Camden gazette. (Camden, S.C.) 1816-1818, December 05, 1816, Image 2
ptrceived, and an exchan;;* rtrj-j: j'.cd by
ne-r!/ a'. the bUitS. Tne Digest pr?par
cu Uy Juage lot-V-iid^ t/det^ yoti: a ready
. moeie ol furnishing such laws as have been
# enacted, prior to us publication. I'hosc
subsequently enacted qan be also conveni
ently procured.
Two events have occurred, during the
present year, which reqnred a resort to
military foice. A tew runaway negroes,
concealing themselves in the swamp and
marshes contiguous 4o C >m o-ihee and
Ashepoo rivet 6. not having been interrupt
ed in their petty plundering* for a lonj^
time, formed toe nucleus, round which,
ali the illdispos^d and audacious near them
gathered, until at length, their robberies
became too serious to be suffered with im
punity. Attempts were then made to dis
perse them, which, either Lout insuffici
ency of numbers, or bad :\i rang^ir/crrr
served by their failute on'y to encourage a
wanton >l^tnirUoa 4>f ? prope-f-t-v . ? Tlu tr
force now became alarming, not less from
its numbers, than from the arms and awu
nition with wlrch it w?is supplied. The
peculiar situation of the w iole of that por
tion of our coast, rendered access to tnem
difficult, whilu the numerous creeks a id
water conises through the marshes and
round th * islands, furnished them easy op
portunities to p'under, not only the plants
ers in open day, but the inland coasting
trade also, without leaving a truce of their
movements, by which they couhl be pur
sued. There was but. one more sffcee, to
a *>tate of things, altogether intolerable T
to prevent which, I ft It it my duty to use
the public f/it? and the public money. I
therefore ordec^H ? irokxiel. now Major
General Win. Yotingblood, to take the ne
ces>ary measures for suppressing them,
and author-Wed him to incur the customary
expencev-of such an expedition. This
was immediately executed. By a judici
ous employment of^lhe mili ia under his
command, he either cap1 ured, or destin
ed. the Whole body. As the amount of
the eXpences authorised, has not yet been
ascertained, and of course not paid, I ask
of the legislature to ptit at the disposal of
my successor, a sum adequate to redeem
my promise. ? The other event happened
in the neighbourhood of Camden, ft ap
pt iU'H that a scheme for organizing insur
rection among the slaves, had been for
years^ contempla'ed by a few desperate cha
racers there. They had nearly matured
their plans, when a communication ol
thtm was made, m the latter part of June
last, to a faithful servant, "belonging to a
gentleman in that neighbourhood. By
him I was immediately advised of the plot,
whereupon I directed one of my Aids,
l.ieut. Colonel James Chesnut, to adopt
such a course as would lead, not only to
a hitisfactory knowledge of their whole
project, but to its effectual prevention.
His measures corresponded \Vith my con
fidence. They were as successful as they
vtrre judicious. Through ????tru ment
ality of the good servant alluded to, he car
ried on a counter plot, by which he was
enabled to procure ample testimony to con
vict the principles, without resorting to
the evidence of the servant Who made the
disclosure, and to seizts upon all who Were
implicated, befttie the slightest suspicion
oft heir guilt was entertained by any one,
except tho?e engaged With h m to prevent
if They were immedia'ely delivered up
to the'Civtt^'authority , and haVe been all
punished efceept one, wi.om the court par
doned*
However certain of failure every such
project must ultimately prove* from the
circumstances in which we now tiuri out
selves placed, it can scarcely be doubled,
that but for the loyalty of tbe servant men
tioned, that much injury would have been
sustained, prior to the final destruction of
those* wh<K ho rashly, plunged themselves
into ruin. If he has *nvcd the hfe of a sin
gle person, or the house of one individual
from fire, for massacre and conflagration
were both embraced in the project, his
services to the public are so important as
to lorm a strong claim on your generosity,
lie has always supported a good character,
and been for a course of years intrusted with
the care of a great port ion* of his master's
property. All that his master can do, to
better his situation, without proclaiming
his case to the neighbourhood, from which
he is restrained by a promise has been al
ready done. Short of his freedom, his re
ward will not be ample, and this is more
becoming the legislature, than any other.
is name and every circumstance connect
ed with his ewe will he fully communica
ted, t<S any committee of your body, should
they be required lor the purpose of provi
ding for his freedom.
