The daily phoenix. (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, September 29, 1865, Image 2
COLUMBIA/
Friday Horning, Sept. 29,1865.
We have already declared ourentir?
approval of the nomination of the
Ho?. Mr. Orr, for the Goveimorshi}
of South Carolina. We have given
our reasons for this preference, ovei
most others, and ve trust that thest
reasons have been, satisfactory. ? Wt
have found theta in the fact that Mr.
? Orr has been the chief agent in th;
formation of that new Constitution,
and we hold him accordingly to bc
the fittest msSi to develop in action
it's qualities and characteristics. Wc
also found our preference in his
own excellent intellectual endow?
ments, his long experience as a public
man, and those features, marking the
Executive mind which, perhaps, are
the vary highest of recommendations
for such an officer at tins juncture of
anxiety, turmoil and confusion, almost
amo anting to anarchy, in which few j
persons have the courage to lay hands j
on thu helm of State. And ah that
we have said, we have said in good
fait'i, and with a perfect conviction of
the wisdom of the nomination. But,
we confess to a serious objection to
the manner in which this nomination
has been made. It should not have
been made by the Convention. They
should not, in the slightest degree,
have made the slightest attempt j^o in?
fluence the judgment, or shape the
decision of the people. It Ls true
that they have not made this nomina?
tion directly, in their official capacity,
as a collective body. But the mere
formal precaution which kept thom
from so doing, does not obviate the
objection. It is done wholly by
members of the Convention, in the
very midst of their official proceed?
ings. Their business had not ended.
No private citizen seems to have had
a share in the performance; it is ex?
clusively the act of the-members of the
Convention. We heard one of these
members in debate confidently assert
that the duties of the Convention
were not simply to shape a Constitu?
tion for the State, but to mould ita J
I publie opinion. This is a great error, j
They aro themselves on their trial, and |
the process may be found, in the end,
-i I
a crucial one. A modest recollection ]
of this fact might have checked any j
attempt at gratuitous counsel, which,
delivered in so formal a manner, j
under such circumstances, sounds
very like dietation. And why dictate j
to, or even counsel apeoplc, whom the f
Convention assumes to be perfectly i
competent themselves to the selection
of their own representatives and '
rulers? Are they ignorant of their j
public men? Especially may we ask, ;
are they ignorant of the qualities of !
Mr. Orr, after an experience of his !
large and various qualities-after the !
full recognition of them during their
continual employment for more than
twenty years in every possible situa- |
tion of high trust and authority? We ?
beg to suy that Mr. Orr, with much
more propriety, might use his influ
ence in the reconmendation of most
of the gentlemen who thus gravely
answer for him. The public of the |
State might reasonably ask him for j
counsel, as to tho choice of other men. :
They hardly need the endorsement <;f I
other men on his. political paper.
Ho does not now need any dry nurs?
ing. We do not charge these gentle- ;
men wita any attempt at manage?
ment- in this proceeding. But the
proceeding, in the eyes of a jealous
population, will incur with many this
suspicion. It savors a-little too much
of the practices of tho Northern De- j
mocracy, where the people are never i
Buffered to sit down to their political i
pie without having tho fingers of a !
score of politicians in it. We prefer
to have no caucussing in the case of <
a people whom the politicians insist
upon as so near perfection, as only be
i low the'angels; at least, ianthe wisdom |
I which prompts their choice, and tho
JAA, .'; . jf ?'"?.?.?.-? . ' ' * ' '
irtuous moral which demands tiiat it
?hall be made piously and with due
regard to the equal virtues and capa?
city the representation. There ia
ono objection to this course of the
members, of the Convention, which
ii, perhaps, even more serious than
my we have yet made. Tt precludes
?ll competition for office. No man,
whatever his talents, his genius, his
-morals, his capacity-for office, or his
aonorable ambition, will dare to run
for the.office, in the face of such a re?
commendation. It is a snap-iire on
tho community. It anticipates rival?
ry, it prevents the honorable conflict
before society of rival minds and ad?
