The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1873-01-22
BY W a. LEE AND HUGH WILSON.
Governors Message.

es..re.... =. ,,.- - g. ~,
Fellow CITIZENS = OF THE SENATE
AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
Congratulate you in view of the
fact that the third General Assem-
bly, Of South Carolina, under her
free Constitution, has convened
and held its daily sessions in the
midst of universal tranquility. and
order. urentered.upon the du.
ties of the session with difficulties
ot marked gravity confronting you,
-ast the lawmakers. of the State,
These difficulties / trust and believe
you will in, the end surmount, by a
diligent and faithful discharge of
allothe delicate and responsible du-
ties. .ehoined upon you by the peo-
pie, with whom we have so recently
entered into covenant through
our official oaths. ria. 49,. .s.'.|.
1t is my most gratifying duty to
inform you that the relations of the
State to the Federal Union are not
only Of the most cordial character,
but the guarantees. of perpetual con-
cord between the. groat sections of
our, country, are, being steadily in
creased and strengthened by the
growing recognition Of the fact that
all citizens of; the United States are
bound together by the tie of a COM
moh interest. The acts of individual
violence, which had manifested them
selves in the upper counties of the
State, since the summer Of 1865, and
which were clearly the consequence
of political and personal animosity.
engendered among large portion Of
the people, against: "a class of our
felfow-citizens, recently enfranchised
and vested with civic rights, have
happily ceased. SThe lawlcss and
vindictiveo spirit from which those
acts sprung embodied itself in armed
, organizations, which, in the winter of
1870 and the spring. of 1871. domi-
mated many counties, land, with start
ling audacity, overawcd the local
authorities with q strong band, and
: wrote their DEGREES in the innocent
blood Of anoffending victims, whom
they remorselessly scourged and slew.
y These organizations have been dis
persed by the power of'the General
Government, and many of the actors
therein have been punished by. its
conrts. That power. was exercised
for protective purposes only, against
the deadly Capitalization symbolized
by the midhighe horseman who rode
as the missionary of hate, in a dis.
gllise as fearful kas the deed he had
armed himself toexecate.s
HencefSrth. those who might enter
tain any scheme for the oppression of
an American citizen on the soil Of our
State,abecanse of the manner in which
he chooses, as a freeman, to exercise
his political rights will beadmonishcd
that however humble may be the
condition Of thecitizen and whatever
may be his race or color, a powerful
'gesornment stands prepared aaat will
lipg.to protect him in the free, and
unquestioned enjoyment of all the
rights and, privileges that attach to
American citizenship. I should be
wanting in aeandor ard justice H;l
failed to announce that, not only have
the, unlawful organizations in question
appafehtly ceased to exist, but the
open exhibition of a sentiment of
hostility to the State or Fedora! Gov
-ernment, that made, it possible that
such Organizations shonld $50 long
continue in Sgrievops operation, seems
toshavc also passed away.
:" Nowhere upon the soil Of South
Carolina to-day does it seem to be
necessary that, for the pre- servatiop
of public order or the present protec
ton of.aindiyiddal rights, extraordi-
nary agencies, should be1r resorted to;
the pacific agencies which the laws
provide as tho true Safeguards Of the
citizen and society ARE all in unob-
.strueted operation throughout our
State. The person of the stranger
among us seems to be no longer envi-
roned BY peril, and, hov ever rude and
remote his dwelling, he may repose
lin safety, for the law keeps watch and
ward over him, an invisible, silent,
but sleepIess sentinel. May this Sc
curity ever continue, and may the
passions, which had their birth in a
false political theory and grew up
amid sanguinary civil war, be for
ever. su bdued BY the conscious and
grateful. recognition Of that sense of
brotherhood whichshould spring from
our common nationality as American
citizens.l The American should feel
his pride quickened and his self:
respect elevated, as he surveys the
greatapd bencfcent republic of which
he is happily an individual and politi-
cal member - In territorial area, the
United States stretch from tho tropic
belt Of seas and islands on the South
to the icy ocean on. the North ;,!while
from East to West they form the
grand mediterranean region which
unites while it divides the two great
oceans of the world. They embrace
within their limits over 100000 OF
square miles Of territory, situated
near the geographical centre of the
earth's plane, and an area much
greater than that of all Europe, and
about one-twelfth of the; :habitable
land on our globe. They contain a
population of nearly 40,000,e00, or
about ione-halfgof the total number of
inhabitants on the whole continent OF
North america This mighty. popu
.lation asarpass ID the products and
ntility Of their varied industries any