These incidents admonish us to a t:nreful
revisal of our patrol system. Perhaps the
agents selected for its execution are pro
per ; but the responsibility under which
they act, is believed to be inadequate to a
jnst administration of it. If the duties to
be pei formed by these agents, are to be
considered of a military ftattire wholly,
as by some they have been, no evil could
result from recjnirihg superior officers to
?uperintend thtlr execution; if of a civil
character, the tid of the courts of law
might be *u cessfully resorted to, by add
iiii^ an additional clause to the oath admin
istered to Lhe grand jurat*. ? Tlx.?e cVcutv
together Wilh the occurrence ol Boxi)'*
insurrection in Virginia, induced certain
enquiiusof the attorney general ; his let
let ih reply, marked 12, is laid before you
lor your consideration. It is nut possible,
that youi deliberations oil these aubjtcii
can be concluded belore that remoi seless,
merciless italic which brings among us
_s aves cl all descriptions front other states.
and winch is a reproach to our morals, and
an outrage to our feelings shall press on
you for conecr.on. It is time the course of
ceasless cup d?ty, alike regardless ot coun
try u n v I consequences should be arrested,
high time, that our streets and highways
should i?e Ireed f?om the crouds ol suffer
ing vie- tims, that are constantly dragged
-tirrotrgti them, to avarice. The lights of
hu.nantty ? a wise policy ? the prayers of
liu; just, l. 11 tequufethat the dci.Khiiui avo
cations of domestic hie, should be no Ion*
gei defiled by the presence of convicts and
malefactors.
The time has passed, when all our feel
ings were excited in relation to militia drafts
by the general government. We then
saw the e fticietic v ol our institutions paral
ized ; the public order threatened; " ihe
veil of the temple*' ? ol the constitution
vent in twain" ? Yet the redeeming spir
it of the people, w.tiiout disorder or com
motion, patiently struggled through the
difficulty# The period has now come,
?L^wlu-n wc can ckdiberately, and without pas-.
I siSnand prejudice, review the progress of
events, touching this interesting subject,
and decide, whether it be not necessary
by timely j rovKun, to guard against simi
lar occurrences in luttire. It can scarcely
be denied) that, a power ought to l)c lodg
ed somewhere, competent to cull out the
physical forcc of the nation, lor national
emeigencics. liowever inexpedient and
dangerous it would be to strip the state
govermeut of .di>o?hoiity over the m litia,
and ve t it exclusively in the general gov
ernient, it can be neither to give to th's
last, complete power over it, for the speci
fic puiposes enumerated in the constitu
tion. Such a power appears to he a neces
sary attribute of sovereignty, and essenti*
al io i'ts prese' vation. Whet her, rmlitia
drafts were improperly withheld or not, by
some of the siate^. cluriug the late war, is
not necessary now to discuss ; it is suffici
ent. for a 1 good purposes, that we know
Contests concerning the exercise of au
thority over them during a slate of war,
have arisen and may again occur, not onlv
in relation to the constitutional right to call
for them, but also, as to the sphere in
which they may be employed. Such an
evil ought to be removed. "This is not
an aTi'a i v involving party considerations at
all ? it is the great business of the nation.
to provide lor the nation's safely. What
ever may be the political character of con
gress, it otight to have full power u to
provide for the calling forth the militia to
execute the laws of the union, suppress
insurrections, and repel invasions"? to de
fend the sacred soil of their country, with
out the possibility of its being eluded by que
rilous reasons or factious arguments. I
therefore recommended an amendment of
the constitution of the United St..tes on this
subject, to your most serious deliberation.
