The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-04-28

The organs os, the revolutionist.
persist In dsc1aring that the testimo.
NY Of General Lee and Mr.. Stephens,
| of Georgia, before the s'Obstrnction
Inquest, is s,exceedingly damaging tc
the cause Of the South. They derive
much goddess satisfaction from this
opinion. for they are deeply interest
ed in the Southern people being re.
garded as exceedingly perverse and
stubbornly disloyal. This, they al
iege, is proved by the declarations OF
two of the foremost and most honored
OF our citizens, who declare that the
temper of the people of the South has
not improved during the last six
| months. 81
Tearing this testimony from its
context, and presenting it in frag-
mentary state, they say that people
thus t'stubbornly rebellious should
not be restored to all their civil
rights" The falsehood of this accu-
sation consists in the assertion that
the Southern people are not respect
ing the laws and Constitution Of the
United States. for, if they are "shll
rebellious," they are unfaithful to
their oaths of allegiance to the Co.
vernment.
Both of the distinguished witnesses
declared that no recently defeated
people could possibly be more obcdi-
ent to the laws than we have been.
If our feelings are not MS kindly
towards the Government as they were
before the meeting of Congress, the
fault lies at the door of that body. Ii
there are sections of the South where
the people are gloomy, morose and
discontented, the misconduct of ne
gro troops, the predacity of so-called
treasury agents, the unnecessary
harshness of local military command
ants, and the arbitrary arrests OF
private citizens without due process
of law, are the prolific causes of this
unpleasant state Of things. And if
the general feeling Of our people is
not rs friendly as it was some months
ago towards the Government, it is
because our Representatives have
been excluded from Congress, and
our section denounced for ncorly five
months by one of tho departments of
the Government.
The respect for our misfortunes,
and the liberal terms of capitulation
proposed by Grant and Sherman,
produced a most favorable impress
sion. We expected the same mag
nanimity upon the part Of Congress
that the successful Generals exhibit
ed. We thought the liberal policy of
the President would be seconded, and
not violently and factiously opposed
by Congress. We also thought that
four years of terrible war having been
waged to restore the Union, the will
OF tue nation would be respected by
the representatives of the nation. In
each and all of these expectations, we
have been miserably disappointed.
We have, nevertheless, in no in
stance, ''rebelled'' against laws the
complete protection Of which we have
not enjoyed. We have submitted to
taxation without representation, and
borne with noble fortitude much
which might have been omitted by
generous enemies.
A different course of policy than
that pursued by the revolutionists
"NNAAs W. oAASCAS1S Oc1lcNc, nave
healed many of the wounds and
effaced some of the bitter memories
which have survived the late struggle
of the South for independence.
Treated as enemies, branded as
stubborn rebels" accused of hypo-
crlsy when we made open professions
of loyalty, denounced as TRAITORS" if
the proud spirit of our people resent
ed insult, it is not strange that our
people do not devote much time to
conciliating revolutionary party
whose hatred is implacable. But our
gratitude for noble, generous conduct
like that Of President Johnson has
been Observation-Disclosures Times.
The BILL TO AMEND THE HABEAs
CoRPUs AcT.-This bill has passed
both Houses of Congress. The os-
tensible motive for enacting 1.-THE
protection of officers of thu United
States army from vexatious suits for
damages in consequence of acts done