The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-04-04
The Progress of Reconstruction IN South
Carolina

CaTOllnae
The progress of reconstruction in South Caro-
lima, unless interfered with by the President,
promises to be rapid and satisfactory. We
published, a day or two since, copious ex-
tracts from the great speech of General
Wade Hampton to the freedmen of Columbia,
in which, while he tried to array them against
the North, he went to the very extreme in
promising them the fullest civil and political
equality at home. We may say in passing,
that the Generals denunciation of Northern
prejudice against the negro, as once shown ia
the refusal to allow them to ride in the street
cars in Philadelphia seems to have set the
blacks of Charleston to thinking whether a
similar exclusion there is exactly consonant
with. .Hamptons s.nlw code of political and socia
morality. On the strength of Hampton's
speech, they very properly claim the right of
riding in the street cars in Charleston.
In addition to Hampton's speech, we now
have an elaborate argument from Governor
Orr in favor of the Congressional plan of recon-
struction. Governor Orr has been among the
most lberal-minded men of the South upon
this great subject. Before the passage of the
Reconstruction bill, he had drawn down upon
himself the maledictions of the "Hotspurs" by
addressing an assemblage of colored people,
and declaring himself in favor of extending
the suffrage to those among them who could
read and write. He had also, at public
dinner, told the old-time chivalry of Charleston
some plain though unpalatable truths in
regard to their treatment of Northern people,
and its inevitable effect upon their own mate
rial prosperity. Charleston, he told them,
had lost the investment of at least forty mil
lions of dollars of Northern capital by the
foolish and fanatical action of her would-be
aristOcrats who thought themselves too good
to associate with Northern people, or to treat
them in a kind and respectful manner. This
speech gave great ofense to that class who
think that one Southerner can whip five
Yankees.
Governor Orr was, therefore, in condition
of mind very favorable to taking hold of this
reconstruction movement in good faith. We
have no doubt he will be found an efficient
helper of Gen. sickles in carrying out the law.
General Sickles, too, is moving promptly
and discreetly in the matter. His order sus-
pending all elections under the present Pro-
visional Government of South Carolina is an
Important step. 1t is an essential feature of
the reconstruction plan that these provisional
governments shall be superseded at as early
day as possible. If no new elections are held,
the old officers will soon go out by the expira-
tion of their terms of Office, when their places
can be supplied, so far as may be necessary,
by the Commanding General Thus, in a
short time, the provisional governments will
have ceased to exist, and the military gov
ernments, including the civil officers holding
by their appointment, will constitute the
de facto governments until superseded by
popular governments framed in accordance
with the provisions of the Reconstruction law.
We shall watch matters in South Carolina
with great interest; and we have no doubt of
an auspicious result if the progress of the
work is not interfered with from without