Year: 1872

State& 0atiunal golitits.
INAUGURAL OF GOV. MOSES.
FelloD Citizens of the Senate


and House Of Representatives


You have entered upon the sixth session Of
the General Assembly since the establishment
of free government in the State of South
Carolina.


It should be with US source of profound
gratitude to Divine Providence that you meet
under auspices that betoken brighter and bet
ter days for the whole people Of the State,
whose sworn representatives you are. Ihe
earth has rewarded the labors Of our hus.
bandmen with abundant fruits, while all the
varied forms and arts of industry are being
prosecuted with hopeful energy amid appa-
rently universal peace and order, under our
happy system of government, which guaran-
tees and msintains liberty, regulated by law.


We have been mercifully exempt from the
great and disastrous fires which, during the
past year, have swept over so many portions
of our common country, consigning to ashes
the garnered wealth Of years, and reducing
the rich and the poor to the same level OF In
digent suffering.


Let US endeavor, fellow-citizens, to deserve
these signal blessings by faithful and con-
scientious discharge of all the important trusts
reposed in US by the people


In entering upon the duties of the high Of
fee with which I have been vested by the
generous favor of my fellow-citizens, my deep
sense of gratitude to them for the honor con-
ferred by their free sufrages is associated with
patient conviction of the grave responsible
tiles which has been imposed upon me by their
choice.


will endeavor to discharge my whole duty
to the whole people of the State. 10 this end
invoke the considerable judgment and active
cooperation of every member of the General
Assembly, whatever may be his party creed, !,
and the open aid and assistance of every good
citizen in the commonwealth Of South Caro-
lima.


While shall not forget that, as candi-
date, represented in my person the Union
Republican party, whose bene6cent principles
are expressed in the doctrine of equal rights
and exact justice to all men, now Incorporated
in the fundamental law of the State and ma
ton; and while under any and all circum-
stances my duty of devotion and fidelity to
my party shall be ever present to my mind, l
trust that 7 may always remember that, as the
Chief Magistrate of the State, represent all
the people of South Carolina, and that the
lines which limit my zeal for their interests
must, in hcnor, be coextensive with her bound
aries.


Standing here to-day, in the august presence
Of the assembled lawmakers of the State, and
of this large multitude, with the oath Of office
in all its solemn sanctity fresh upon my lips, l
pledge my best efforts to insure that during
my administration "the Commonwealth shall
suffer no detriment"


Gentlemen of the Senate and House OF Rep
resentatives, let US re-dedicate ourselves to the
great work and duty 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 consonant
with the greatest public good.


Our people are happy in the possession of a
beuntiful soil and genial climate Here the
varied products of temperate and tropic zones
grow side by side, while our streams are flash
ing in the sunlight ofa perpetual spring. The
imperial plant, whose Aeecy 6bres enter into
the raiment of civilized man throughout the
globe, and whose production presses heavily
upon the balance wheels Of the commercial
exchanges of the world, has 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 manufactures which contrib
ute to the comfort and elevation of man,
shrinks back from US, as if the seals of pesti-
lence were broken, and vials emptied out upon
this beautiful land of ours Hence, nearly
three-fourths of our vast territorial area, en-
bracing not less than thirty.six thousand
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 years, by
the former governing class in South Carolina,
who still, in great part, represent the educa-
ted intelligence and landed property of the
State.


That intolerance, which was at first success
fully directed to destroy the financial credit
of the State Government, both at home and
abroad, also prescribed every native and adop-
ted citizen who openly declared himself in ac'
cord with the political sentiments which were
entertained by the vast majority of the people
of the United States, who have, by the result
of the recent national campaign, furnished a
most memorable proof of their firm determi-
nation that only those who are known to re-
fleet and maintain those political sentiments
shall rule in this republic of ours.


Individual prescription and habitual de-
nunciation of the government, both State and
Federal, were soon followed by armed organ
izations in various sections of the State, which,
led by bold, bad and designing men, overawed
by their numbers and daring, the law-abiding
majority, and scourged and slew many of their
fellow-citizens because of their political opin-
ions or party af1iliation.


The barbarous acts of minority of the
minor party in the State continued, with va
rying intensity, for long and dark period of
more than three years. The government of
the State having made Intellectual attempts to
check them, both by earnest appeals to the
reason and humanity of those who were regar-
ded as the political leaders and exponents OF
the desperate men engaged in them, and by
its available constabulary force, finally ap-
pealed to the national authority for protection
to American citizens from lawless violence
within the limits of the State.


That appeal, after long delay incident to
procuring the necessary legislation by the
Congress of the United States, was efectually
responded to, through the Federal courts,
sustained by the military arm of the govern
ment.


Az tho rosn1t of that intervention for which