Address of the Legislative Council

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Message from the Legislative Council, by their Clerk, acquainting the House that they had agreed to the amendment made in the Address to his Excellency the President.

Ordered, That the said Address be engrossed.

And the same being engrossed accordingly, is as follows:

To his Excellency JOHN RUTLEDGE, Esq˙, President and Commander-in-Chief in and over the Colony OF SOUTH -CAROLINA.

MAY IT PLEASE YOUR EXCELLENCY: We, the Legislative Council and General Assembly of South-Carolina, convened under the authority of the equitable constitution of Government established by a free People in Congress, on the 26th instant, beg leave most respectfully to address your Excellency.

Nothing is better known to your Excellency than the unavoidable necessity which induced us as members of Congress, on the part of the people, to resume the powers of Government, and to establish some mode for regulating the internal polity of this Colony; and, as members of the Legislative Council and General Assembly, to vest you for a time limited with the Executive authority. Such constitutional proceedings, on our part, we make no doubt will be construed into acts of the greatest criminality by that despotism which, lost to all sense of justice and humanity, has already pretended that we are in actual rebellion. But, sir, when we reflect upon the unprovoked, cruel, and accumulated oppressions under which America in general, and this country in particular, has long continued, — oppressions, which gradually increasing in injustice and violence are now, by Inexorable tyranny, perpetrated against the United Colonies under the various forms of robbery, conflagrations, massacre, breach of publick faith, and open war; conscious of our natural and unalienable rights, and determined to make every effort in our power to retain them, we see your Excellency' s elevation from the midst of us, to govern this country, as the natural consequence of such outrages.

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By the suffrages of a free People you, sir, have been chosen to hold the reins of Government; an event as honourable to yourself as beneficial to the publick. We firmly trust you will make the Constitution the great rule of your conduct; and, in the most solemn manner we do assure your Excellency that, in the discharge of your duties under that Constitution which looks forward to an accommodation with Great Britain, (an event which, though traduced and treated as Rebels, we still earnestly desire,) we will support you with our lives and fortunes.