The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1866-10-31

W NcIc IOItCU W ItSOIG W Ncd l)OHS
more congcnial to their nature
fire and famine. The torch was
applied with an unsparing hand.
The mansion Of the rich the cot
tagc Of the poor peaceful villages ;
thriving cities even the Temples
of the most high God, fell before
this ruthless destroyer, leaving to
mark the spots where once they
stood, but ashes and blackcncd
ruins.
All the industrial rc@ourccs of
the South were wantonly Destroy
cd or stolen, and gaunt famine fol-
lowed in the footsteps Of the in
vadcrS. The men who had borne
without q murder every privation :;
who had faced death in 4 thousand
shapes without finching were not
proof against the cries which come
to them from homeless and starry
ING wives and children. They laid
down their arms, which they had
crowned with eternal lustrc, and
they accepted the terms offered to
them by the North. What were
these terms ? Throughout the
whole war the North declared in
the most solemn and authoritative
manner that she fought solely to
re-cstablish the Union to bring
back to one fold all the States, and
to give to all equal rights and
equal liberty. This was the con-
slant declaration e. Mr.. Lincoln.
Mr.. Seward not only announced
the same principle, but he declared
that whatever might be the result
of the war, not only would all the
rights Of the Southern States be
preserved. but that all their insti-
tutions would be intact. The con-
grcss Of the United States in a
resolution, passed | think mani-
mouslv, and never rci-~9te0, am
noUnccd the object and the sole
object Of the war to be the rcStOr-
alton Of the Union. under the su-
premacy Of the Constitution. The
very powers under which we laid
down our arms, promised the pro
lection Of the Government and
gave the assurance that we should
not be intcrfercd with, so long as
we obcyed the laws Of the States,
wherein we resided. These dGcla-
rations were made not only to the
South. but to foreign nations and
the South was assured that she had
but to acknowledge the supremacy
Of the National Government to be
received into the Union, as equal
Of the great family Of
with all her rights and Ill
her privileges unimpaircd.
These were the terms upon
which the South capituIatcd. On
her part she was to cease war-to
renew her allegiance tothe Nation
al Government, and to express her
loyalty to the Constitution of the
United States. On the part Gfthe
North there was to be amnesty
for the pasta recognition OF the
States as equal members
Of the UniOn-and 4 solemn pledge
that all their rights should be held
sacred. This was the construction
placed by the South upon the cov-
enant entered into, and it is the
only fair and honest construction
it will admit of. How have the
parties to this covenant fultiIls
their obligations ? | have SafN
that the South has performed
hers with the most perfect faith.
Let me prove the assertion. She
was to cease war. When our COM
officers signed tho Con-
vcntions which put stop to the
war, every soldier Of the Confed-
cracy, from the Potomac to the
Rio Grande, laid down his arms
andrcturncd to his home, or to
the spot where his home had been.
The next condition Of the terms
from the South, a renew
al Of her allegiance to the General
Government. In every Southern
State, the people by their Conven-
tions, their Legislatures, and in
dividualIy, conformcd promptly to
this condition. Loyalty to the
Constitution ofthc United States
was cxactcd, as the only other ar
ticlc of the terms required Of the
South. | assert that she has full
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