Immediately after the adjournment of the convention the people of the State nominated candidates and proceeded with the election according to the law of the State. The most eminent and conservative citizens were selected as delegates and when the convention assembled at noon, December i7th, 1861, it was found to be composed of the most intelligent members of the commonwealth. Mr. David Jamison was selected as president and the convention adjourned to meet at Charleston the next day. On assembling in Charleston a committee to draft an ordinance of secession was appointed composed of Inglis, Rhett, Chestnut, Orr, Maxcy Gregg, Dunkin and Hudson. In addition to this committee others were appointed on relations with the Southern States, on foreign relations, on the State constitution and one to prepare an address to the people of the South.
After two days the first committee appointed to draft an ordinance of secession made their formal report, submitting with it for the consideration of the convention the following measure:
"An ordinance to dissolve the Union between the State of South Carolina and other States united with her under the compact entitled, ’The Constitution of the United States of America.’
"We, the people of the State of South Carolina, in convention assembled, do declare and ordain and it is hereby declared and ordained that the ordinance adopted by us in convention on the twenty-third day of May in the year of our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and Eighty-eight, whereby the Constitution of the United States was ratified, and also all acts and all parts of acts of the General Assembly of the State ratifying amendments of the said Constitution, are hereby repealed, and the Union now subsisting between South Carolina and other States under the name of the United States of America is hereby dissolved."
