SOUTH CAROLINA. 





>.'k in those who command their conti- 



f..r a eonr-c of action upon \vlii< li nil 



\\ lio truly dr-in- : ' ity of 



theSl 



.nil llainptdii, in his reply, under date of 

 . gives al -omc length :i review of 



tin- relations of Sooth Carolina to the Union, and 



denounces in emphatic language the cuiir-M- of 



the General Government in dealing with tho 

 Southern States. The course of th- E 

 themselves. In- said, had liccii a mi-taken one. 

 'Our Sink- conventions were mistakes; so 

 were the changes of our constitutions; greater 

 than all others was the legislation ratifying the 

 amendment of the United States Constitution 

 known as Article 13." The States he thought 

 should have made no concession, and now he 

 considered it "far preferable that the State 

 should remain in its present condition, under 

 military rule, than that it should give its sanc- 

 tion to measures which we believe to be ille- 

 gal, unconstitutional, and ruinous." His con- 

 n is that every man. should register, and 

 ca-t his vote against the convention. With re- 

 gard to the blacks, he used the following lan- 

 guage: 



t is of the last consequence to maintain the 

 same amicable relations which have heretofore ex- 

 "ii the whites and the blacks, I cannot 

 too strongly reiterate my counsel, that all classes 

 should cultivate harmony and exercise forbearance. 

 Let our people remember that the negroes have, as a 

 general rule, behaved admirably, and that they are 

 in no manner responsible for the present condition 

 of atfairs. Should they, in the future, bo misled by 

 wicked or designing men, let us consider how igno- 

 rant they necessarily are, and let us, only the more, 

 try to convince them that we are their best friends. 

 Deal with them with perfect justice, and thus show 

 that you wish to promote their advancement and en- 

 lightenment. Do this, and the negroes will not only 



trust you, but they will soon appreciate the 

 fact so evident to us, that we can do without them 

 tar 1 letter than they can do without us. 

 On a late public occasion, where many of you were 



;. I expressed ray perfect willingness to see im- 

 partial suffrage established at the South, and I be- 

 lieve that tliis opinion is entertained, not only by a 

 large majority or the intelligent and reflecting whites, 

 but also of the same class among the blacks. I dep- 



inivcrsal suttra^e, not only on general prin- 

 ciple.-;, lust especially in the case before us, because I 

 deny the riirht of Congress to prescribe the rules of 

 citizenship in tha States. The Supreme Court has 



1 that a negro is not a citizen of the United 

 'vss cannot reverse that decision by 

 an act. The States, however, are competent to confer 

 citizenship on the negro, and I think it is the part of 

 wisdom that such action should be taken by the 

 Southern States. We have recognized the freedom of 

 the blacks, and have placed this fact beyond all prob- 

 ability of doubt, denial, or recall. Lot us rceogui/e in 

 the same frank manner, and as fully, their political 

 rights also. For my self, 1 oonfeu that I am perfectly 

 villinir to set- a constitution adopted by our State, 

 conferring the elective franchise on the negro, on 



ly the same terms us it is to exercise. I l>y the 

 white man, iruardiiiir a_rainst the abuse of this privi- 

 lege by establishing a slight educational and property 

 qualification for all classes. 



An order was issued by General Sickles, on 



tin- 7th of August, setting aside a decree of the 

 Court of Chancery of South Carolina, and di- 



recting the disposal of the money in contro- 

 . This was the spin of $ 



which had been contributed, in tin- car! . 

 of ISCi'i. to defray the exp< :. 'Hinting a 



body of Co! if, -derate cavalry, and was left at 

 the close of the war in tin- rn>tody of the Hank 

 ia. A Kill- in f | lily was filed 

 against the bank on behalf of tip- original con- 

 fi!i:itors of thi> fund, and a d. <:<-. wa- granted- 

 by the chancellor, distributing it among \ 

 claimants. This decree was "rev. r-cd and an- 

 nulled as without jurisdiction, crroiicoi:-. irreg- 

 ular, and a fraud upon the rights of the I 



-." on the ground that the money in ques- 

 tion was the property of the United States at 

 the time of the proceeding-:, and that irregular 

 and unusual means were employ d to prevent 

 the knowledge of the suit from coming 

 Federal authorities. A receiver was appointed, 

 on behalf of the Government, with power to 

 take proofs and ascertain all persons to whom 

 an^ portion of the funds had been paid, and to 

 receive the same; and any deficiency, ari-ing 

 from the failure of distributees to refund, was 

 to he Collected of the Bank of South Carolina. 



It was denied by the counsel of the distribu- 

 tees that the property belonged to the United 

 States, or that there was any irregularity in the 

 proceedings ; but it does not appear that the 

 order was revoked or modified. The alleged 

 title of the United States to this money is sup- 

 posed (no ground for the claim is stated in tho 

 order) to be founded on the act of Congress, 

 August, 1861, providing that all property used, 

 or intended to be used, for insurrectionary pur- 

 poses, shall be deemed "lawful subject of prize 

 and capture, wherever found." 



In August a captain of a steamboat was tried 

 before a post court at Charleston, and con- 

 demned to pay a fine of $250 for refusing a 

 first-class passage on his vessel to a colored 

 woman, in violation of Section 8 of General 

 Order No. 32. 



The course of General Sickles in the Second 

 Military District not meeting with the approval 

 of President Johnson, an order was issued by 

 the Executive, on the 26th of August, removing 

 that officer from the command, and appointing 

 Brevet Major-General Edward R. S. Canby in 

 his place. (See NORTH CAROLIX \. i 



The change was completed by the promulga- 

 tion of the following orders: 



General Orders, A'o. 84. 

 HEADQUARTERS SECOND MILITARY DISTRICT, } 

 CIIARLEST. . mber 5, 1367. ) 



1. In compliance with General Order No. 80, head- 

 quarters of the Army, current scries, tho undersigned 

 ha.s been relieved of the command of the ^ 

 Military District by Brevet Major-General Edward 

 K. S. Canby. 



2. The undersigned avails himself of the occasion to 

 acknowledge the fidelity and zeal with which the offi- 

 cers and troops under Iris command have discharged 

 their duties; and likewise t MS irratoful 



of the diligence and zeal which have distin- 

 guished the commanding officers of posts and offi- 

 cers of the staff in the responsible positions they have 

 filled. 



