The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-03-04
The Truth.

AT q recent meeting OF the stUnlted
Service Society,"" Col. w. S. Hillyer,
formerly on Gen. Grants staff, deli
vered an address on the state of the
country. He spoke truthfully Of the
South and her people. We make
room for the following extracts:
Andrew johnson took up the work
where Abraham Lincoln left it. With
the same plan and purpose, aided by
the same Cabinet counsellors, and by
that more intimate knowledge which
he possessed of the motives and cha
racter of the Southern people, he
finished and announced to the coun-
try the plan of restoration. The peo-
pie of the loyal States accepted it
with a ready and enthusiastic ap-
proval. The people of the rebel
States considered it with caution and
deliberation. After due deliberation,
amid their desolated homes, with
heavy hearts and crushed pride, they
accepted it in good faith, and have
performed their part honestly and
manfully. [ speak whereof [ know
[ have lately returned from visit to
the South. / traversed large portions
of Tennessee, Mississippi and Ala
bama: I met men from Georgia,
Florida and Louisiana. I talked with
people of these States of all condi-
tions. I talked with men from the
North who have settled there since
the war. I talked with Federal
officers and employees Of the Treasury
Department. I talked with black
men as well as white men-with
women and children. I attended
their churches and theatres. I read
their newspapers. went, whenever
I had the opportunity, into their
social circles. listened to conversa-
tions on their street corners I was
determined to know how that people
felt, and what they intended. My
observation taught me that the South
ern people have very little love but q
great deal of respect for the Yankees.
AS long as the new-made graves are
unsodded-as long as there are empty
chairs in every household, suggesting
the occupants of those graves-we
cannot expect that they will be in
clined to kiss the hand that has
smitten them. But the manhood
essential to the success Of even supe-
rior numbers, and which thwarted
them on so many battle-fields, raised
the Yankee character in their estima-
ton far above what it was before the
war. Whatever may be said of the
South, it must be admitted that they
are brave people. To deny it, is
to rob our heroes of all that made
them heroes. Brave men, under
most circumstances, respect each
other and trust each other. Grant
and Sherman, to-day, would place
the most implicit reliance upon the
plighted word of Lee or Johnston.
It is only necessary to cultivate re-
spect and confidence. Kindly feel
ing will soon follow. Ny observation
taught me, next, that the people of
the South accept the result of the
war as the full and final determine
ton of the question of the right of
State to secede. Most of the original
secessionist of the South are to-day
earnest and jealous loyalists
l do not think there is an intelli-
gent man in the South to-day who
believes that the right of secession
Will ever again DC Ill open OF Q1SpuLed
question. My observation taught
me further, that the people of the
South regard slavery as dead beyond
the possibility OF revival The sug-
gestion SO industriously CIRCULATED in
the North that the people Of the
South are looking forward to the
time when they can re-establish
slavery, is false as false can be, and
without the shadow of foundation. T
put the question to almost every man
/ talked with in the South, 'Do you
have any idea that slavery in any
form will ever again be recognized
institution among you?" The an
swer was universally and emphati-
cally in the negative. Gov. McRea,
of Mississippi, who has been mem
Der Of both the Federal and Confede-
rate Legislatures, an original seces-
sionist, and the father OF that
infamous scheme, broached some
years ago, to reopen the African slave
trade, told me that the people of the
South not only did not expect that
slavery would be established, but