You l.ave agam assembled, fellow citi
zens, under the most propitious political
c?rc umstances.-? The peacfc of the nation
undistuihed, its character elevated and re
vered abroad ? the empire of the laws per
fect ?.t home ? blessed ^itha goverment, in
st tilted by the p ople. and administered for
their foenifir, which like, the atmosphere
pervades every thing, ye!, is no where felt
? secured alike in the full exercise of our
religious and our civil rights? enjoying ail
the happim ss 44* legal liberty ? -the poor
educated ? the educated hap;>y---the peoyle
virtuous and every where industrious, proa
perous and conteitted. That such a rich
stream of blessings should be poured out to
us, at a time when all the nations of the
earth with whom we have intercourse, arc
made to eat the bread of bitterness and
sorrow, call for the most grateful and ear
nest thanksgivings to the great Author of
every good. Under Mich circumstances,
you have come up to the appointed house
of the people, with none but dispositions
faithfully to do the work of them who sent
you, in which may yf>u be so enlightened,
with i4 that wisdom which is from above"
that all your acts may advance your per
sonal character and the public good.
DAVll) R. WILLIAMS*
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
7 uc*fhy} A member 26.
The following resouhion was considered
and agreed to, viz. Resolved, that in fu
ture the chair dispense with the reading of
petitions,, except in those cases where ft
member may request it, and assign his
reasons for doing s.
A message No 1 was received from his
Excellency the Governor* 500 copies of
which, together with certain documents
relative to Cherokee lands, accompanying
the same, were ordered to be printed.
II 'rdt:csdays A 'ovemle CT.
Mr. John L. \V ilsoo, pursuant to notice
^ivcn^ uUiodticed a b?.i-xo abolish- the court
ol equity, establish a court of supreme an
appelate jurisdiction, and for other pm
poses, which was rtrad a first time, ?nd ic-s
ferred to the jndiciary committee.
M.. Lance, pursuant ?to nonce given,
introduced a hill to amend an act enticed
an act to afford landlords, or lessots, an
exp<2>diUous and summary mode of gaining
rtipnsfti sMnn (mm tenants oi- lessee**. v. Ik?
sltall hold over alter the determination of
their leases ; which was read a first time
and referred to the committee on the judi
ciary.
Mr. Wilson, pursuant to notice, intro
duced a bill to authoiise a sale of the pub
lic lands to which the Indian title has been
extinguished ; to call in one third of the
paper medium loan office bonds, anopsia- ^
blish a branch Bank at Georgetown, which
L wa* read a st ft mi rr ferred to ttie l
committee of ways and means.
A message was ordered to be sent to
the Senate proposing to proceed on Friday
and Saturday next to the election o f vtni
public cfTiceis to be tlected during the
present sessicn, exci pt governor, lieuten
an -governoi , senator in congress, and elec
tors of pt tsicknt and "vice-president ; and
informing that they had appointed Messrs
Spann, Sitiiui.% Savage, Kowell, Harper
and Rhodes a lommitte tojjoin a commit
tee ot the Senate, to repot t what ofticts
are vacant, and also ptoposing to proceed
on Wednesday next to the election of gov
ernor and lieutenant-governor, senator in
congress, and electors of president and
jjvice-president.
A message, No. 2, was received from
the governor, accompanied by the comp
troller's report and exhibits ; referred 10
the committee of ways and means, with
instructions to hate such of the said ex
hibits punted as they might deem neces
sary.
The following resolution, submitted by
Mr. Mitchell, was oidered for considera
tion to-morrow, viz. u Kesovied, that it is
expedient to establish a Penitentiary in this
Slate "
xhurxday^ Aovebrr 28.
A message was received from the Sen
|-ate informing that \heyrhad ap|H>irtx*d cer
tain gentlemen a committee to enquire in
to the expediency of establishing a Peni
tentiary in tins State ; requesting tt at a
committee mi^ht be appointed on the part
of this House ; whereepon a committee
was appointed to confer with the commit
tee pt the Senate mi that subject.
