The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-06-24
CHI ARIES ON
MONDAY MORNING, JUNE "a, 1867.

=. MONDAY MORNING, JUNE "a, 1867. {.
: JOB WoRK.-We have now completed our
Office SO as to execute, in the shortest possible
time, ALL KINDS OF JOB WORK, and we
most respectfully ask the patronage Of our
friends.
RECONSTRUCTION AND 8s 1RERcuR1.
Since the passage of thedIeGSaBt Btruction Act,
in all that VIC have said, we have desired to
avoid, and we think we have avoided, o tone OF
controversy. We have expressed, clearly and
frankly, our. opinions, and there we have
stopped. However earnest our convictions,
we have respected the convictions and preJu-
diees of others, and have always felt and been
ready to recognize that on such o question
men might differ from us widely, the honesty
of whose opinions we were bound to respect.
We feel, also, that in our condition n nothing
could be 30 unfortunate or sCuseless as q con-
troversy which should excite angry contention
and prevent common action by an idle dispute
as to the various motives which might induce
this. action. We think 30 still, and therefore
we reply to the commenting of the Mercury OF
Saturday, upon the course Of this paper. We
shall not be provoked into dispute. But it
is due to ourselves to state distinctly what we
intended to say, whatwe have said, and what,
with all the facts before US, we are willing to
repeat. wemight meet with special criticism
the charges Of the Aercary, but we prefer very
much TO deal with the main issue, for to that
only can any real public Importance attach.
We assume that the President intends to act
upon the. opinion of the Attorney-General,
which has been officially published. If he does
Motif this opinion has been published simply
to inform the South that the action of the mill
taryl commanders is illegal and oppressive, but
that. the Executive, to whom, they are respon
sible, thinks that his duty is discharged by
expressing his opinion, and that we must take
the responsibility of acting on it, then we are
willing to leave the condemnation Of such an
act OF criminal folly to the Mercury itself. We
have, NO. doubt of. the sentence it would pro-
noupee.aoYol 3'ul1;.. :l.;,s ~ r-4 ,..,,:ia,
I'VE take il, therefore, for granted, and the
telegraphic report of the late most extraor-
binary Cabinet session, confirms us, that the
President intends to act upon the Attorney
Generals opinion, to reverse the illegal acts Of
the military commanders to check the further
development of their usurped authority, and to
confine them within the legitimate bounds of
that power conferred by the Act itself, as inter
ipfeted by the Attorney-General d ,''
/ This course of conduct we think injudicious
in nitself-unjust to the military commanders
and in it's consequences most disastrous to US.
After two years IF bitter and prolonged CON
test upon his scheme Of reconstruction. the
President failed either to convince or control
Congress, and his plan was rejected. In the
place Of it and as the expression of the will Of
those, who opposed him, the Reconstruction Act
was passsa--psssed by o constitutional msjori-
'ty and became law over his veto. Then was
the time for the President to determine what
he would do--whether he would refuse to exc
cute q low unconstitutional, unjust and oppres-
siye, and appeal to the country to support him
or whether he would recognize the power Of
Congress to control his will, admit the force of
the law passed without. his approval and as the
executive Of the nation, execute the. law repug-
nant us It might be to his individual eonvic-
tions. After mature deliberation he decided
upon. the latter course. He declared that ne
would execute the olaw; as far as lay in his
power he did execute it. He selected FIVE Of
'fcerss in whom either he confded himself or
who would, he believed, be trusted by those
who had passed the law over him. He has al
lowed these officers to administer this law for
months according to their Interpretation; he
has allowed the Northern people TO believe that
he accepted the law rs these commanders in
terpreted 1t, and as no one doubts that the
Northern people themselves Understood it. He
allowed the. Southern people to believe
that their only hope Of speedy restoration
to the Union was in their obedience to this
law. The consequence Of this action is within
every iman's' knowledge. The whole country
assumed, with the exception of q few extreme
politicians, that the mode, ofreconrtruction was
settled the Act went into active operation;
many ofisits provisions were executed, and
nobody anticipated any difficulty in the execu-
ten of such Of its provisions as remain to be
and great portion Of the time to
elapse before it's completion Ind passed quietly
Suddenly; to change this condition Of things
to provoke again the irritation which Ind just
heen allsyed on one side and to rekindle the
suspicion which existed on the other-to make
The North believe that the terms which it i'm
posed would, not be enforced, and the South
that, the terms which were: required need not
to be performed; to renderidle all that had been
accomplished; to furnish d motive for renewed
agitation on the part of extreme Radicals, and
to render q July session of Congress absolutely
necessary to explain its own act in the interest
off either secticn, is, in our opinion, most in
judioious policy. Does the Mercury think it
wise : ... -. ~. .,....e... i..-.. .-...-...
Next it is unjust to the commanders True,
that we have no special interest in them. With
their great honor, they took the heavy respon-
sibilities, and if the latter prove greater than
the former, it is their concern, not ours. But
it is of Importance to US that whatever action
the President takes in our interest, should not
be of that sort which makes Of these command
ers, martyrs to their vindioatiOn of the nation
oil will. Now when the aot WAS passed, the