The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1865-09-30

teeedents and political opinions Of
the delegates themselves and the
action of the States from which they
may come. And in this respect,
therefore, the whole question is in
the, hands of the Southern people,
and they can determine it just which
way they please. They can, through
a, certain. line of action, cause their
delegates to be admitted, or they can,
by q different course, effect their ex-
clusion.
The prospect of their admission
has been greatly diminished, and the
question embarrassed, we feel bound
to declare, by the rejection of the
Constitutional Amendment in this
State and the late municipal election
in Richmond These two events
have reused prejud;ces and strength.
ened the hands Of the radical mem
bers of Congress, who are opposed to
having the Southern States represent
ed IN Congress now under any cir
cumstances, and, correspondingly,
weakened those who wish to see
civil government speedily restored
throughout the Union. The election
in this State-has alarmed many, and
given rise to a suspicion that there is
Il faction in the South desirous of re-
viving the slavery agitation, and that
those factionists are only keeping
dark until the Southern States shall
have been fully rehabi1itated and re-
stored to their proper functions, in
order to show. their hands and throw
down the glove for another crusade
upon the slavery issue. The oppo-
nents of the ConstitutionaAAmend-
ment in this State boldly took the
ground that the ttnegro question
stands yet unsolved. The whole
contest here on one side was carried
on upon that issue. The opponents
of the amendment shouted abolition.
o6ol'tion, ABOLITION, as though abo-
htion was not an accomplished, an
irreversib1e fact; and talked and
acted and voted just as if slavery
were not dead, and might yet be
saved. This was base fraud, q dis
honest, vile imposture upon the
people of the State. We told them
that q vote against the amendment
would be challenge in favor of
slavery, and would react most disas-
tfously upon every Southern State.
The evidences of this are beginning
to be apparent. Every Southern
State will feel and regret the effects
OF the imposition that has been prac-
tlced in this State concerning this
Constitutional Amendment. The
Richmond municipal election was
also most unfortunate. It may be
said that that was small affair; but
who does not know what mighty re-
suits have their origin in causes the
most insignificant?
20 counteract the effects of the
election in this State and of those of
the Richmond election, in respect to
the admission of Southern delegates,
the utmost circumspection will be re-
quisite. To secure such admission,
four things at least will, in our view
of the snbject, be Indispensable:
l. The ratification of the Constitu-
tional Amendment by the respective
States lately in revolt.
II. The election of me1i to Con-
gress by the people of these States
who were originally opposed to Sc
cession, as evinced by deeds and
words.
III. The election of such men as,
IN addition to the foregoing, accept
in good faith the inexorable fact that
slavery has been annihilated, as an
unchallenged and unchallengeable
truth never again to be called in
question.
": Undoubted, outspoken, pre-
sent loyalty, without equivocation or
mental evasion on the part of the
persons elected, besides what are en-
braced under the other three heads.
We believe if all these conditions
are found to have been complied with
by the respective Southern States
and people when their Senators and
Representatives shall present Them