The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1865-10-06

sef-preservation-no to injure others but
to save ourselves. It cannot be necessary
to say that I am one Of tho,c who believe
that it waE an honest effort for honorable
purposes. The United States Governments
denied the right Of secession and waged
war upon the Confederate States, which
stood upon the defensive. A terrible war
OF invasion and desolstion followed, and
finally the Confederate States we're over
whelmcd by force OF numbers and dissolved.
At the end ofNthe war the State Of South
CarolinN found the Confederacy broken up,
her citizens who survived the terrible
ordeal exhausted and impoverished, her
institutions destroyed, and the whole coun-
try occupied by the military forces Of the
United States. Under these painful cir
cumstanccs, the President OF the United
States invited the State tely composing
the Confedcracy to re-ol aniZc their gov
crnmcntS and restore tn. connection with
the Constitution and Government of the
United States, upon certain conditions, the
principal OF which was all acquicscncc in
the abolition of slavery. which had been
accomplished by the military authorities
The State, wisely III my Judgment, respond
ed favorably to the invitation. It is true
that the mere issue of battle does not prove
! right any more than did the old wager of
battlc;, but it does prove power which can
not be disreGart;cd. A Provisional Cover
nor was appointed, who called another con-
vention of the people, which has lately
repealed the Ordinance OF Secession. and
By an article in the State Constitution.
| recognized the abolition Of slavery and pro-
| hibited its rc-cstablishmcnt. BY repeal
| ing that Of Secession, the. Ordinance of
| 17SS, through which South Carolina be-
came member OF the Union, was ipsO
tdcto revived, and VIC arc this day in the
Union precisely as we became in 1888 and
! remained up to 1860.
we are now IN very spOmalous position.
| Kelying upon tho 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; but still we
have not been received into fellowship at
Washington. That important part of the
| plan OF reconstruction remains yet to be
accomplished. 1t is understood that a
party will oppose the Presidents plan Of
equality of rights, and will insist upon still
farther despoiing 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 in the Union, they
| abused us on account OF Eslavcry. They
| waged 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 State needs
n.
remains to be done, and not the least is to
secure a prudent, faithful and patriotic
representation in Congress, to assist and
forward the work OF restoration which the
State has commenced. I arrogate not to
myself fitness to form part of such rep
rcScntation, bat friends have urged mo for
ward, and if you are willing 70 try mo, 1
will give my best efforts.
| In some respects, we are ut the beginning
Of our policy, as ii no were new State
about to assume new relations with our
sister States; but VIC must never allow our
selves to forget that in other respects We
are an old State-a State having antece-
dcntS-a name to maintain and history to
preserve. Whatever may betide us 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 q record OF which none need be
ashamed and when any apostatc son of
hers disclaims or disparages it, may she
cast him out as unworthy of her. The
devotion OF evcryo true son OF the State
adheres in adversely as well as in pros
pcrty-is loyal through evil as well 81,
through good report; and in the midst of
the greatest misfortuncs, ''sticketh closer
than II brother"
after the delegations from the Southern
States shall have been received into Con-
gress, many delicate and lmpol tant duties
: Will dcvoivo upon them. especially in refer
eHce 70 the Aceunieil ol tllc ooutn, ana the
control which Congress, or party in Con-
sgrcss, may desire still to exercise over
them. 1t may not be improper, in this
, connection, to say that, whist have ap-
proved the course of the State in seeking
to restore her old relations with the Govern
ment Of the United States, it has been upon
the faith and expectation that the State, as
q soon as reconstructed, is to have entire
control OF the whole subject of her domes-
tic affairs. The State, and the State alone,
f must be left to decide to whom she will
give the right of suffrage or otLor political
rights. A new code NOR must be enacted
, to protect and govern the population lately
made froc-to prevent idlsness, vagrancy,
pauperism and crime. ] am not prophet
enough to foi,&ce whether we can succeed
but solcmnly believe il will be impossible
; to live in the country at all llunless the State
has exclusive control OF the whole subject.
l have hope that this will be permitted, and