verse opinions, and this most effect?
ually cuts off tho people from all op?
portunity of choice. We do not mean
to ins?mate that such was the design
of the honorable members; but we do
?say that such must be its effect, if
there are communities in our coun?
try-and such there have been
where it was impossible? to oppose a
very rich man, however inferior might
be the claims of his intellect. Whore
the Golden Calf and Brazen Serpent,
blending. their arts and arms toge
gcther, over-ride all opposition, how
I much reason we have to apprehend,
even in our era of superior Virtue and
enlightenment, that the recommenda?
tion of so many superior men, chpsen
to the most superior trust, should
operato in a like manner, to a virtual
overthrow, for a time, at least, of all
use of an independent suffrage. The
Convention was not created or elected
for the purpose of thus moulding
or, in other words, thus controlling
the minds of the people. Let tho
people have fair play. Let the riyal
ambition have fair play. Lot there
be no snap-firing in our State, which,
by this time, ought to be purified by
suffering, chastened by humiliation,
and made wise enough for judgment
by a terrible experience. Wo want
no caucussiuii, no packing of the ki ry,
no forestalling of the political market;
aud, in tho ease of a body which is yet
on trial, collectively and individually,
for what it has done, it might have
been well to wait awhile, and ascer?
tain, from thc free expression of
public opinion, what their omi stalin
is to be in thr* future, and what will
be the degree ol* authority which they
shall retain, for moulding thc opinion
of the people, and guiding them in
the choice of counsellors and chief
men.
Thc Law f.f i'ompciisut ion.
The sun-rise is not simply a spec?
tacle. It is a mor d emblem. We.se<
the gr.'at work of creation-the birtl
ol' light-performed anew with tin
re-turn of every day. "We sec tin
fruit of the Almighty working ever
at tho dawn ol' Hie world's being
though the processes may be hiddei
from all mortal eyes. We see in tin
glorious spectacle the moral that ii
designed to excite our emulation, a?
well as to delight our eye? and guidi
our footsteps. Thc day allotted t(
man is meant to be a mareil in light
It is a constant pressing on a forwar<
progress. It rises in night, to hav<
its setting in other regions, which i
is also to <Hjtfivc7i and illumine. . Wt
pass on from world to world- fron
empire to empire-one condition t<
another-in all of which we are t<
assume, as moral and inteMectmi
beings, that duties shall be assignee
us suited to our new condition. H
only is the true man and Christiai
who goes on working and marching b
the close. In this progress only
under the laws of his endowment
can he unfold his own . possessionis
blessing other eyes with that trust n
light and fruit which is conferred 01
him for this very purpose. Happ;
he who shall obey the law of Li
nature as impliedly as does the sun
whp rises regularly to his dutfc^ an
heedless of storm and strife-th
temporary obstruction by cloud an
rain, and mist and log, heedless c
all interposing and envious forms an
shadows, still keep;-, in hi:; appointe
path, the ordered course pursuing.
It matters' nothing to the true man,
keeping-his natural symbols over in
sight, that his light may frequently
be %bscureaj-nay, remain wholly un
?seen-by those for whose eyes it was
especially designed, and who are
expected to be always eager in looking
for iR Enough if he can reply, in
the language of the magician, beating
his anvininprofitably, in the cavern of
the Visgotli, "I do mine office." -He
does srot consider the profit or the
loss. He obeys the law. He doos not
ask the OKI bono. It is?quite sufficient
?if, however obscured to mortal eyes,
the sun withholds nothing of his
beams. -It is the misfortune and the
offence of those who wilfully refuse to
see. And so ' with the performer
among men. He is required to
perform, though men shall with?
hold their acknowledgments, and
the society for which he toils shall
1 never make him recompense. The
ample recompense of man lies in his
ow:.i exercise, if his ambition be a
right one, looking only to the pro?
per source of reward. Shall he
look ever and only to his brother?
and what shall be the virtue in his
charity, if he is perpetually groaning^
for the /uid pro <jvo ? Genius is tb*
world's great benefactor. Shall it
cease to be genius because the woild
is ungrateful? And shall the benefac?
tor look to the pauper for his pay?
