Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1872-12-12
inaugural Address of Cow Moses

| auguraI Address of Cow Moses
The followingis the Inaugural Address
Of Gov. Moses, delivered before the Leg
islature Tuesday Of last week:
Fszo,;O- Citizens of the Senate and Ho'ss'
of Representatives.:
You have entered upon the sixth ses
sion Of the General Assembly since tht
establishment of free government IN tht tn
State of South Carolina! 1t'i ~
It should be with us a source Of pro
| found gratitude to Divine Providence tba
you meet ''ahdsr adspiceSi that betoker
brighter and better days for the. whole
people of the State, whose sworn: repre-
sentatives you are. The earth has re-
warded the labors of our husbandmer
with abundant fruits, while all the varied
forms and arts of industry are being pros:
ecuted with hopeful energy amid sappar'
entlv universal peace and order, under our
happy system Of government, which gasr-
| antees and maintains liberty regulated by
law.
l., We have been mereifully exempt from
the great and disastrous fires which, during
the past year; have swept oyer so many
portions Of our common country, consum'
ing to ashes the garnered wealth OF years,
and reducing the rich and the poor to the
same level Of INDECENT suffering
Let US endeayor, fellowreitizens, to de.
serve these signal blessings BY a faithful
and conscientious discharge of all the I'M
portant trusts reposed in US by the people.
In entering upon the duties of the high
Office with which have been vested by
the generous favor Of my fellow-citizens,
my deSp sense Of, gratitudesto them for the
honor tontsfrad bSthef frse sufases is
associated with' q painful conviction Of the
grave responsibility which has been impos-
ed upon me by their choice.
will endeavor to discharge my whole
duty to the olepeople Of the State. To
this enfI invoke tie consilerate Judgment
and active cooperation 1pf every member
of the General Assembly, whatever may
be his party creed, and the open -jaid and
assistance of every good citizen in the
commonwealth of South Carolina.
While 1 shall not forget that, as q can
Union Republican party, whose benefcent
principles are expressed in the doctrine of
|:ednal rights and exact Justice to all men,
|now incorporatedin the fundamental law
Of the State and nation; and while under
any and all circumstances my duty Of de.
votion and fidelity to my party shall be
ever present to my mind, trust that |
may always remember that as the Chief
Magistrate of the State, l represent all
the people Of South Caroline, and that
the lines which iEt6it my zeal for their in.
terests must, in honor, be co-extenslve
with her boundaries.
Standing here to day in the august
presence OF the assembled lawmakers Of
tile State, and,lof this large multitude,
With the oath of Office in all its solemn
sanctity fresh upoh.my Hips, i pledg" my
best efforts to insure that during my ad-
ministration the Commonwealth shall
suffer no .detrimept.". ..
Gentlemen Of the Senate and House OF
REPRESENTATIVE, let ,us: re-dedicate our
selves, to the esgreat work and sduty Of the
hour. Let us prove to the world, by the
enactment Of just laws and their impartial
administration, that the highest private
liberty here is ccnsonant with the greatest
public good.
Our people are happy in the possession
Of bountiful soil and q genial climate.
Here the varied products Of temperate
aud tropic zones grow side by side, while
our streams are flashing in The sunlight
of a perpetual spring. Theimperial plant.
whose Geecy fbres enter into the raiment
ot civilized man throughout the globe, and
whose production presses heavily upon
the very balance wheels of the commercial
exchanges of the world. h&E here its native
home and most luxuriant growth. Yet
the face Of the emigrant is turned away
from our State, and capital, which sets
labor in motion and creates the manufac-
tures which contributes to the comfort
and the elevation of man, shrinks back
from us, as if the seals of pestilence were
broken, and it's vials emptied out upon
this beautiful land of ours Hence, near
ly three.fourths of our vast territorial area,
embracing not less than thirty-si1 thou
sand square miles, lie fallow to-day.
This disastrous result is largely due to
the fell spirit Of political intolerance, which
has been manifested during the past five
wears, by the SorpEer governing class IN
South Carolina. who stll ip great part,
represent the educated intelligence and
landed property of the State.
That intolerance, which was at first sue.
eessfully directed to destroy the financial
credit OF the State Government. both at
home and abroad, also prescribed every
aatiye and adopted citizen who openly de.
ejated himself in accord with the political
sentiments which were entertained by the
yast majority Of the'people Of the United
States who have. by the recent national
csmpaielr, furnished O. most. memorable
proof Of ii. cir firm deteFai'latlOn thaton1ly
those who are known 10 reiieet SAq main
tain those polite. ..lsentiments, shast falla
in this Republic Of; rors. T., -,
Individual proscriptG7i ana haoi.ual ae.
nuincia.ion Of the Government, bolh stAte
and FedEral. were soon lolloweS: ny armed
organizations in vuricus SECTIONS tf LIE
State, which, led by bold. bad and design,
ing men, oyerawed by their numbers and
daring the law-ablding majority. and
scourged and slew many cf their lsIlow-
citizens because of their political opinions
and party afiliation. 4
These barbarous acts of minority OF
the minor party in the State continued
with varying intensity for long andoark
period Of more than three years. The
Government of the State having made
Intellectual atteinps to check them, both
by earnest appeals to toe Ysason and hu
manity of those who were rsgakded as the
political leaders and exponents OF tie des7
perate men engaged in them, and by Its
available constabulary force. finally ap
pealel to. the national authority for pro-
lection t0 American citizens from lawless
violence within the limits Of the State. .
That appel, ufler, long delay incident
to procuring the necessary legislation by
the Congress OF the United States. was ef-
fectualty responded to. through the Fede'
raj Courts, sustained by the military arm
of The Government.
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