The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1865-10-04

| denied the right Of secession and waged
war upon the Confederate States, which
! stood upon the defensive. A terrible war
| 1inally tho Confederate States were over
whelnlcd by force Of numbersand dissolved
At the end of the war the State Of South
I Carolina found the Confederacy broken up,
lrer citizens who survived the terrible
ordeal exhausted and impoverished, her
institutions destroyed and tn, whole coul:-
try occupied by the military iorccs Of the
United States. Under these painful cir
cumstances, the President Of the United
States invited the States latcE composing
the Confcderacy to re-organiA, their gov
ernmcnts and restore their connection with
the Constitution and Government of the
United States, upon certain conditions, the
principal OF which WAS An nctplesence in
the abolition of slavery, which had been
accomplished by the military authorities.
The State, wisely in my judgment, respond
cd favorablv to the invitation. Il is true
that the mere issue OF battle do9not prove
right any more than did the ole wager Of
battles; but 1t does prove powerWhlch can
not be disreSardcd. 4 Provisional Cover
nor was appointed, who called another con-
vention of the people, whicn has lately
iSt'tuAS'A CllSi vi VI ScCeSSiOtl, duu
by an article in the State Constitution,
recognized the abolition Of slavery and pro-
hibitcd its re-establishment. BY repeal
ing that OF Secession, the Ordinance Of
.179S, through which South Carolina be-
came member N the Union was ipso
Jucto revived, and We are this day in the
Union precisely az we became in l7SS and
remained up to 1860.
We arc now in very anomalous position.
RELYING upon the good faith and patriotic
intentions OF the President OF the United
States, we have done all that was required,
OF us to restore our old relations, to the
Constitution and the Union; brt still we
have not been received into fellowship at
Washington. That important part of the
plan OF reconstruction remains &c: to be
accomplished. 1t is understood that n
party will oppose the Presidents plan of
rcorSaniZing the States and giving to them
equality of rights, and will insist upon still
farther despoilinS and crushing the States
OF the South as conquered provinces. This
radical fanatical party opposed our leaving
the Union, and now they oppose our return
ing to it. When we were iii the Union, they
abused us on account OF slavery. They
waSed war upon us because we tried to
separate from them, and now that we pro-
pose to return without slavery, they still
object. In this emergency, the Stdte needs
the assistance OF all her true men. Much
remains to be done, and not tt, least is to
secure prudent, faithful and patriotic
representation in Congress, to assist and
forward the work OF restoration which the
State has commenced. l arro:ate not to
myself fitness to form part OF such rep
resentation, but friends have urged me for
ward, and If you arc willing t. try mo, l
will give my best efforts.
In some respects, We are at thobe2inning
OF our policy, as if we were new State
shout to assume new relations with our
S(yt 1Nt1t
selves to forget that in other respects we
are an old Stato-a State having antece-
dcntS--a name to maintain and ahistory to
preserve. Whatever may betide lis in the
uncertain future, the past, at least, is Sc
cure. South Carolina has never swervcd
from the path Of honor, as she conceived it,
We have record OF which none need bo
ashamed; and when any apostatc son If
hers dlsclnlms OF dlsparaSeS it, may she
cast INN out as unworthy OF her. The
devotion OF every true son oi the State
adhores in adversely as well as in pros
pcritv-is loyal tirouSi, evil as wei as
through good report; and in the midst Of
the greatest mlsfOrtunns, 'stickcth closer
than q brother"
After the delegations from the Southern
States shall have been received into Con-
grcss, many delicate and impol tant duties
VIII dcvolve upon them, especially in refer
ence to the freedmen Of the South, and the
Soiti'1 "HlCI SoilSIcSS, OK party IN Con-
gress, may desire still to exercise over
them. 1t may not DO improper, in this
connection, to say that whilst have ap-
proved the course OF the State in seeking
to restore her old relations with the Govern
mcnt OF the United States, it has been upon
the faith and expectation that the State, as
soon as reconstructed, is to have entire
control Of the whole subject OF her domcs-
tic affairs. The State, and the State alone,
must be left to decide to whom she viii
give the right OF suffrage or other political
| rights. new code noi, must be enacted
to protect and govern the population lately
made free-to prevent idlsncss, vagrancy,
! pauperism and crime am not prophet
enough to forcsee whether we can succeed.
but | solemnly believe it will be impossible
to live in the country ut all unless the State
has exclusive control Of the whole subject
| have hope that this will be permitted, and
think 1T is in accordance with our inte-
rests and true policy to sustain the Prcsi-
dent and the Democratic party in their
~ n Stofn Ia b>;-