What is it to the noble-which is al?
ways the giving and the performing
mind-that his petty puling race,
each cursing himself and his neigh?
bor with his miserable little two-and
sixpeneo vast ties, his small conceit of
place and position, and thc strut
which is always labor, not to be high,
but to seem high-stubbornly refuses
to acknowledge the benefits of tho
benefactor-in the powerful phrase of
Milton, ''crams and blasphemes the
feeder," and decries the claim, which
it feels that it can never satisfy. Nay,
what, wero the real value of the tri?
bute of acknowledgment, were the
worfd to make free and full confes?
sion of the benefits received? Would
that be sufficiently compensative for
the performance, which still strives,
and serves, and saves? It is not in?
tended that it should beL Thc essence
of compensation to noir., for good and
great works upon corta, is to tte found
in die performance itsilf. This is the
principle of vitality in the moral
system., It is in th? feeling that he
does, is doing, and ln.s done; that the
worker finds his rewird in all moral
and iuteUectuallabors. This, indeed,
constitutes the secret of Iiis dignity.
He is the master <f a world-wide
charity. The sense <>f a gratified
obedience, in the heart of man, Ts the
source, not only of the mens conscio
redi, but of the higier rewards of -a
justifiable ambition. Milton alludes
to those, when he sars in Bycidas:
"'Uni not tie praise,'
Phoebus replied, and toich'd my trembling
'Famo is no plant .Int grows in mortal
soil.' "
No! wo fulfil a destiny. The duty
must be performed: and it is not to
man that we aro to look ever, for the
reward of tho worfer. The'sense of
duty done, and gri?f endured, with?
out complaint and n a cheerful, san?
guine spirit, naturaly directs the eye
of tho laborer to tie great Giver of
all endowments, aid assures him of
ultimate acknowledgment, in the
shape of continue." and higher em?
ployment hereafter. In other words,
though the propiet toils for man, he
toils in the enploy of God. To
which ought he to look for reward?
- *..
The,Third Congressional District,'
of which Richland is one of the com?
ponents, has already two candidates
in the field for the approaching elec?
tion, in the persons <>f Gen. Samuel
McGowan, of Abbeville, and Geo. D.
Tillman, Esq., 6f Edgefield. Both of
these gentlemen were sturdy workers
in the Convention, and will of course
bo judged by their (Icings and-per?
sonal appearance.
"' . * - ir:
? STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA,
Beanfo- vI?strict, Sept. 22,1SG5.
His Excellency Governor Perrit. Pro?
visional Governor of South Carolina.
Sm : We, me undersigned, citizens
of Beaufort District, having just re?
turned1 from a visit to the town. of
Beaufort by land, have concluded
that it would be for the interest of tlie
citizens of that ' District and of the,.
State, io give you-r the reknit of, our
observations.
Wo find that not more than about
one-fourth of Port Royal Island is
planted ; that of that under cultiva?
tion the corn crop*? is lost, and the
cotton planted in patches an<f over?
grown with grass nearly as -igh as
tho cottou. Tlie negroes on Hilton
Head are in a starving condition.
Those on Port Boyal say Miey have
seen hard times. Out of a gan<3* of
one hundred at the beginning of {lie
war, but thirty remain. There is a
groat deal of sickness and mortality
amongst them. We find also, that those
who left the main land and went over
to the islands, will be sent back to the
main as soon as the crop&^arc gathered.
There are' very few negroes at pr??
sentai the mainland in Beaufort Dis
! trieriT Only a few farms in the upper
' jKnrt of the District are .cultivated.
|AVhen the cold weather comes, then'
will be thousands of negroes from the
islands and upper country flocking
' to the vacant plantations, without, or
nearly destitute of, food. Moreover,
they have be?fn taught to believe, by
the Freedmfln'8 Biireau, that the
whole of Beaufort District is aban?
doned and dedicated to their use
that they are to be colonized there.
