Message Of Gov. Gist. Executive Department

Gentlemen of tht Scnite auil House of Kpreaent1ivea: The :ict of Congresi, passed in the year 1846, enacts that the Electora of President and Vice President shall beappointcd on the on the Tuesdny uozt after the first Monday of the month of November of thö in which they ara to ba appointcd. The annnal meeting of the Lcgislaturo of South Carolina, by a constitutional provisión, will not take plaoe until the fourth Monday of November inst. I have eonsidered it my duty, undcr the authority conferred upon me to conveno the Legislature on axtraordinary occasions, to conveno you, that you may, on to moriow, appoint the uumber of Electora ot' President and Vice Presi dunt to which thia State is entitled. Under ordinary circurastanees your duty could soon be discharged by the election of Electora represeuting the ohotoe of the people of tb State, but n view of tho threatening aspect of affairs, aud the st.rong probability of the election to the Presidency of a sectional candida by a party committed to tho support ofmeasures whiuh, if cnrried out, will in evitably destroy eur equality iu the Union, and ultimutely reduce the louthcni States to mere proviuces of a consolidated despotism, to be gorerned by a fixed majority in Gongress hostile to our institutiuns, aud fatally beut upon our ruin, I would respectt'ully Buggest that the Legislaturc romain in esion, and take 8uch actiou as will prepara the Stato for apy emergeuey th may arise. That an exposition of tha will of the peoplü may be obtained on a question ÍBvolving such momentous conseijueuoc, I would earncstly recommend that, in eveut of Abraham Lincoln's election to tho Presidency, a convention of the peoplt of tkis Stute be immediately called, to eomider and determine for themsekes the modt and incasure of redress. My own opinions of what tho cuuvcntion should do are of littlü moment; but, believing tbat the time has arrived when every one, boweyer huml lc lic roay be, should expross h's üpiuions in utmiiatakabk: languaga, I am constraiued to say that the only alUrnative left, in my judjment, i üu secession of South Varol na f rom tw t ederal Union. The State has, with great unauiinity, deolared that she has the right, peacoably, to seoede, and nu power on earth can rightfully prevent it. If, in the exercise of arbitrair power and forgetful of the Icssonsof hittory, the guvermnent of the United State should atlempt coerción, úwill becom our sohmn duiy to moet f orce by f orco; and whatever may be the decisión of the conveution, ropresentiug the sovereignty of the State, and amenablc to no earthly tribunal, t shall, during the retuainder of niy adininistration, be oarried out to the letter, rogardleaa of any hazards that maj turround its executiou. I would alio respectfully recommend a thorough r-or ganization ot the militia, so as to placo the vyhole military force of the Stt n i position to be used at the shortest notiee and with the greatest efficieDcy. Ererj raao i the State, between tho ag of cightcun and lorty-five, should be well armcd with the most efficiënt weapon of niüdcrn warfare, and U tin available mcans of the State used for that purposo. In addition to this general preparation, I would also recommend that th serrioe of ten thousand volunteers be immediately accepted; that they be orgauized and drilled by officers chosen by theinwlves, in rcadiness to be oallod on upon the shortest uotice. With thia preparation for defence, and with all the kallowed memories of past achievements, witli our love of liberty aud hatred of tyranny, and with tbc knowledge that we are contending for tho safety of our homes and firesides, wc can confidently appeal to the üisposer of all human evenU, and tafely trust our causo to His kcepine.