The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1865-11-19

Iltlu, duO WIZ as s1l ll1IheS llatU tWO
enemies to fght-the Government at
Richmond and his own. AS ne repu-
htion has fallen so much, probably
none will recover so greatly as that Of
Mcclellan, when excitement calms
down and the success of other leaders
ceases to dazzle the Judgment. 1t is
easy to contrast his slow and over
cautious steps with the dashing career
Of q Sherman; but McClellan's army
was of other material He came into
play after the great disaster of Bull
Bun, and was necessarily thwarted
and paralyzed by that interference of
amateurs at Washington which this
volume so strikingly relates. This,
the army of the West and in the end
that of Grant, wholly escaped. On
recalling now the great advantages
gained by the North in the fall Of
Fort Donelson, New Orleans, Norfolk
and the occupation of many points on
the coast, as well as in Tennessee, the
heart of the Countrywide idea occurs
in closing the volume that more
correct estimate might have been
formed of the probable termination
of the istruggle than that which was
generally adopted in this country.
Bat the continuation of the work will
describe those brilliant feats of the
Southern Generals-of Lee, Stone
wall Jackson, Beauregard, Stuart
and that firm endurance and heroic
se1f-sacrifice of the people which ex-
torted the admiration of Europe, and
rendered it hard to believe that so
wide and difficult country, defended
with such resolution and military
genius, could ever be brought under
subjection.
Now that VIC hear such loud denun-
Citations of rebellion, and reiterated
assertions that treason is the "black-
est Of crimes it is almost with feel
ing of surprise that we peruse this
record of the calm and constitutional
manner in which the Southern people
proceeded to form a Government and
lite themselves into q coniedcracy.
Ach State, through It's Legislature,
passed an act or law which summoned
a aconvention OF its people, the direct
organ Of its sovereignty, and by this
convention it's severance from the
Union was decreed. In the older
States, the form adopted was simply
the repeal of the original ordinance
OF like convention, which had at
tached them to the Union. The same
formalities were used in dissolving the
tie which had been used in contract
ing it. Nothing can be imagined
more opposed to our ideas of rebel
lous leaders or an insurgent body.
And in framing Constitution, the
object plainly aimed at was to retain
every valuable principle of the old
one whilst rectifying the defects which
experience had pointed out Thus,
though in all the main features the
old and the new are identical, that Of
the South made the Presidential term
six years, and precluded reelection
an improvement of the utmost value.
The scandalous abuse of dislnissing
all officials, down to the village
postmaster, on each accession of a
new President, was practically rem
dercd impossible. 1t is strange that
ministerial responsibility should not
have been ordained, for this seems to
us an absolutely essential feature in
constitutional government; but here,
where change might have been de-
srable, the traditions of the Union
prevailed. One remarkable fact is the
open avowal--for the first time in any
constitution-of the principles of free
trnde-in the express prohibition of
duties for the purpose Of protection.
These principles are indeed to be
found in the Federal Constitution;
but not being in express terms, they
have been ovadod IL practice, until
the United States now offer the
grosscst instance in existence of
spiri: of monopoly and q partial fiscal
law.
They who arc familiar with the
literature of the war, should they
chance not to have seen the Southern