Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1867-09-07

10 pear IN mlnd some OF the lost opportunities
thrown away by the leaders who luyo hereto
fore controlled the politics of the South -
Maintaining N always either the attitude of de
lance, or OF untagonism, or of reserve, th,
Southern leaders have neither offered or ac
cepted any possible basis of accommodation anC
adjustment. Fair terms, repeatedly rendered
by tie United States, have been as often re
fused Z
On tho 4th Of March, 1861, President
Lincoln in his inaugural address offered at
amendment to tho constitution guaranteeing
slavery forever in the States where it then cx.
listed. tle demanded only that The South
should relinquish the prctensiou that slavery
must be recognized aud protected by Congress
in territory under tho exclusive jurisdiction
OF tho Federal government. Lincoln's mag.
nanlmons offer was treated with disclain. -
South Carolina declared war and began hos
tilitcs.
In lS62, President Lincoln proposed MS
the basis of settlement, scheme of gradual
emancipation, with compensation
In Septeuber, 1862 one hundred DAYS
were given to those in arms against tho gov
ernment to deliberate and choose between
peace, returning all their slaves and their noll
| tical rights intact--or war followed by cnian.
clp ton, and the loss of all political rights.
Unhnpply, tho latter alternative was chosen.
On the lst of January, 1863, emancipation
was proclaimed
| In 1861, President Lincoln invited ncro.
| tiations for peace Oh the basis OF restoration
of political rights, aud liberal measure of
compensation for cmancipatcd slaves Nego-
tiations upon the proposed basis we're declined
! by the enemy.
In 1868, at the conference Of Fortrcs Mon
roe, President Lincoln renewed overturcs for
peace, and they were again refused
In 1860, after the surrender. President
johnson invited the constituencies included
within the provisional governments he had es-
tabished, to send eligible representatives to
Congress. Representatives were, indeed, cho-
sen /; but not one in ten could take the oath
of office prescribed by Congress for members,
and thereby representation was lost
In 1866, Congress, in all amendment to the
constitution, proposed terms of scttlemcntud
iusting the busis of future representation, i'm
posing disqualification for Office upon certain
pc,Snu VINO haa horne arms against the iinI-
ted States, md granting by iplicu,lUua gen
cral amnesty to all others. This a.ncnamcut,
adopted by nearly all the states in the Union,
was not accepted as a settlement by any of the
rebel States except Tennessee, and thereupon
, Tennessee was promptly restored to the Union,
with all hcr ancient rights and dignity uum.
paired.
During 1865 &C, riots, tumults, ARRAYS, and
| a long catalogue of cruel and unproyokcd out
RACES upon Union soldiers, loyal refugees. and
blacks, made it plain to all that military gov.
crnmcnt must be continued from the Puto-
mac to the Rio Grande until, by enfrarchis-
ing the blacks, they should possess sufficient
share Of political power to command respect
| and security for their own civil rights, and re.
| inforcc the loyal white element of Southern
population
In March and July, 1867, Congress by the
| Reconstruction acts rcaflirmcd and continued
military rule over the conquered territory
prescribing however, certain limitations and
| regulations in restraint of martial law and
at the same tine rendered to the inhabitants
the privilege and the means by which a ma
l'jority in any one of the rebel States might
| organize q legal government and be readmt.
ted to the Union
| Now, the question for the South is, whcth-
er to reject this last opportunity and thereby
challenge Congress to it's worst, or, by acccp-
ting in good faith the proffcrcd terms, put an
end to seven years Of strife, save what is left,
and rcguin at least, if not political power, a
large measure Of political rights
The fruits of tho policy of tho past seven
! years are seen in, tho contrast between the
terms of settlement offered by President
Lincoln on the 4th of March, 1861, in his
first inaueuratcd address, and the tcrms now
profercdby Congress in the act of July, 1867
If lincoln's peace offering had been accepted
the wealth, prosperity and power of the South
would have remained uninlpnircd, and all the
sacrifices of long war saved
Acquescencc now, in the measure proyi.
ded by Congress to restore tranquility and es
tablish legal State governments in the con.
queied territory, is an obligation resting upon
all who have taken tho oath of allegiance and
received the amnesty, For at most it can on
ly be said that the measures of Congress i'm.
pose on the vanquished the institutions of the
victors. And if it be true that antagonist.
cal institutions made us enemies in war;
then without homogeneous institutions W may
not, even in peace, be friends.
I 1t may be assumed that no disability will
be removed from those who resist, oppose, OF
discourage reconstruction. Tn every State
whore the terms offered by Congress shall be
rejected, it is plain that thenceforth political
power will bo altogether and finally romitted
tothe hands of those who have been over 10y
al to tho Union. BY the rejection of the
terms of reconciliation now offered, the pro,
moters Of discord will soonor or later find
themselves without possessions, without fran,