The Provisional Governor sent in his message to the Convention at noon. It was read by his son, who is one of the delegates, and its reading occupied about twenty-five minutes. What he has to say on the subjects of slavery and negro suffrage appears in the following paragraphs: --
"Under the war-making power, the military authorities of the United States have abolished slavery in all of the seceding States. The oath you have solemnly taken to `abide by and faithfully support all laws and proclamations which have been made during the existing Rebellion, with reference to the emancipation of slaves,' requires you, in good faith, to abolish slavery in your new or amended Constitution. the express terms on which your pardons have issued stipulate that you shall never again own or employ slave labor. Moreover, it is impossible for South Carolina ever to regain her civil rights and be restored to the Union till she voluntarily abolishes slavery, and declares, by an organic law, that neither `slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime, whereof the party shall have been duly convicted,' shall ever again exist within the limits of the State. Until this is done we shall be kept under military rule.
The radical Republican party North are looking with great interest to the action of the Southern States in reference to negro suffrage; and whilst they admit that a man should be able to read and write and have a property qualification in order to vote, yet
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they contend that there should be no distinction between voters on account of color. They forget that this is a white man's government, and intended for white men only; and that the Supreme Court of the United States has decided that the negro is not an American citizen under the Federal Constitution. To extend universal suffrage to the `freedmen' in their present ignorant and degraded condition would be little less than folly and madness. It would be giving to the man of wealth and large landed possessions in the State a most undue influence in all elections. He would be enabled to march to the polls with his two or three hundred `freedmen' as employés, voting as he directed, and control all elections. The poor white men in the election districts would have no influence, or their influence would be overpowered by one man of large landed estate. That each and every State of the Union has the unquestioned right of deciding for herself who shall exercise the right of suffrage is beyond all dispute. You will settle this grave question as the interest and honor of the State demand."
After the reading of the message, the organization of the Convention was completed by disposing of the only contestedseat case. It was that of St. Luke's parish, which includes Hilton Head Island. It appears that Mr. David McGregor received the vote of one precinct, the voters, eighty-two in number, being mostly like himself, of Northern birth, but resident on the island for three or four years, and legally qualified under the laws of the State as electors. Mr. L. F. Youmans received seventy-five votes, -- the aggregate of the three other precincts in the parish. The island people were unable to learn the names of the regular managers of elections, or, in fact, that the other precincts of the parish intended voting; and after much fruitless effort to find the proper authorities to receive the poll, they held a meeting and appointed their own managers. Mr. McGregor brought the certificate of these managers, -- Mr. Youmans that of the regular managers. The case was referred to a special committee of three, who reported in favor of Mr. Youmans, on
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the ground that he alone held the proper certificate of election. The case was decided on its merits, without regard to the fact that Mr. McGregor is a Northern man; and he expresses himself fully satisfied with the decision.