The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-10-16
COLUMBIA.
Tuesday Morning, October 16, 1865,
The Position OF the sou,n.


1t is lamentably true, that although
the Southern States are deprived of
any opportunity of engaging in the
discussion of Federal politics, they
must be interested observers of all
that occurs at the North in relation
to these matters. Their fate, as well
AS that of the whole country, is now
in the balance, and they watch the
result with proper deep felt interest.
Our cotemporary of the New Orleans
Crescent says that the vindictiveness
of the sectional feeling has subjected
them to the injustice of being tempo
rarilv elected from the Congressional
councils.
It is true their voice is no longer
heard in the legislative halls of the
Capitol, but in common with every
other section, they have a representa-
tive in the Chief Executive of the
country. Mere spectators of the con-
test, in which their own interests and
the welfare of the country are so
deeply involved, they can only give
expressions of their regret at the mad
passions of the hour and applaud the
herculean efforts of the Chief Magis-
trate to stem the wild current of fa-
naticism, and preserve to the people
of the whole country some remains
of that liberty which it cost SO much
to acquire, and which has been. the
boast of so many generations.
Our contemporary reviews the past
history of the country, and says,
very appropriately and very Justly,
that since Mr.. Lincoln defied the
mandate of the Chief Justice and
placed himself above the Constitu.
ton, individual will has asserted it's
supremacy over the wishes of whole
people as expressed in the fundamen-
tai law which was established for the
guidance of all. supposed military
necessity, which regards rather the
comfort, or the supremacy of an in
dlvldual, hns too often superseded
the more just ideas of public welfare
as expressed in the supreme law of
the land. The voice of justice has
been often silenced by the roll of the
drum, and the mandate, even of the
Chief Justice, has ceased to command
respect even from the junior lieute-
nants and the rank and file of colored
regiments. But while the ambition
of faction thus openly disregards the
restraints which the Constitution has
imposed upon power as protection
to the rights of the citizen, the same
spirit of revolution which has sapped
the foundations of State authority
under the Constitution, in one sec
ton, is actively employed in melting
other State authorities to defiance of
the general law Radicalism is or
ganizing throughout the North armed
lnsurrectlon against the General Go
vernment, as means of forcibly sub
verting q Constitution which they
have not the means Of legitimately
changing. The legitimate executive
of the country will not be tool in
their hands to oyerwhein, the countrv
under the ruins of Republican go
vernment. He asserts and persists
in maintaining the rights of the peo-
pie. He labors to vindicate the Con-
stltutlon and to maintain it in its
purity. He is, therefore, an obstacle
in the way O. the revolution-but an
obstacle which the revolutionists
seem resolved to remove.
This seems to be the situation. It
is surrounded by clouds Of porten-
tlous blackness. The liberties of the
whole people are at stake-but the
Northern people, only, are the actors
in this great drama. Let us hope
that moderate counsels may prevail
the land, and that the
dark clouds which now bear so omi-
nous a. aspect may disappear, with
out bursting in storm which would
threaten with destruction the very