The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-11-07
COLUMBIA
Wee nesday Morning, Nov. Z, 1855
What the South Has to DO.

e.
cannot understand why the Southern
people, deprived rs they are of rep
resentation in Congress, dc not rush
into the arms of one or the other par
ties at the North, to help them in
their present condition, or to rescue
them from worse evils to come. The
State of Texas, the other day, in her
Congressional elections, gave u strill-
ing evidence of the feelings of the
people generally at the South-the
vote was extraordinarily small, and
tho people took no interest in the
matter, knowing that whoever might
be elected would have their trip to
Washington for nothing, or else to
receive the sneers and snubs Of the
radicals, for their Stiffness in thinking
they would be admitted into that
godly communion of saints, whose
high priest is trying to make :. bar
gain with his liege lord ana master
his satanic maiesty-to establish a
penitentiary in his neither dominions
for the express benefit of rebels.
AS with Texas, so will it be with
the whole South. The preliminary
work to their more active duties is,
for tie .SomAeo1e people to let Federal
politics alone. 1t is the province of
the press (and they will perform their
duty faithfully in the premises) to
keep their readers fully posted up ais
to the movements Of their avowed
political enemies and Of their profess
ing friends i'll the Northern States,
in all matters affecting their Interests.
AS to the obsolete term, political and
constitutional ''rights," the sooner
the Southern people forget it, the
better; it has been wiped out with a
bloody sponge, and it will never be
restored, we arc afraid, in our day
and generation. State rights, (once
glorious doctrine,) State gnty,
(the bulwark and strength of repub-
lcan liberty, and q strict adherence
to the Constitution, John c. Cal
houn's glorious and immortal motto,
have all been swept away by the bay
onet, the torch and the sword, and
expunged from our political lexicon,
as Meories;; their practical use, appli-
cation and benefit have fallen with
the 'lost cause,'' and, with it, must
sleep until right, justice and truth
shall again assert their sway in this
unfortunate and fanatic ridden conn
try.
The people Of the South have no.
thing left, of ali The principles their
fathers held dear, to enter again into
the field of political strife. They have
other work to do, however-more to
the purpose, more practical, and of
vastly greater Importance, than any
of the old political issues, were there
any Of them left to'squabble over.
And we believe it is n mercy that it is
SO, for if there were inducements to
enter national politics at present, the
work of recuperation would be de-
layed, and we would think more of
the success of our principles or party,
than of il good crop of corn or cotton.
1t is to these that the South must
now apply itself; her wheat crops
next spring, blessed by the Father of
all seasons, ought to be abundant;
her stock should be added to and i'm
proved; her ground, even on small
scale, thoroughly prepared for corn
and cotton; her fences repaired, and
her pastures we'll tenanted with
beevcs. Thee farm will require all
the attention of the Southern agri-
culturist. and leave him little time
for Federal politics, or for street
corner OF bar-room discussions over
dead issues or future political events.
Their sons, too, ought to be taken
from the haunts. of idleness, if not of
dissipation, and put to work in the
field, or some other place Of useful
ness about the old plantation; for a