The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-08-30
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k15Er01& EHc&HIxs u hAfS-t
great National Conventfon IS one ofl
In anomalous character. 10 fax as a.
bears upoa- the States of the South.
You are aware how strenuonslynearay
every paper in the State urged repre-
sentation in that body. But what is
the sequel? When the proceedings
of the Convention arrived South, I
observed that, almost without excep-
ton, every paper which had advo-
Gated going to Philadelphia, in COM
menting upon those proceedings.
took exception to SO much of them as
seemed to-; and did, bear unfavorebly
upon the dignity of the South. 500
delegates from the South attended,
and not one dissenting voice among
them all was found. Their own con-
stituents-those who sent them there
have objected moro or less indig-
nantly to their action in the Conven-
ton. What is the consequence?
They have repudiated that very part
Of the decision and action Of the
Convention, which WAS designed as
Ae peculiar influence to control the
elections in the North this fall. Thus
have they Diluted the action of the
Convention, and renanded them
selves to the very position they held
before the Convention met. They
thus virtually leave their Northern
friends just where they were before
the Convention met. They have put
their hands to the piow and looked
backward, and hence will not be
regarded worthy of confidence by the
North. Do you ask how have they
done oil this? I answer:
The whole address and declaration
of principles, representing and ema-
mating from the unanimous voice of
the Convention, have been sifted, and
only SO much endorsed as was thought
not to compromise the self-respect of
the South. This is as if the South
should now say: eyes, we unite with
the conservatives of the North, for
the restoration of the Union;'' but.
Now. to put ''buts" and s'ifs" to n
sanction of the action of the Con-
vention, is adding conditions prece-
dent to united action with the North,
gfaer an official declaration of what
those conditions shall be. This has
been done by the press South, as far
as have been able to observe it's
comments upon the proceedings of
the Convention. find the Colum-
biz, Richmond, Charleston and Mem
phis papers, and the press generally
throughout the South, objecting, and
many of them ridiculing the action of
the Southern delegates in the Ma
tional Convention. And, I see that
Forney's paper is copying these COM
ments, to prove therefrom that the
whole South repudiates the conces-
sions made by those delegates.
was of those who from the first
opposed the entrance of the South
into the Philadelphia Convention.
because believed that the very basis
of the call for that Convention cnl
braced doctrines and dogmas that
the South must yield to by her very
acceptance Of the invitation to meet
the North there. But when the Con-
vention 4 d meet, and issued its over
lures, 4 roice Of objection arose
from those srlo opposed the ,chole Ming,
unta Me enthusiastic friends Of the Con-
re'atiom from its beginning raised o6jec-
tons. l felt that if q bad bargain
had, indeed, been struck, it would
be time enough to discover it. I be-
lieved that the issue made by the
Convention. on the part Of the con-
servatives, with the radicals, would
not be decided until the end of the
fall elections; and therefore that good
policy demanded an acquiI Scence on
the part of the whole South in the
declarations of the Convention, even
though there was much that was pc
culiarly distastcful to us of the South.
AS much as respect the talents of
our Governor, and the high positions
which he has held, and the one he
now holds, I believed, and so an
nounced, that it was unfortunate he
was placed so prominently in the fore
ground of the opening of the scheme
to hold convention. regret it the
more now, because, as our Governor,
it has brought upon him ridicule from
his own friends who sent him there.
And those friends have shown by
their objections to the measures he
voted for, that they, too, think there
is much that is distastefuI and humi-
iating in the proceedings of the Con-
vention.
If, then, the Convention prove n
failure, upon whom will the fault lay?