Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-06-05
<AU+ NJ .yrWli
0bIos Statesurart[,. t.
FROM SOUTH CA.ROLINA.
The Political Feeling of the People,
Their Admiration of President
johnson what They SaY-Inter-
cOmrse, with NOrtherners.
[FrOm the N. Y. Times, Republican, d

r [Erom the N. Y. Times, Republican, .-,t |
....,n CHARLESTON, s. c., May %, 1866.
| have now been in South Carolina nearly
month, during which time | haye made 1t
my business TO converse with every grade
of citizens, for tho purposeof obtaining in-
formation as totheir true sentiments, Very
naturally expecting TO find extreme views
entertained by South Carollnians, I have,
with a few exceptions, been agreeably dis q
appointed, as athe majority OF the inhabi-o
tants, and particularly of the ruling classes,
have honestly accepted the present condi-
| tion of affairs, and seem to be earnestly
anxious for speedy restoration. "A lsalical
would find much TO cOndemG here Tor the u
universal sentiment is against that class.
| They are considered disunlQnists ana Ill
| tempered ConquerOrs. Tile promises OF
| Mr.. Lincoln of restoration, when rebellious
arms had been laid aside, having been en- o,
tirely ignored by the present Congress, it Is
| looked upon as body without honor and
| Is charged with having played false to both
the country and the eX-rebels. lthas. rem
! dered "nugatory the tFiumphs OF the Union
| soldiers, - and has deceived the people of
| the South by unfullilled promises of mag
nanimity to conquered foe, Its leaders
seem to be actuated by tiendish spirit OF
vengeance directed against helpless peo-
| pie, and the influence of discourse has been
i H0ybIl0B DuJ DtucHCldls Dubh diO q lON VI u
1 the opinions entertained by leading South.
| CarOlinians.
The lenient cotirse of the President, on
the other hand, is commended by every
j one, and the people generally entertain
feelings of unbounded gratitude toward
him. They admit that on his coming into
office they expected nothing but rigorous
and scOrching punishment for their partic-
! ipation in the rebellion, and that they were
astonished almost beyond expression to
find in him a generous, high-mnded
\ friend. One gentleman said to me rev
DAYS since, 1--WE knew all the time when we p
were fighting against Mr.. Lincoln that it
was only necessary for us to surrender in
order to be restoredto our rights; but we
were afraid that Andy johnson was vim
dictive-that he would be inclined to per-
secute all of us because q few had persecut-
ed him, and that he would exert his inilu-
| ence and power to retard reconstruction,
lor restoration, or whatever you call it,
| Another says the President has assumed
the ''pOsitiOn which we expected Congress
IIwould occupy. They have changed places,
and the oppression now comes from new
quarter" Still another remarked that.
President johnson has done "nO more than
was required of him. "a He has made US
abolish slavery repudiate our war debt, and
give guarantees of future good Conduct
which we mean to keep; but Congress is
pilng up the agony and is too eXaCting.-
We can't submit to everything; enough is
enough you know" You won't fight
again, will you" / asked. mo, but
well we'll leave the country" asked one
person what he considered a fair basis of
restoration, and he promptly replied, Lin
coins Amnesty Proclamation; the South
were fools for not accepting IL, and that's
| all Johnson wants of us nOW."
There are but few South CarOlmians who
love the United States Government; on the
contrary, a majority of them hate it-not
because it is the Government which con-
quered them, but because it is now ruled
by men who, they think, are cruelty OPP
pressive toward them. There is not a man
in the StGre, l believe, however, who does
not respect it for its power, and they Will
obey its laws In the same spirit as the SIX
else law" of your city is Obeyed. There
is probably not as much kindly feeling to-
ward the Government now as there was
six months ago, and am compelled to ad-
| NIT that every day decreases the sentiment
| of regard for it. Nevertheless the spirit OF
| submission still pervades the entire mass.
They will never again take up arms in any
widespread ofganiZatiOnGandt they can be
| led to love the Government as dearly as it
is loved in the North, with proper treat
ment. "YOu won't believe us when we say
we're loyal, and you won't give our loyalty
a trial, so we can't do anything" is the Oft
| repeatek remard to be heard everywhere
here. Loyalty is a word capable of several
constructions, and II by it is meant the love
and respect which actuated the volunteers
of the North 0in fighting for the Govern
ment, l do not hesitate to say that there is
very little to be found here at this time.
| When men waste years of their lives and
lose their fortunes warning against power
which is too strong for and defeats them,
they d not rise up from their defeat to kiss
the hand that smote them, however much
they may respect it, and honestly endeayor
to obey its mandates. The loyalty that
exists here is of a passive nature. There is
/ no freshness or enthusiasm about it. The
people feel sore from their recent whipping,
angry that they have been misrepresented
by sprejudieed writers, and particularly
bitter toward Congress and its Radical sup
/ porters. They confound the Government
with its rulers, and are eundoubtedly disloyal
Il to Congress-. ~
II have not yet found any section in the
South where Confederate theories are ven
Grated more than here, and sometimes the
publicity OF such ,veneration is positively
II disgusting to me, as Northerner, The
II dead soldiers of the South receive great at
Il tention-nOt more than the living, howev-
er, for they are feted and toasted on all oc-
casions. A large amount of charity Is re-
auired to overlook such eXcesses, and it is
only when assuranceis given that men and
\. mot principles are admired that we can for
\ give them. hOne OF the best ''cues'5lOf the
many proposed by the people here for Rad
ical use in attacking the South, is this in
ordinate parade of Affection tor relics and
remembrances of the Confederacy.
/ The feeling of the Chaflestonians toward
| Northernrs seems to be very liberal but
they had rather have their capital than
ttheir presence. Social intercourse between
the two classes Is very limited, as the ladies
of Charleston have neither been conquered
> or subdued. They cling, with characters
5 tic feminine love Of weak things, to the
4 isIost eause,n and If there Is any class in the
| country who cherish hopes of another war,
J Ill believe it to be the women. Business in
! tercourse between old citizens and recent
h coniers is apparently conducted in a. nah-
I ner free from sectional influences. Never
Q theless, thererexists a jealous feeling against
Northern merchants, arising from the fact
that they are undoubtedly absorbing con-
! lsiigfatie trade. tits very natural that such
l.sbollri be the case, and on the whole it is
o probable that the ul-teeling is no greater
than that which would be, generated any
where In the North by theappearance Of "a
: lbodv OF outsiders with the intention Ofes-
\ ltablishing permanently In business, to the
| nreiudice of native Dealers. r ..
| honestly believe That the apparent so
| cial exclusiyeness of the Southerners Is