The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-08-25
COLUMBIA
Saturday Morning, August 25. 1866.
Omissions.

While cordially approving of the
objects of the late Convention, and
while giving an assent to many of the
positions taken by that body, there
were others, of course, that we think
were unnecessary, and to which the
assent of the Southern people must
be given very unwilling1y, and only
under the pressure of that necessity
which suggested the idea of holding
the Convention at all-the rescue of
the country and its complete restora-
tion to peace.
We do not propose to discuss these
superfuous and Objectionable fea-
lures of the platform, but we think it
our duty to call attention to one or
two omissions in the declarations put
forth by the Convention, whose mem
bers profess to support the President
and his policy. The points which
the Convention have omitted, and to
which We refer, cannot well be cover
ed by general endorsement of the
Presidents policy. They are too
prominent in the machinery of radi-
callsm to be overslaughed or omitted
by accident.
And first is the Freedmen's Bureau
Act This bill, vetoed by the Presi-
dent, SO outrageous in its provisi ons,
and the establishment for whose
benefit it was passed having been
proved SO full of corruption, certain
ly should have received the condem-
nation of the Convention. The
Union can never be said to be per-
fectly restored so long as its officers
are scattered throughout the South
ern States to foster, ii. they do not
create, discomfort, Incidence and
crime, among the class of people on
whom the South now relies for most
of its labor.
The Convention ignored, by name
at least, the civil rights bill, so full of
negro equality, suffrage, etc., and
which keeps open the bleeding sores
that fanaticism has inocuIated into
our political system. A denunciation
of this measure would have been q
very proper plank in the platform of
the new party
The 'test oath," also, has been
sighted. The word .'loyal' is used
when employed in reference to those
who should be admitted; but suppose
the test of the loyalty required by
Congress should be the swallowing of
said oath, how many Southern mem
bers would ever be admitted? This
Infamous oath ought to have received
special and strong condemnation from
the Convention, in the declaration of
principles it put forth.
These are few of the omissions
the Convention can. properly be
charged with. It need not be said
that they were purposely made for the
sake OF expediency Or policy. If the
conservatives of the North are afraid
to go into the contest with opposi-
ton to these iniquitous measures in
scribed on their banners, the result
will be doubtful If it was the result
of timidity, then that timidity will,
IN the end, develop itself in permit
ting them to remain in force here
after
There are other sins of omission
that might be enumerated, but it
would be useless to do so now. A
true friend Of an individual viii
point out to him his errors with the
hope of amending him; and it is for
similar reason we note the above
omissions. The new party in its Or
ganization, we think, should take
bold and decided ground against the
ldolatrons worship of the negro. and
the intolerance exercised towards the
South, which are the two cardinal
articles of the radical creed.
RIGHT NAMES. last Congress
mad singular knack of calling things
hxy }ho;x