They therofore look upon the owners
of, the land as intruders and enemies.
Conversation with the n' ,Toes de?
monstrated thia fact. Add to this
. that the negro garrisons at Pocotaligo,
Grahamville, and on Port Royal
Island and Hilton Head, inflame their
hatred and desire to obtain the land
of their former owners by any means
in their power. The garrison at Fo
eotahgo recently aroused their deter?
mination to drive the whites out of
the District, And but for the banding
together of the latter and their threats,
would doubtless have done so. The
recent infamo us outrages of the Poco?
taligo garrison upon a family of re?
spectable white females, was the first
outbreak of this determination. There
?'i a general feeling ?jof insecurity
mong families, on account of the
presence of colored troops and from
vagrant and starving negroes from
the islands.
We have the honor, further, respect/
fully testate, that the Freedman's Bu?
reas rega??s all laud South of thc
Charleston and Savannah Railroad as
abandoned, although your Excellency
is'aware, doubtless, that planters ot
that section were ordered to remove
during the war by the late Confede
'rate authorities. The Bureau has
agents now going over thc District
reporting land as abandoned, with
intention to sell them or colonize ne?
groes on them for three years. We
wilj idso mention the fact here, that
the citizens of Beaufort District were
advised by tho Legislature *of the
State, to remove from their home';
with their property, just prior to Sher?
man's invasion off ttiis State,, Many
of these citizens have los*- everything
but their land, which is now threat?
ened to be taken away, and if not
soon allowed to return and peaceably
to cultivate their farms, will be in a
starving-condition. They are anxious
to return at once to prepare their land
for next year's crop.
From these facts we have conclud
ded, that it will be unsafe i'or us and
other citizens of Beaufort District,
to return to their homes with theil
families until the negro troops arc
entirely removed from tho District,
and white garrisons substituted ; and
until the Freedman's Bureau is stop?
ped in its colonization scheme.
Believing that your Excellency, hav?
ing thc interests and welfare of thc
people of the State at heart, will dc
everything in your power to alleviate
the hardslnp? of the people of Beau?
fort District, we respeetiully submit
the case for your consideration, and
invoke your assistance. In order that
this communication may have due
weight with your Excellency, we beg
leave to refer you to the Delegates tc
the Convention from Barnwell ami
Beaufort Districts, as to tho chara?:
U r of th? undersigned. And further,
y u ' Excellency is authorized to make
i ny use of this communication yon
may think proper1.
We have the honor to be, very re
Specifully, your obedient servants,
JOHN H. SCHEVEN,
M. J. KIRK,
T. E. SCHEVEN.
x :Cotton .Blanks" and pe rmits-indispon
sable to all persons purchasing- or shipping
cotton-can ba obtained^! this office.
THE CAPTURE AND. DESTRUCTION OF THE
C?TY OF CoLVUBIA, S. C. -Originally Pub?
lislied (ni thc Columbia Pheonix-Revised
awl Corrected by the Author.-About the
middle" of Oc&ber, the above work vri? I o
issued from the press of the Columbia
Phoenix-priAfcd with new tyre and on tine
paper. Persons desiring copies are re?
quested to give their nape? aa carly as
possible. Singl? copies willbe furnished at
tl. The trade supplied at a discount.
The r n lonncemcnt of Messrs, Devlin A
Co., clothiers, of Ne*- York, is worthy thc
attention of all. Their wholesale and re?
tail ready-made departments, and their
custom department, are complete in every
respect. This firm is one of the largest ami
best in the North. d
Ni'.w ADVERTISEMENTS.-Attention is call?
ed to the following advertisements, whick
ar? published for the ti rut tim? this morl?
ing: ' .
Henry fieibels, sr.-Lost Note.
Gen. S. McGowan-A Card to Voters.
City Clerk -badges for "Vehicles.
I. ?. O. F.-Meeting of ^almfstto Lodge.
Devlin & Co.- Clothing, b.
Jacob Levin-Estate Sale.
