The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-07-20

most Respectfully ash 'no PoHon"S0 Va o1A
friends
THE HON. HERsCHEL ". JOHNsON's
LETTER.
A number of gentlemen in Atlanta asked
the Hon. H. v. JOHNSON, for his "views on
the duties of the hour" These he gives in a
letter published in the Atlanta Lntelhgsncer.
He sets out by saying that the whites, in Geor-
gia, are largely in the ascendant, and if they
would be firm and united, they could defeat
the nefarious scheme for their ruin and hui
initiation. "We are advised to accept the
SHERMAN bill, or Congress will adopt more
grinding measure, and anon, thousands of the
timid are ready to offer their arms to receive
the letters; to accept it, or Congress will con-
fiscate our property, and anon, thousands, who
love money more than free government, are
willing to bend their necks to the ignominious
yoke; to accept it, or we will not be allowed
representation in Congress, and anon, Office
mongers are ready to drink the hemlock."
Mr.. JOHNSON is profuse in his allusion to
the classics throughout his letter. He says
further on, "generally the true men of the
South have little to confscate, and that little
they are willing to surrender, if need be, as
a holocaust upon the smoking altar Of their
country" Again: "Let all register and
WELD their ballot to save the State from ut
ter ruin and degradation. This is the club of
HERCULES, by which we can, if united and
true to ourselves, crush this horrid Hydra
that basks in and fattens upon the slime Of the
Lernean lake of radical corruption" Again,
"They" 1.-THE people of the North, who Mr..
JOHNSON thinks, will soon join the South, if
the latter holds out against Congress- "may
cleanse the Augean stable, purge the statute
books, and restore the administration t. its
ancient landmarks. If not, nothing will be
left us but acquiesence in the sad necessity
of our condition. Then, and not till then,
may be inscribed upon the tomb of constitu-
tional liberty, sIhum t,at.'
Mr.. JOHNSON is not as charitable in his
structures upon the conduct Of those who hold
different views from his, as he is classical
We have seen what he says Of those, who, ac-
eording to his opinion, take counsel Of their
fear Further on he says; "Little property
is left to the true meE of the South. AS gene
raj remark, such men have emerged from the
war with nothing left but poverty and patrio-
tism. There are those who were blatant for
secession in the beginning, who denounced
speculation and spectators, whilst they en-
riched themselves by speculation, and who are
now willing to bend the supple hinges Of the
knee that thrift may follow fawning. They
may have something to loose by con6scation !;
and if they can save it by recreancy to their
homes and hearthstones; by abandoning those
whom they led into secession, by becoming
false to their race, and by playing the part
of pall-bearers at the funeral of the Constitu-
ton, be it 3d."
Here we have it in few words! There is
no patriotism, no virtue, no honesty, save in
the ranks of "passivism." The lovers Of
their country must sit still, fold their hands,
and wait for that "returning sense Of JUS
tice of the people of the North and West, of
which we have heard so much during the past
seven years. To take different view, to e1-
anime the situation and accept facts, to comply
with the requirements Of the conqueror, in or
der to contribute to speedy and peaceful
solution of the pending difficulties, and restore
us to our former place in the Union, is stigma
tized as "bowing the knee to BAAL."
In proof of the correctness Of his position,
he gives q resume of the SHERMAN Reconstruc-
tion Act, item by item, and shows, to his own
and perhaps to the satisfaction of
those whom he addresses, that in nearly every
provision this Act is - unconstitutional!
Here is the fallacy of the whole argument.
The premise is not conceded by those who have
the power to decide authoritatively in such
questions; hence the conclusion falls to the
ground. If Mr.. JoHNsoN's argument is to
avail anything, he must first show that the
people of the South are still in the enjoyment
of their constitutional rights; that they have
done nothing to forfeit those rights. This, we
know, Mr. JOHNSON, and all who think with
him, are prepared to prove to their own entire
satisfaction. But they are mere advocates.
The Judge has decided against them. This has
been repeatedly demonstrated in the Congress
sional legislation of the past two years. The
President vetoed the Civil Rights Bill and the
Freedman's Bureau Bill, entered his protest to
the HOWARD Constitutional Amendment, vetoed
the SHERMAN Military Reconstruction Act, then
the Supplemental Bill of March %, and is at
this time preparing his reasons for vetoing the
second Supplemental Bill passed last week
All his objections have been taken upon con-
stitutional grounds, but have in every instance
been overruled by the majority in Congress,
who represent the will of the people of the
North, who unquestionably hold the power Of
the Government The Supreme Court, also,
the last resort in case of disagreement between
the Legislative and the Executive Departments
of the Government, has declined to take direct
cognizance of the questions brought before it
involving an examination of the legislation of
Congress.
A Constitution, after all, is nothing more
than q compact between two or more parties,
which is binding only so long as both parties
consent to act in accordance with its stipula-
tions, or in default of such continued voluntary
obedience, only so long as there is power in
the last resort 10 enforce compliance. The
Southern States having seeded, and re-
sisted by war all attempts to bring them back
into the Union, it is held by the North that they
broke the compact, and therefore upon their
forced return, forfeit the rights that had been
guaranteed to them by the Constitution
Whether this course and opinion are in accord
ance with the sentiments declared by Mr.. LIN
COLIN, and by the Congress of the United