The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-04-06
Paralyzing the Radicals.

Paralyzing the Radicals.
We extract the following para
graphs from an article in the New
York Ne,os, advising the President as
to the best way to paralyze the radi-
calls. Since the article was written,
the President has began the good
work, which we trust will be speedily
completed, Us far as he can complete,
by the pracllas...ii alton of general am
nesty. Such q proclamation would
be the crowning act of his course:
The Southern people, in the con-
fiict pending between the Executive
and what there is of National Legis-
lature, are the natural allies of the
former. Their sympathies are with
the President, their convictions en-
dorse his policy, and their interests
demand its triumph. The radicals,
on the contrary, represent all that
remains in popular sentiment of hos
tility toward the South. The dema-
gogues in Congress, who are using
oil their partisan resources to cultivate
discord and contention between the
sections, are aware that there is no
possibility of their ever obtaining any
political influence in the South, ex-
cept by arming the black population
with political weapons, and making
them the servants Of their party will.
There is more boldness than sagacity
exhibited in the conception Of the
radical programme. F'Their schemes
are glass, the very sun shines through
them" But they are not the less
dangerous. They are habituated to
the exercise of power and so familiar
with usurpation that they push right
onward to their goal without regard
to constitutional obligations, legal
obstacles or public interests. Mr..
johnson understands them well. He
knows them to be unscrupulous,
treacherous, selfish and merciless to-
ward those who stand in the way of
their aspiration. He knows that they
will bring to bear every engine Of
partisan warfare they can control,
and that he, as the most conspicuous
and powerful object of their enmity,
can expect at their hands not even a
fair and manly antagonism He must
crush them or be crushed.
Knowing this, and conscious of vi
tai Importance to the republic of the
successful operation Of his plan
OF restoration, Mr.. johnson is
neither just to himself or to his coun-
try in Withholding from his cause
any of the elements of its strength.
The Southern people are his allies.
They are eager to strike o blow
in his behalf. He has said that
they have his confidence and even
if he doubted the sincerity of their
professions of faith to his admin
istration, he knows he can trust
their instincts Of self preservation
for his cause is theirs, and the re-
demption of their land from poverty
and political nonentity depends upon
the issue of this struggle Why,
then, at this crisis of the conflict,
does he leave those allies unarmed,
defenceless, worse than useless in
their political emancipation? He has
the power to bring them into the field
weaponed with all the rights and
privileges of American citizenship
He has the power to strike from the
Congressional vocabulary, as applied
to the South, that term ''disloyalty, "
that the radicals use necessarily in
in default of any other pretext for
persecution. It is within the scope
of his authority to discharge the
Southern people, one Sand all, from
oil liability to the penalties of treason
for their participation in the move
ment of secession. He can relieve
them from the ban OF outiawry, and
recreate them the political equals of
the radicals who make their preten-
sions to '1oyalty' cover to disunion
intrigues. A few strokes of the Execu-
tive pen can transform the Southern
people into efficient champions of
live Executive policy. It can make
|si5 3 Ra1can citizens in fact, as
= !. !. | !: !:
s. ional amnesty is
~ preroga-
: Z ! IS ftion.
cr,o 70