The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-04-11
The Chief Argument Of the Passivista.
The following very excellent editorial ne take

The Chief Argument of the Passtv1std.
The following very excellent editorial we take
from the Richmond Whig OF Tuesday:
There are those who have such superb pride and
such heroic nonchalance that they will consent to
do nothing that is required Of them. They solace
themselves and beguile others with the delu; on
that TO stand still and await events is the sre
remedy for our situation. They justify tleir
course by asking what guarantee we have tha;' il
we comply with the demands Of Congress We shall
be restored to our proper posltlen In the Union
This question is their big gun, and when they fire
tory AS the issue depends upon the future, and
is executory, rather than executed, they think
their argument irresistible. They delight in say
ing, eve cannot trust any pledge the Republicans
make, and the great probability is that when we
triously piled by many, and has exerted much in
fuence. We propose 10 examine it briefly.
Why cannot we trust the pledge Of Congress,
solemnly, given in the face Of the world? The an
trolls the Congress, and is in fact, the Congress,
has 81 often deceived us. Great and per1icious as
have been the excesses Of the dominant party. we
deny that they have deceived us. From the close
Of the war up to t thus Tune tney nave
fessions of love and brotherhood. Our complaint
has been that they always spoke Ill of us and acted
harshly toward! us. We have proclaimed to the
world, time after time that it was their insults,
abuse and persecution that postponed the revival
of Southern loyalty and delayed the subsistence OF
sectional animosity. They have never courted us,
nor sought to entice us by fair promises.
They have never for q moment turned their
amiable side toward us, if they have one. Their
always full Of wrath, and their actions always
harsh They have net deceived us. On the con-
trary, they have been tluntly frank and barbarous
ly honest. They said that we should not be
TI,,sn &1on Cny,43o
plan, and they have kept their word. They said
that we should be punished, that our leaders
should be disfranchised, and that negro suffrage
should be fixed upon us. Here, also, they have
kept their word. They did not promise softly, and
perform harshly. Their words and their acts have
been in strict accord.
On this subject of deception, the dominant party
may well and truthfuy retort if they choose, that
the South has been deceived, egregiously and ca
lamitously. not by them, but by the Democratic
the war, they (the Democrats] have deceived us.
They possibly wanted to do what they promised,
but they failed to do it, Those who are prolific in
promises, but sterile i'll performance are those to
be distrusted, no mattor how kindly their feelings
False friends are more to be summed than open
enemies. However. it is neither our object to as
sail nor defend Northern parties, but to answer the
argument Of the passivists. We think we have
answered it, and we demand, in justice to the DOM
inant party, from a tender regard for the weu-be-
Ing OF GnC DOutu, Gldb we Sudu> LII Guls ulnGduGe,
trust that party, and do what they require. They
will accomplish their purpose, whether we trust
them or not and if they do against our efforts, Ell
ther active passivet will be all the worse for us.
They PROMISE if we will second them, and complyin
good faith with their conditions IS laid down in
the Military Bill, that we shall be restored to the
Union. 70 this Congress has pledged the good
faith of the nation in the face OF the world This
is the first promtse made to us by the Radical Con-
gress. We have seen how faithful it has been in
executing it's threats let US now see If it Will not
be a faithful in observing the only promise it has
made us In conclusion. with the declaration
from the lips OF the prominent Republican leaders
that the refusal Of the Southern people to accept
the situation, and to comply with the condition
offered, will be regarded as renewal of The re-
bellion." and will be punished accordingly, we
would ask the passivists what they have to expect
GUS, GUS as policy, fof eight millions Of people with
| their women and childrenP Shall they risk their
safety, happiness aid means. of living just to
crafty proud whim or feeling Of blind spite