Mr. Hayne, agreeably to notice, called
up the bill to alter |he 3d section _ut' the
10th article of the constitution ; which,
after an animated and interesting debate
>yas read a first time and ordered to two
readings UHimrmw.
batvnLiy^^Kovrmlicr $0.
. The
committee appointed' to comit out
the votes for Attorney-Cieneral of the
State, reported that John S. Richardson
had a majority of votes, who was accord
ingly declared duly elected.
Mr. Hayne submited the following re
solution, which was considered and agreed
to : ? rt Resolved, That the President of
the Senate and Speaker of the House of
Representatives, be authorised to appoint a
suitable peisyn as Librarian of the Legis
tatme, who shall give constant attendance
at the Library Room, during the sessions
of the Legislature, to furnish books to the
membeis, Sic. and that the librarian re
ceive a com pensat ion of a&tOO per annum."
A committee appointed to count the l>al
Iots for tax collectors, reported lhat the
following persons had a majority of votes :
For Cltramont, James Caldwell?Claren
don, Stephen Ross? -Orange, Jacob Rick
enbatker ? Salem, W. Wilson ? Laurens,
John H+tch ? Marlboro^ -C harle* St rot her
v* ? ^ - - - " ?
?Edgefield. John Key? FyirfieHU James
Bealy? Pendleton, Jas. Dou? het? Spartan
burg, Thos. Poole ? Abbeville, W. H.
Caldwell, ? St. Peters and St. Michael, S.
Burger ? Marion, Richard Godfrey ? St.
Lukes,? Hugenon ? York, R. Davidson.
Whereupon the above persons were de
clared duly elected tax collectors for their
respective districts.
The committee appointed to count the
votes for Comptroller Gen. reported that
rt^preHWfcll had a majority of votes ; who
was decltred duly elected.
Columbia, December 3.
COMMENCEMKNT
The Commencement of the South-Car
olina College took place on Monday the 2d
inst* At atom ten in the morning, the
procession formed in the College campus
and pioceedcd to the Governor's House*
where it was joined by the Trustees;
whence it proceeded to the Capitol, and re
ceived the addition of the members of both
branches of the Legislature* who had pre
viously adjourned for the osc.asion, From
the Capitol the whole procession moved to
the College Chappel, where a brilliand as
semblage of ladies had already convened.
The exercises of the day were opened with
a prayer by the President ? Then followed
I* Salutatory Addresses in l^atin and an
Oration in English on the utility of Ma
th?rr at'; r.l S/c .. c, hy Henry Gibhes*
An < ) i vi i v lit- 1 c. u> a I Sy; tcin ? by
rvamrG. t> .rkcc. 3. Depute on this uues
lion ? -? U Inch is the mi.'s,; desirable char
acter. Uir Sv hoUa, the lUro. or the Fati i
ot l.v Sumticl 1). Gcuidin, Lewis H.
l!ollt?way and Fheodorc Uoimiiu. 4. An
Oiat:en on Duelling, Lv Anhur j.
Att lhat'on on Literary I ntei p? ise, by
Wro. S. Wilson. 6. Discu.-.s on 'if the
compai itivc advantages of tin. siudy of His
tory and V hemisti y ? MUuny, by Ja7nes~
H. lrby anil David Campbell; Chemis
tiy, by James IFiblxn and Jas. Faris. 7.
An tfr ration on Despotism, by Win. S.
Campbell. 8. An Oration un ilie influ
ence of Education on the su.bili-y ol the
Govermenc of the United States, by Charles
I. M' Donald.
The decree of A. B. was then confered
on the following .young Gentlemen, all
ui iinrm ol the college : Wade Anderson,
ti . Hukfc r, JTJ^eptfV. TTevan 7 Jol\ T T "WT
Bird, John Blake, Edward C. Bievard,
Aithur Buiv, Jamrs Campbell, Wm. S. ?
