The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1878-04-11
Lieut.. Gov. simpsOn'p Address

The annexed remarks were deliv~
ered by Hon. w. D. Simpson, Lieu
senant Governor OF South Carolina,
at the close of the session.
SENATORS: This body rs about to
: adjourn, and suppose that it will
hardl y meet again as at present or
ganizsd. II is true, that the Govern.
or, under the constitution is author
ICED and empowered, should an ex-,
traordinary occasion arise, to call the
General Assembly together, but the
country is at perfect Peace-quiet
and good order reigns supreme
throughout the entire limits of the
State. The two races embraced in
our body polite are at better un-
ders!anding now than perhaps at any
other time since emancipation; in
fact everything denotes long and
peaceful repose on the part of our
people, and II is hardly probable that
any event will occur between this and
the next general election requiring
tho Governor to exercise his consti--
tusional power of convening tie Gen,
oral Assembly. Such being the tact,
the adjournment now near at hand
will indeed be an adjournment in all
probability sine die. -.
a. Standing in the presence of this
event, aud having, as your presiding
officer, had full opportunity to wit
ness the deliberations of this General
Assembly, it would not be inappro-
pirate for me on this occasion to res
view its action and endeavor to fix
position which it should occupy in
lie history Of these eventful times,
and did time permit, I, would TO
happy to undertake this task as a |
pleasing duty, but the circumstances
by which we are surrounded forbid, |
and I shall not tresspass'upon tie, pa!
tience of the Senateto that extent.
I must be permitted, however, to
cay generally, that, in my judgment,
no General Assembly has ever been |
in existence since the foundation of
our State government which more
fully deserved the appreciation of The
people, when everything is consid- |
cred, than this now about TO adjourn
and to close its session forever. In
support OF this statement: let me re-
fer for one moment TO the circumstan
ces which surrounded it at it's organ~
iEation, and TO call to mind the calm
wisdom, earnest patriotism and sub
lime. patience which characterized
lie, members at that trying period,
and which resulted in such glorious
success, You remember when the
members elect assembled in this city
in,November, 1876, TO take the seats
70 which they were entitled under
the constitution, by the voice of the
sovereign people, produced at the
ballot box, that the doors Of .yonder
hall iofthe House of Representatives
was closed to their entrance, and the
gleam Of the bayonet of the Federal
asny flashed across it's fOldings in
defiance OF their constitutional rights,
and the defeated party, led on by it's
interruptions leader, was throwing
every obstacle in the way of the
peaceful assemblage of the true rep
resentatives Of the people, both in
this body and the other. 1t is not
too much TO say that but for the un-
cxampled forbearance of those rep
representative at that time onr whole
State would then have been plunged
into 8 sea Of blood. Yes, one false
step then, at that critical moment,
quicker and more disastrous even
than the whirlwind's blast, would
have convulsed this State from the
mountains to the seaboard, and post
poned our redemption process tor- |
eversf in estimating the character Of
elaSo nanaual Aucomhl, onJ - Gy;no.