The Columbia daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1865, 1865-05-22
UMIBLA.
Monday Morning, May 22, 1895.
The Case as Decided for Us.


sul State sovereignty arc now but fictions
cf the past-the dream OF statesmen,
who. in an abstract and ideal, far beyond
he reach Of ordinary humanity, fanc:ed
they had found the secret for perletua:ing
he liberties of . people. We have, IN 4
four years struggle in arms, proved inca
pable OF republican liber'y--proved cur
selves III. wor, ny Of nGerendence-anu ;Ae
>onfeLeracy OF States is resolved into
consolidated empire. The States are rc-
juced to mere pa'itles--corpor
sons, having their tenure solely 81 the VIII
O.. = central power, which has only to will
80 maxi. ard unmakc law. When Mr..
Seward boastcl to the British Minister
lat he had only TO touch Il be" to cause
the arrest OF any Governor, or any citizen.
IN any Of the States. lie asserted the power
a! perfect despotsm. The Queen of
EnglanL-her minsters-poseessed 10 s"ch
mower. 1t did not need, u: er this, that
We should give to our Executive the title
.: King or Emperor. He possessed al! the
requisites for imperial sway under the
more familiar and less pretentious name of
President. North and South have svbmil-
.n,i to the change. The former cheertullv,
IN its moment Of pass;"n, and seeking the
in!l indulgence Of its rage against the
South, for having shaken off tina: more
;nsiJious sway, which. by in1irection, was
fully possessed of all the s,;hs,antia.s of
dominion; the South submits. in lis far
,her inability 20 struggle. 1t does not
much matter nov to inquire in what de-
gree, and by what errors. our suhjugation
mas been wrought. F.noush that the fact
ia 20. and that nothing remains for Us but
:.ubmission to the fate which we have
r.inly s!riven to avert; satisfied, as We
should b., that there was an innate incapa-
city,Son our part, for The e;j"yMent Of the
grand privileges of independence. That
who!e province of Fe1e~al politics, in
which we have for so !oEg Il time exercised
o>r thought ard ac.tated our several com
nuni:ics, is no longer 4 subject Of our
care or consideration. We may as well
,i.slniss OF. ancient theories to Asto,to's
:,ansisns cf the :aoon-to ENJOY TIE lon,
sium!tr Of forgotten things, which have
!pst their uses here on earth. We must
accept the new conditions with whatever
philosophy W. may. We have simply
realized the experience OF all the conivue-
..eclcs and l:aeucs OF States, which the
ingenuity Of ths opt mist ever conceived,
in tie hope Of an ideal liberty for man.
We have succumJed, rs people, precisely
as was tie case with al Tie peoples t!.t
ever strove at independence. And We
lave succumbed and fniicn, with ali our
si.rines broken ana aitars overthrown,
::oIn the same Sinp.c cause.-the l.ck Of
tie necessary moral essentials for liberty.
Our career. as co3.cderacy, has been
lnrcI. shorter than that cf most ci the
>ca!ederac;es Of the ancient and modern
worlds. The Greek Hebrew, Italian.
:Sw:'za:, all enjoyed longer duration Of
:i:sir leagues in civil liberty. We have
lived faster than any Of .,heni-r, allied
more rapidly the results 0: fortr;e--be-
co::e more rapidly the parta!:ers OF luxury
aau Tie sw eets of al insi6ious ana soul
sarpiny power, and 50 the more quickly
lost our virtues. And We must submit to
our fate, having really committed 4 moral
suicide. When eur sc;,ies, worshipp:ng
Man:ren. wculi send simply rich man.
notor:ously without capacity, as their
representative TO the highest council
chamber in ;e eonfeGeracy. our liberties
were 4reaty sold 70 the highest bidder.
W.1a it needs, in the candidate, i'll our
agricultural districts, no other qualitica-
~. to ,,,j liz v,ay