The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1867-04-23

led to the war, and said that after its
close, the North had no ill feeling for
the South. The South was submis-
sive. aud had the measures now
pending been adopted at it's close.
the South would have said the Go
vernment was just and liberal; but
when johnson assumed power, he
adopted a different policy, which has
brought on all this dissatisfaction.
Lincoln had prepared eight condi-
tlons Tor the pardon of the rebels, all
OF which met his (Wilson's 81 approval.
johnson prepared fourteen, which
were six too many. He (Wilson) had
never favored the $4,000 clause, for
he wanted the men of the South. ex-
cept few prominent leaders. to be
at liberty to go to work. The South
had complained of Congress violating
the Constitution, and vet upheld
Johnson In his violations of the Con-
sg1tlltuaon, in restoring the States.
The speaker was opposed to q black
mans party, or white man's party;
let all who favor human bondage 90
together, and oil who favor freedom
and progress go together. IF any
rebels had cast aside their delpsions.
let them come up and join the Re-
publican party.
Major j. Lee, State Senator from
Orange, replied to Wilson. He
charged the introduction of slavery
upon the North, and said Lincoln did
not Mt first intend to hberate the
slaves, and that the Southern people
were the blacks best friends.
Wilson replied that, in year, the
North would give the negro suffrage.
He said confiscation might follow. if
the reconstruction bill vas not &C
cepted.
The Legislature of Virginia has
passed law levying a tax of thirty
cents on the S100. to pay the four
per cent. annual interest on the pub
lie debt, as heretofore authorized.
Certificates will be issued for the de-
ferred two per cents. It has also
passed a law consolidating the four
leading railroads, connecting the
waters of the Ohio and Mississippi;
with the Atlantic, at Norfolk; also.
consolidating the Virginia Central
with the Covington and Ohio Rail-
road. The law provides that the in
terest the State owns in the roads
consolidated, amounting to over $14,-
600, 600, is to be sold, and payment
made on or before the 1st of Nav.
1868, in the bonds of the State at
par, There are, also, pending before
the Legislature, similar bills for the
sale of tho e1tire interest the State
owns in various railroads, amounting
in all to $21. 1000
Senator Wilson addressed a crowd
of about 5000 persons, from the
Capitol steps, this afternoon; nearly
all OF those present were colored,
though all classes of whites were rep
resented. He was introduced by
Gov. Pierpont After alludine to the
fact that he visited Richmond upon
invitation of several members of both
Houses of the Legislature, he pro-
ceeded to give history of the recon
struction bill He then recited events
since the close of the war, to show
that Johnson's policy was adopted
against the will of the nation, and
had caused more unhappiness than
the work of any other man in Ame-
rica. 1t again excited men who had
been more than willing to accept the
terms of Congress. The reconstruc-
ton bill was not passed to humiliate
the South, but to meet the needs of
the whole country. The question
now before the Southern States is
whether they will elect men to State
offices and Congress who favor an
honest acceptance of the policy of
the nation, or men who still mourn
over the 'lost cause" and who hope
something may turn up to overthrow
that policy and restore old ideas and
old measures. Patriotism demands
that the latter class Shall never more
be permitted to participate in the
management of the State or the Gen
eral Government. Tho apostacy of
Andrew Johnson had made Repub-
lican triumph at the next Presiden-
tial election certain. The speaker
wanted all classes of men-the CO.
lorcd, the white, the loyal, and those
who had abandoned the wicked
heresy of secession-to stand toge-
ther on the national platform of the
Republican party. AS for the colored
vote of Virginia, he had no fear of
its being controlled by the secession
lists. He appealed to the old Wings
of Virginia-the followers of Henry
Clay, who declared that slavery was
gricvous wrong, that no contin-