The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1867-08-28

> ~.
ssase Ry THes. T. q z. b. GREEEKER, "a
- TERMS, Go PER ANNUM, IN CURRENCY
80 20. OR PROVISIONS. -. -
~ Psymentrequired invariably in advance.
vss::e3..,-.., -: Forthe New6ery Herald.
MEssRs. EplToRs AS my name
has been brought forward some-
{, what. prominently in eonnexion
with the ssse-ealIed''> s'nion- Re
sapubl Convention at Colum-
bia; aa explanation may be. due
those who do not understand my
position: T .I.therefere ask you to
allow me q little Of your spaee..
g II presume: those who. are in
formed as.to my peitieal views at
= ALL know that1 have been OPP
posed to secession since before the
- war began: fhad been abroad for
8 considerable period, and had had
broader view Of the questions at
: : iissne. or at least had been able to
Sview them ina different light. l
81 had come to consider our peculiar
esinstitution, 'sa as not in accordance
with the enlightened sentiment at
1.-The ace, that It would have. erelong
te Weld to the spirit Of civifiza-
ton, and that resistance would
only hasten it's DOOM I did not
believe ia the constitutional right,
szsofsecassion.7 Aud Twas Convinced
that secession Woald end in defeat
and rum to the South: These
were. briefly stated, my motives
for being a Unionist. I make no
claims tospoli Gcal foresight ~aut Z
s-suppose.iJ will be admitted gene
rally; that the events of tie, war
have proved the correetness-of nay.
views in this instance. Foresee-
ing or believing that I Iforesaw the
results of secession, i think it
proved no waat. Of patriotism On,
- my part to havesSppesed IT. !
feel very sure there could have
been but few intelligent men fou pd
who would not have opposed its
had the disastrous consequences
,s.have been generally anticipated.
As the question of slavery aad
the right efeseeession have moth
ssiiae ssiiae special to de- with the question,
now before us, we need not foatow,
Them here. : But to the tact OF
the South haylng been defeated
and ruined, by. the war there viii
besno difference: of opinion bet
ssss then take this as "a Starting
! YeiHton which we can. all agree,
and consider carefully out calmly,
and without prej6dice or passion,
what Is. now. best to be- dcae& TO
= rassekthe country from heg present
prostrate .eondtien To 30 this
intelfieently we must nes-fose
sight sof what has been accom-
pfished by the war, aad the aspect
Of the question as viewed from
the standpoint of the Ficters
The war terminated 4eagingnse en-
stirelys atsthe mereyaf the eeasaers
:asoE The surrender had been one
'Espme1y. Of amihtaryc character.
But every vestige of aaeif"rst ty;
civil or military had been swept
out Of existence. This was reeog'
ss,nized by, all at the time. The
xssPresident acted. upon It, -:Fhe
,s-speoples of the South looked TO,
nothing but to submit to the terms
dictated. Gen. Lee recognized
this when in his farewell address
he told his soldiers they. had ap
pealed to the last arbiters tx
sword, aud failed, and advised
them to go home and submit qul
etly to the authorities that, be
Gen. Longstreet and other promi
nent Southern Generals have sine
advanced the same idea. An un
fortunate collision between tn
Executive and law-making power
of the Goyernmont-the Presiden
and Congress-has delayed tn
= work of reconstruction two years
y and the South has been the chic
sufferer. Whatever his motive
may have been, I think most pei
sons will now admit that ever,
step taken by the President ha
added a new fetter to the Soutt
The struggle has resulted in tn
complete triumph of Congress
But so far as we are concerned th
il. question remains the same; one {
7: submitting tothe will Of the col
"a. querer: -
Can or ought we to resist Co
gressa Ofopen resistance l pr
sumo scarcely any one in the Soc'
dreams. But "a partyurges passl'
resistance. Alas! Will we new
learn anything by sad experience
Are we so chained to our idols al
sold preiudices that we can new
learn to understand the times
which we live? Must that fat
expression, "too late" so oft hea
in all the walks of life ever be T
sounding in our ears? Eighte'
months ago very moderate civ
rights-bil[ would have satisfied t
North that we acknowledged t.