698 



SOUTH CAROLINA. 



1865, Governor Orr submitted a message to 

 the Legislature, in accordance with an invita- 

 tion which he had received, giving all the in- 

 formation in his possession respecting the con- 

 dition and necessities of the State, and he also 

 issued an address to the people of South Caro- 

 lina, in which he reviewed the period of his 

 own administration, and recommended a cheer- 

 ful cooperation with the existing authorities, 

 for the restoration of prosperity in the State. 

 General Scott also transmitted a message to 

 the Legislature, calling attention to the various 

 measures required in the organization of the 

 State Government, and recommending such 

 acts as he deemed expedient, in carrying into 

 effect the different provisions of the new con- 

 stitution. One of his most earnest recom- 

 mendations was, that a memorial be sent to 

 Congress, praying for the removal of all polit- 

 ical disabilities imposed upon citizens of the 

 State. The "Fourteenth Amendment" was 

 ratified by a vote of 108 to 10, and the re- 

 construction of the State was practically 

 completed by the withdrawal by military 

 order, on the 13th of July, -of all the authori- 

 ties created by the reconstruction acts, "ex- 

 cept so far as necessary for the inauguration 

 of the new State government, and to close up 

 unfinished business." It was announced that 

 the terms of office of all agents and appointees, 

 instituted for the purpose of carrying into ef- 

 fect the authority of the military commander 

 in the civil government of the State, would 

 cease on the date of the proclamation of the 

 President, announcing the ratification of the 

 Fourteenth Amendment ; and that the tenure 

 of all appointees to civil office under authority 

 of the reconstruction laws should terminate 

 when their successors, elected or appointed 

 under the constitutional laws of the State, 

 might be "duly qualified." Further orders 

 were given for completion of business connect- 

 ed with the functions of district commander, 

 and the final withdrawal of all such anomalous 

 authority. 



The executive government of the reconstruct- 

 ed State of South Carolina consists of the follow- 

 ing officers : Governor, E. K. Scott ; Lieuten- 

 ant-Governor, Lemuel Boozer ; Adjutant and 

 Inspector-General, Franklin J. Moses, Jr. ; 

 Secretary of State, Francis L. Cardoza ; Comp- 

 troller-General, J. L. Neagle ; Treasurer, Niles 

 G. Parker; Attorney-General, D. H. Cham- 

 berlain ; Superintendent of Education,' Justus 

 K. Jillson. 



The Senate consists of 33 members, nine of 

 whom are negroes. Seven of the 24 white 

 Senators are Democrats. Only 48 of the 124 

 members of the other House are white men, 

 and of these but 14 are Democrats. The en- 

 tire Legislature consists of 72 white and 85 

 colored members. 



One of the first duties of the newly-organ- 

 ized Legislature, and one in which great inter- 

 est was taken, was the election of Senators to 

 Congress. After considerable canvassing, the 



choice of the majority fell on Thomas J. Rob- 

 ertson, for the short term, ending in 1871, and 

 Frederick A. Sawyer for the long term, which 

 ends in 1873. Judges of the Supreme Court 

 were also chosen : F. J. Moses being selected 

 for Chief Justice, and A. J. Willard and S. L. 

 Hoge for Associates. A resolution with regard 

 to a memorial to Congress for the removal of 

 disabilities was introduced, and referred to a 

 committee, but not acted upon at this ses- 

 sion. A bill "to protect all persons in the 

 State in their civil rights, and furnish the 

 means of tbeir vindication," was introduced in 

 the House of Representatives, which declared 

 the civil equality of all citizens, and prohibited 

 any discrimination on account of race or color 

 on the part of hotel-keepers, carriers of pas- 

 sengers, granters of licenses, etc. This bill 

 passed the House after long debate, and in the 

 Senate was adopted with some important modi- 

 fications, but the amendments were not con- 

 curred in by the House, and the whole meas- 

 ure failed. 



Many laws were passed during the session, 

 the object of which was to effect a reorganiza- 

 tion of the machinery of the State government. 

 The various courts provided for in the consti- 

 tution were organized, and laws enacted to 

 regulate their proceedings. Several enact- 

 ments were made relating to elections, but 

 none of these were of peculiar interest. A bill 

 to amend the charter of the city of Charleston, 

 making provision for an immediate municipal 

 election under regulations laid down in the 

 act, was vetoed by the Governor, and an at- 

 tempt to pass it over his veto was unsuccess- 

 ful. Among other measures relating to the 

 administration of affairs in the State, was a 

 homestead law and a law establishing a State 

 police. Two laws were authorized, one to 

 provide for certain floating obligations of the 

 State, known as "bills receivable," and the 

 other to provide for the payment of interest 

 on the State debt. The Legislature adjourned 

 on the 25th of September. 



The declared principles on which the Demo- 

 cratic party was organized, at the convention 

 of April, did not give satisfaction to the entire 

 body of Conservatives in the State. The point 

 chiefly objected to was the concession made in 

 favor of qualified negro suffrage. In reply to 

 a letter of Judge Aldrich, condemning the ac- 

 tion of the convention, a member of the Demo- 

 cratic Central Executive Committee gave the 

 following as the " views and principles of the 

 Democratic party of South Carolinia, as now 

 organized under the auspices of the April con- 

 vention : " 



1. We maintain, "with President Johnson andtho 

 whole Democratic party North," that the whole re- 

 construction programme, enacted and to be enacted 

 under the Military Bill of Congress, is unconstitu- 

 tional, illegal, and properly null and void. 



2. We therefore repudiate the admissions made by 

 Governor Orr, in his address to the so-called Consti- 

 tutional Convention, wherein he acknowledged the 

 legality of that body. 



