The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-12-25
Our Best AdxIsers-ourselvcs.

| AS spectators, without the capacity
| to act, we have bcheld with much in
terest the combat which has taken
place between our friends and antag
onists at the North. We have per-
fcctly appreciated the fact that each
party differed as to the best use which
could be made OF the South. The
contest being over, one of our cham
pions advises that we accept the Con
stitutional amendment in block to
save ourselves from worse consc-
quences. Another recommends s'mas-
terly inactivity" and a ''watch and
watt policy.
Some of our radical guardians COM
plain that we do not abdicate the
parlor and take our place in the
| kitchen, while others are OF opinion
that we should be compelled to pro
duce more cotton Ne people was
ever so bles5 with advisers since the
day when the man of Uz scraped
himself with a potsherd, and was re-
commended to Course God and die"
We thank these advisers all the same,
| but prefer to exercise our own ludg-
ment Certainly, the advantage
heretofore derived from foreign coun-
sellors has not encouraged the abso-
Lutte surrender of our own discretion
in our own affairs It will have been
observed that the remedial system re-
commended to us has been wholly
| political. We have not observed any
remittance of men or money to build
up our dilapidated interests. The
remedy consists, as far as we can see,
| Il 10
change of trustees, the management
by Northern agency continuing the
same. Now. Why take oil the amend
mcnts if We should not like them? To
secure q representation and share of
Federal administration? Possibly we
do not set so high u value upon con-
tracts and officers as our advisers.
Perhaps some of the Southern States
would not pay the price Of acknow-
lodged infamy for either safety or
gain. Onr advisers are not in our
situation. They could do what they
recommend without sacrifice. Then
why adopt a phrase used to indicate a
party policy? In our situation mac
tivlty IS not masterly. The Sonth
needs action, enterprise, develop
ment. She has no time for star
gazing. She cannot wait like the
rustic Of Horace until the ''river shall
flow by
We have no censure, no complaint.
The things has happened to us, has
happened to Il thousand people, and
will happen, if the world lasts, to q
Thousand more We are conquered
badly conquered, and no mistake.
We must leave the decision with
those who have the power. We shall
neither improve the situation by
crawling to their foot-stool, and still
less by subsiding into poverty and
incidence We cannot break into
the Union with q crowbar, nor crawl
into 1T through L crevice. Let us go
to work in TIL field of usefulness
until we shall be called at the door,
In the good old Saxon fashion, to
''come into court" There will be
time for this proclamation. We can
not hasten it by subservience or con-
tumacy. Let US be what we have
proven ourselves-men, dignifed,
determined, and, above all, uncom-
planning.
In the meantime, we have enough
to do. We need the adaptation of
our whole social system to the great
revolution of labor and capital. We
need the exclusive devotion of all
Southern intellect and energy to
Southern interests
We were present, few evenings
since, at conference held by some
Southern gentlemen upon the best
thing to be done. There were at least
two generals present. We heard no
word of complaint, condemnation or
comment against the North. The
whole conversation was on education,
railroads, steamships, the cotton crop,
immigrant labor and cotton mills 1t
was a pleasant oblivion of all indi-
vidual troubles, to confer upon the
common welfare. 1t SO happened
that, though the hospitable entertain-
Ell set out refreshments, none of these
Southern counsellors drank liquor
When they separated, some one re-
marked: "Wcll, if the same men had
spent three hours together, six or
seven years ago, they would have rep
resented various parties in Federal
politics. Perhaps they could not
have been convened in the same room.
They would hove spoken on many
subjects, bat would not have discussed
the precise topics which occupied
them this evening, at all. They would