The national Republican., 1866-10-16
Wh,ther are We Dr,0,ug ,

The Southern people, like wrecked mari
ners on raft at sea completely at the mercy
of the wind and waves, with sufficient provi
sion to preserve life for q time, and without
power to guide their course or to avoid de-
struction, will, nevertheless. occasionally
raise their heads and inquire "Whther are
we drifting?' This question can only be an.
swered correctly by interpreting Alright the
indications of events daily transpiring at the
North. The people Of the North have our
political destiny in their hands, and accord
ing to their decision will be our fate. What
zoe do or say is really of very little import
ance, for each Of the parties at the North
manufactures cOtemporaneous Southern
history for its own use; and IL is not the
actual state of affairs at the South which will
decide our destiny, but what the Northern
people believe to be the state of affairs.
II is unfortunate for the South that the
platform of the Philadelphia Conservative
Convention was not represented at the late
elections by National Union Conservative
party; that the conservative Republicans
and Democrats should have quarrelled with
each other, and that our interests should
have been left to the care Of the latter, who
were never successful without our assistance,
and who, as long as they are deprived of
that aid, must be utterly helpless On the
other hand, it is fortunate for the South that
the material with which it was proposed to
make National Union Conservative party
still remains, and that, by the force Of cir
cumstances. il will be compelled to work to-
gether for our good in the ensuing Congress.
No stronger proof Of the existence of pow
erful conservative faction in the Republican
party is needed than the fact that that party,
in the late canvass, were obliged to announce
the Constitutional Amendment as the ulti.
maturn of their conditions precedent to re-
construction.
If the National Union party had succeeded
in forming an effective organization, there
can be no doubt that the platform of the
Philadelphia Convention would have been
carried out; but now it is equally certain
that the platform Of the conservative Re-
publicans, as set forth in the constitutional
amendment, will be the rule of action of the
next Congress. AS we have before said, the
issue in the late elections was not made be-
tween conservatives and radicals, but be-
tween Republicans and Democrats, and, as
might have easily been foresecn, the latter
were defeated. In Congress the issue will
be the other way. The Democrats to carry
out any plan Of their own, will feel them
serves pOWerlesS because tney VIII KNOW tnat
the conservative Republicans will prefer vot-
ing with the radicals to voting with them;
but the conservative Republicans will be
sure of the support of the Democrats, be-
cause the constitutional amendment will be
more acceptable than the hanging and con-
fscating policy Of Stevens and Sumner.
II is true that threats Of impeaching the
President, Of hanging Mr.. Davis, and the
bowling of the wild beasts called Southern
Loyalists have formed part of the capital
by which the Republicans succeeded in car.
rying the elections; but it is equally true that
all such party tactics would have been utterly
unsuccessful if it had not been for the mas.
terly manGuvre Of settling down on the con-
stitutional amendment as q reconstruction
platform by which they succeeded in with
drawing the support of the conservative ele-
ment from their antagonists.
Disagreeable, then, as the prospect may
be, we are forced to conclude that, without
any power in us to control the tide OF events,
we are drifting slowly back into the Union
on the bass of the constitutional amend
ment, and that we will only cease to occupy
our present anomalous position when we are
represented in Congress by men who can
take the test oath, and when our State Offices
are filed by men who have never violated an
express oath Of allegiance to the United
Charleston Daily News.