The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1867-05-16
COLUMBIA.
Thursday Morning, May 16, 1857.
Letter from Ex-Gov. Perry.

We publish, this morning, another
letter from Hon. B. F. Perry, and it
is one that we feel we can commend
to the careful perusal of our readers.
His two former communications to
this paper have been extensively pub
lished throughout the State, and, of
course, his views and position at the
present time must be familiar to a
large majority of the voters, and, at
This trying juhcture. OF public affairs,
will be carefully weighed md consi-
dered by them.
There are many truths in the pre-
sent letter which will be acknow-
lodged and felt by thousands oftrue-
hearted Carolinians, even while
dissenting, not so much from his
views of the past as from the course
he indicates for their present action
under the circumstances in which
they are placed. We will accord to
him honesty of purpose. This is all
the point of difference between Gov.
Perry and ourselves, and those who
think with us. None doubt the truth
of much that he has written, for his
statements are undeniable; but very
many foil to perceive the wisdom of
the policy lie suggests, or share in
his apprehensions of the dire results
of failure to pursue the course he
recommends. While many hearts
beat responsive to the mournful pic
ture he has drawn of the sad, sad
change which has come over the
spirit of Carolinians, they look around
them and see that there is no way of
escape from the ruinous and great
evils that now press sorely upon
them, but obedience to the laws
which an unfriendly party and Con-
gress has forced upon them.
Few will doubt the sincerity of the
convictions of the writer, which he
expresses as to the future of the peo-
pie of this and other States, should
they re-organize under the present
laws; but with us, they feel that he
is mistaken. We do not believe that
the colored people-that is, any in
fiuential portion of them-at least in
this State, will become antagonistic
to the whites, among whom they
were born and raised, by the selfish
and hypocritical dcclamations of
radical orators, who come to wheedle
and coax them to sustain that party,
purely for pnrty purposes. Many of
the most intelligent, and consequently
the most influential, among the CO.
Iored people know, and are tho
roughly convinced of the true object
of their efforts, and will act and GO
vern themselves and others in accord
ance with their convictions.
And again, with the lights before
us-the speech of Speaker Colfax, an
extract from which we published yes
terday; the expressions of Senator
Wilson on various occasions; the
tone and avowed sentiments of nearly
all the Republican press of the
North-we believe that the distin-
guished writer is mistaken in his
expressed apprehensions that the pre-
sent reconstruction measures, faith
fully carried out, will not he finality
to the sectional difficulties now in ex-
istence. We think they are; and. al
though we may be mistaken ourselves,
yet should the party in power prove
recreant to their pledges in this re-
spect, by faithfully carrying out the
measures they have enjoined upon
us, we will have the consolation of
knowing we have done our duty,
while their broken faith will be the
rock upon which the party will split,
and be utterly shipwrecked
With these remarks, we submit the
: present letter to the consideration of
our readers and the people of the
State generally. All the writer has
said OF our changed political situa-
tiOn and the broken spirit Of orr moo