Miss Bollinger-School Notice. -
John T. Sloan--Claims for Horses, m
Dutson Lee A Co.-Wagon for Sale.
Collin A Bavcncl-Family Flour.
" " -English Dairy Cheese.
Council Proceedings.
COUNCIL CHAMBER,
COLUMBIA, September 26, 1865.
Present-His Honor tho Mayor; Aldermei
Blakely, Fisher, Glaze, Geiger, Harris
Hope, Stork, Waring.
The 4hmtes of thu last meeting wen
read and confirmed.
Thc application of J. M. and B. tl. Dent
for permission to build a market house
was, on motion, laid upon the table for in
present.
Thc application of L. C. Sylvester, for th
situation of City School Teacher, was, o
motion, laid upon tuc tablefbr?thepresen
The account of Mrtf M.'S. Monteitl
Matron City Female School, ia? , on motioi
referred to Committee on Accounts.
Tho account of G. G. Newton, presente
at last meeting of Council and referred t
Committee on Accounts, was reported s
as follows: "The committee being unab
to satisfy themselves tint the articli
named in this account.ever came into tl
posscs#ioh?>f the city, recommendpayme:
i)--> wXhheld until satisfactory evidence 1
fur ni bed that the account ia just and pr
uer./
'l^e report of Committee on Licensi
\vaZ received, recommending that liceni
uf the.retail of spirituous liquors, in qua
^ies not less than one quart, be granti
S^Zealy, Scott & Brun?, Speck & Polock,
Eantwell, Moise Jc Orchard, Orchard ?C<
a. H. Moise & Co., and that tavern been
bk not granted to Theodor? Polock. (
rJbtioh, the report of the committee w
laid upon th.c table for the present.
The report of the Committee on Stree
was received and laid over until next nie.?
i?g of Corni! d.
Thc resort of the committee to set
.itv accounts toJuiy 1,1865, was present?
xnd, on motion, was received (as inform
ion. S
It was moved and seconded that t
Mayor be requested to call a public mei
ng of the citizens of Colombia; with t
dew to ascertain their feeling on the sn
ect of the removal o? the market from
brmer location.
The following r?solution was offered a
iddpted:
.liesfdved, That,the present members
he Board cf Health will continue, in I
lischarge of their duties until ihc 1st
ipril next; and that the Slayer officie
iocif> the Chairman of thc Board of Hea
if me resolution passed atlast meeting
louncil, and send a hst of thc names ci
tituting said board.
The following resolution received its li
eading, and was ?aid over until next mt
ng of Council:
Resolved, That the Bye Laws of the C
?ouncil bo changed and amended so ac
How six (ii) members of Council, toget
rith the Mayor, to constitute a quorum
he transaction of business.
The following Ordinance was submitt
ntitled "An Ordinance to prohibit
rection of wooden buildings on anysqu
routing on Main (or Richardson) street
ne city of Columbia,'" received its ti
gading, and was ordered to receive
econd reading at next regular meeting
ouncU:
[n Ordinance to Prohibit the Erection
Wooden Buildings on amj Square Fri
ing on Main (or Hiehardson) Street
Cte Ctfy of Columbia.
Be it ordained by tlie Mayor and Alden
f tit? City of Columbia, in Council ass<
'ed, and by the authority of the same, ?
oin and after tho passage ol this 0:
ance, it ?hali bo unlawful to erect :
ooden building or buildings on any of
piares, in the city of Columbia, noni
i Main (or Richardson > street, from Up
o?ndary street to the nen -State Cap?
ad it shall be the duty of the city nobe
revent the erection of any such build
. buildings within the limits above
ned; and they are hri oby authorized
quired to remove any such buildings
?rta of the same, thct may be erected
tempted to he erected, within the ab
nits. And any person who shall erect
:tempt to erect, any such building wit
>e limits aforesaid, shall, besides ha\
ie building removed^ be also hable t
ie of twenty dollar? for each and et
ty such building or part of a build
?all be permitted to remain.
On motion, the Council adjourned.
F. H. ELMOHE, City Clcri