Year: 1865

The war has decided, first: That one or
more of the States of the Federal Union have
not the right, at will, to secede therefrom.
The doctrine of secession, which was held to
be orthodox in the State Rights school of pol
itics, is now exploded for any practical pur
pose; The theory Of absolute sovereignty Of
was derived the right to secede) which was
believed almost universally to be a sound
constitutional construction, must also be ma
terialy modified to conform to this imposing
decision. In all the powers granted in the
Constitution Of the Federal Government, it is
supreme and sovereign and must be obeyed
and respected accordingly: Where the rights
Of State are disregarded, or unconstitutional
acts done by any department Of the Federal
Government, redress can no longer be sought
by interposing the sovereignty Of the State,
either for notification or secession; but the
remedy is by petition or remonstrance; by
reason, which sooner or later will oVertake
Justice; by an appeal to the supreme judicial
power of the Union; or by revolution, which,
if unsuccessful, is treason.


The decision was far more imposing. and
obligatory than if it had been pronounced by
the Supreme Court Of the United States
had it been tried there, an effort to reserve 1t
might have been made, because its members
and opinions often change. But the God OF
Battles has pronounced an irreVersibe judg-
ment, after long desperate and sanguinary
struggle, and it would be neither polite or
patriotic ever again to invoke new trial Of
the fearful issue.


The clemency which President johnson has
so generously extended to many Of our citi-
zens, in granting full and free pardon for par
ticipation in the late revolution, does honor
to his craftsmanship and to his sense Of JUS
tice. He is the ruling power of great and
triumphant Government, and by his policy
will attach by cords stronger than "trple
steel" the citizens of one entire section OF the
Union to the Government which he has so
long and so ably supported and maintained.
He was we'll acquainted with the South-wlth
her politics and politicians, and knew how
ever erroneous in his judgment may have
been their political principles, that they hon-
esty entertained the sentiments which they
professed, and for which they periled their
all ; and after failing in their end, when they
PROPOSED to return to their loyalty, that hu-
manity and policy dictated that they should
not be hunted down for ignominous punish
ment.


shall give his policy Of reconstruction ear
nest and Jealous support.


The war decided, second: That slavery
should be totally and absolutely extermina-
ted in all the States in the Union. The con-
vention of this State, with singular unanimlty
and promptness, accepted the result Of the
issue made, and declared in the fundamental
law 'that slaves have been emancipatcd by
the action of the United States authorities,
slavery should never be re-established IN this
State"


The Legislature has followed up the action
of the Convention, by passing the Constitu-
tional amendment proposed by the Federal
Congress prohibiting slavery everywhere in
the United States, and comforting on Congress
power to carry the same into effect. Slavery
in America Is, therefore, forever extinct. The
people of South Carolina have acqulesced in
sequence of the war with remarkable cheer
fulness, especially when it is noted that her
people have been the staunchest defenders OF
the institution, on principle of policy, Tor
more than a contury-that her interest in the
institution greater, relatively, than any of her
sisters, it's cash value at the beginning of the
war being moro than two hundred millions OF
dollars-and that, from settled conviction:
her two great pies of cotton and rice could
only be successfully cultivated by compulsory
labor.


The Convention and the Legislature, both
recently elected by the people, have no doubt
faithfully represented the sentiment of their
constituents on this subject and it cannot be
doubted that, since the slave is emancipated,
it is the fixed purpose of the people to secure
to him his rights Of person and property as a
freedman-that Just remuneration shall be
paid him for his labor, and that he shall be
protected against the fraud and violence of
the artful and the lawless. The Importance
of your legislating the relative rights and du-
ties Of the whites and the freedmen, at your
present session, cannot be over-estlmated.
The vital interests of the State, in ny judg-
ment arc dependent solely upon the laws you
pass with reference to this population. They
must be restrained from theft, idleness, va
grancy and crime, and taught the absolute ne
nessity of strictly complying with their con-
t. acts for labor. They must be protected in
their person and property; and, for few
years at least, some supervisory power should
be established to ratify their contracts for
labor, until their experience and increasing
knowledge may teach them to guard against
the craft of the unscrupulous. To insure his
protection of person and property, and to
guard society against tumultuous disturb
ances of the peace-agaainst trespasses, re-
taliations and assassinations-it will be lndls-
pcnsably necessary to modify the rules of the
evidence so as to permit the negro to testify
| in all cases where his rights of person and
nrOnorty are involved


The labor of every negro in the State is
needed, if not to till the soil, in some other
useful employment--for the culture of cotton
and rice and, in all mcnial occupations, it is
very doubtful whether any laborers in this
country or in Europe can supply his place.
! His long and thorough training in these en-
ployments give him certain skill and aptl'
tudc which a stranger can only obtain by ex'
pcriencc 1t is, therefore, of the first impor,
tancc that such a policy should be adopted as
will enable the farmers and planters to EN-
ploy the negro, and that he should remain
cheerful and contentcd.


But there is another consideration promp'
ing US to lcgislate humanely and for the ne
gro. lie has been born and reared among u.s.
and while he has, unfortunately, qualities
that stamp his nferiority to the white man,
he possesses others that invite our respect
! As a class, during the war, their loyalty tc