The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-06-15

Some of our Southern exchanges
are discussing the propriety Of cele-.
brating. IN some appropriate manner.
the return Of the. anniversary Of the,
independence Of the United statesApf
America. - We Quot know Whist to
say Of ) celebration of that day; we
suppose every community viii oem-
memorate, or let it alone, as its mem
bers may see fitand proper.
We of the Southern. States are in
such qssasi position of citizens of
this great republic, that we don't
know if we have a right to celebrate
the day.. According to the radicals,
we have no such privilege, but, &C.
cording to the Presidents views, we
undoubtedly have. It remains with
the Southern people to decide which
view Of the situation they willaccept-
that of regarding themselves out Of
the sisterhood Of States composing
the Union, the radicals view; or
whether, with President johnson,
they consider the States of the South
fully restored to oil their rights and
privileges.
+ Believing that they will occupy the
latter's standpoint, and that, in some
way, the day will be noted, we ven
ture to make suggestion or two.-
While it is perfectly right and con-
sistent with our present position, that
we should hold aloof from all meet
ings of merely political character,
yet, we think, ''the fourth of July"
would be an appropriate day for
the Southern people, in their primary
or mass meetings, to define fully their
views, re-declare their honest accept
ance of the results of the late war,
and express their attachment to the
policy of President johnson for the
reconstruction of the Union. Such
demonstrations, coming directly from
the people themselves, and not
through Conventions or Legislatures,
would convict the radicals of false
hood concerning the true position of
''tke people" ," and strengthen the po-
sition of the conservatives through
out the North and West, and would,
doubtless, if generally acted on
throughout the Southern States, have
a salutary influence on the coming
fall elections in the sections referred
to. What say our brethren of the
Southern press?
There is another suggestion we
would make, with all due respect,
and that is to the President of the
United States. We feel that, as citi-
zens of the republic, acting with and
sustaining him in his patriotic mea-
sures for the complete restoration of
peace to this distracted country, we
are not tresspassing when we suggest
to him that he gets up a celebration
OF his own-one that will do honor
to his head and heart-and add an
ther wreath to the crown of laurels
he already wears so gracefully on his
brow, and to which he is so Justly en-
titled; and the celebration we propose
IS, that on the morning Of ''the glo-
rious Fourth" Gf he does not antici-
pate the suggcstion,) that he shall
publish, under the form of u solemn
proclamation, and under the great
seal Of the United States, u general
amnesty to all engaged in the late
struggle for Southern Indepcnd-
ence, from the chieftain to the hum
blest private in tho ranks. If, con-
sistent with his sense of duty, he
would do this, he would, indeed,
make the National Anniversary q
day Of rejoicing in every State from
the Potomac to the Rio Grande, and
win for himself immortality as g
statesman and patriot 1t is his
high prerogative, and we sincerely
recommend him to its exercise on
that fitting occasion.
Let the proclamation be followed
by a general withdrawal of troops
from among the Southern people,