the accom-
plished fact in good faith, and arc
as loyal to the Government Of a
common country as any other
equal number Of the American
people.
"Their condition, socially, is and
has been one Of profound peace
and, aside from few isolated acts
of personal violence, that have oc-
casionally been committed in dit
ferent parts of the State, such as
are unfortunately Of too common
occurrence in all sections Of the
Union, good order has prevailed,
and the laws, State and Federal, ,
enacted for their government by
bodies in which they were un-
represented, have been respected,
obeyed and enforced without the
slightest tendency to tumult or
violence.
"Matcrially the abundant har-
vests that have been vouchsafed to
them, and the high prices at which
their leading staples have ruled,
have relieved them in a great
measure from their embarrass-
ments, and opened up to their i'm
aglnations the dawn ofaprosperity
50 o entirely unexpected as to lead
them to hope that events which
were deemed the most crushing
evils may turn out to have been
indeed BLESSINGS in disguisc.'
SIN sentiment, whilst almost the
entire native white, and a large
| number of the colored population,
have affiliated and been identified
with the national Democratic
| party, their fetters are not OF
such controlling strength as to
induce or permit factious oppo-
sition to the party in power, or
hinder them from yielding a
hearty support to all such meas as
ures Of your administration as Will,
in their judgement, tend to develop
the resources and promote the in
terests of a common country.
"Their hopes and aspirations for
the future are that their State
may henceforth occupy precisely
the same relations to the Govern
ment, under a common Constltu-
ton and laws, that is occupied by
by the other States of the Union
and to this end that the laws
imposing burdens and comforting
benefits on the people may be uni
formly enforced, persons and prop.
erty protected, thepeace preserved
inviolate, the unity and perpetuity
of the Government maintained,
and that uninterrupted fraternity,
prosperity and happiness may at
tend the whole American people,
East, West, North and South,
without regard to race, color: or
previous condition. And such, sir,
are the sentiments of the hearts
of ourselves and our people"
In response to which, the Pres
ident remarked:
"GENTLEMEN The sentiments cN-
pressed in that paper should meet
the appreciation Of every law
abiding and Union-loving citizen
Of the country"
Do not spur free horse to
death,