Campbell, Mitchell Cook, llenry Deas,
James Patis, Pattick II. Foikcr, George
L. Ford, btmpson Foster, Henry A. Gib
bers, Samuel Gourdin, Ttnolore Gourdin,
James Ilibben, 1/cuis Holloway, Win. lr
by, eld ward D. C . Jenkins, Charles I. Mr
Douald John J Mauger, Kichard F. Simp
son, John F Thomas, Thomas W. Tho
rn ts, l)av:d L. Warldlaw, John N. Wil
liams. \Viiiiam S. Wilson*
The degree of Master o/c rts% was con
fereci on the following graduates of the
College, viz J e pt ha Dyson, Kobcrt Means,
K chard Mann.ng, Benjamin T. Flmoie.
John B. O.neat, John (i. Brown, Bay
lies J. liarle, David K. Means, W m. A.
Bull, Arthur U. 0,Hara, Wyatt Stark:
and Mr, Hene Godard a graduate of the
University of Nanu, wai admitted ad cun -
dim.
President Maxcy then deliverd to the ,
Graduates an elegant, appropriate and tru
ly classical ail chess, and the exercises were
closed by 9. An Oration on the benefits
which men of Genius and Learning ror.fer
upon Society, with the Valedictory Ad
dresses, by David L. Wardlaw.
Lrom Niks' Weekly Register.
CHANCE or HABITS.
It was well Observed in a laic British pa
per that a fapitFchange was quietly taking
place in Ametica [i. e. the United Stales]
as to the use ami consumption of British
manufactures and the writer went on to
slate the probability that, in a very little
time, the present great market for their
goods would be lost to ihcrm ? &c* ? I~huve
mislaid the article, and quote from memory
on y ; but such was the suhstauce of hit
remarks* ? - " ?' ~
thousand, perhaps of our own people are
fully sensible ? but the change is taking
place, and will take pla<e, notwithstanding
the present nufxtrjiciul appearance of things
is so much against it. The imporwtion
of British j?ood is yet enormous, and they
arc selling at prices insufficient to p?y co?ts
and charges? the. pound sterling of the i r#
voice is often, it is sa.d, / airly sold for the
pound curency at A ew-Yorl' ; and all, or
neat !y all, of our large manufacturing esta
blishments have more or less, suspended ? ,
business.* But the s ate of the" fit st can
not last ? there must be an end ? to these
vast sacrifices ; and the other has but little
affect, indeed, in a national or general
view ; though it is a deeply interesting
subject, and one which excites the best
feeling of the patriot*
M Inane Hrigga, who, perhaps, under
stood the matter as well is any man in the
United States, in his admirable and inval
uable essay. laid before the Committee of
commerce and manufactures^ at the list
session of Congress, and Inserted ip^clie
IXth volume of th*^A(||feXI.Y Keoistkh,
page 289. &c. gave it as hfif Opinion * that
if a reasonable encouragement were afford
ed, we might assume as a fair average t>f '
the whole of the present year (ISIS) 600,
OOO spindles operating on cotton." The
piobability, however, | is, lrom many cau
ses needless to recapitulate, that not more
than half that number ever were Actually
operating on cotton in the U. States, at any
one time ; but it is difficult to conjecture
the number now ? many of the
:tTon*
having nearly stopped Work,
new ones have commenced busine!
The following estimate was handed to
me at my requett, by a gentleman of great 1
respectability ai*l much experience m cot-*?
ton manufacture, and may be relied on fof
our present purpose /?Hr Supposes that
No* 1 2, of spun cotton, is the average num
ber wove in the United States* and saya
that 1000 spindles will spin 1750 hanks ill
a day, equal to 146 lbs. [No* 13] which
146 lbs. of yarn will make 440 yards of
cloth, and give employment to about 50
looms.
These are the data on which life pro- ^
? Lhirflij tho-e on the ?ra- board. The let*
?er , but more numerous work*y in the interior #
hove gun* on about am u*uult and have al?a
extensively increased .