Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1867-03-09
" a. r Z e II Y.
The New York Times on Gov. Orr's Speech.
GFrom tho Now York Times

COY. OTIS SpCcCn at CnarleStOn, uS telc-
graphcd yesterday, indicates distinctly tho
growth of au uneasy and apprehensive feeling.
The stay home residents Of South Carroll
m or Alabama have believed that " dig6ity"
would carry thcm through their rtroubles. Wise
couusellors have incucated the prime iupor-
tancc of a." mastery inactivity as means
Of overcoming Congressional aaggrcssivcncss;
and tho people have believed them. Cover
nor Olrs remarks are fitted to dispcl the de-
luson He has visited Washington and stud
led tho position there. He has seen, heard,
and talked with all parties to the controversy
with Radical congressman, extreme in their
demands with tho President, and with the
Democratic opposition. Aud his conclusion
is, that tho existing political relations " are
of very grave character" The discovery is
not new, but there is something new in the
PRONUNCIATION Of the fact by Governor of South
Carolina. /" 1t is difficult" he reminds his
hearers, " to tell what our political position
in the future is to be-" and he proceeds to
recommend the adoption of u conci'iatory
course by the South as tho only mcaus of
averting formidable disasters. lie assures
them that in the present crisis Southern
"dignity" is Of no avail as against the North
ern call for guarantees. lie warns them that
the doctriue of &C mastcrly inactivity" is prcg.
gcsts the adoption by the Southern I.cyisla-
lures of the modified Constitutional Amend
mcnt with which his name has been conncc.
ted, under belief that the lneasurc-in con-
junction with negro cnfranchiscmcnt- will
produce the best results upon a considerable
portion Of the Radical Party, and save the
South FROM many OF the proposed radical
measures"
Events have progressed rapidly at Washing
ton since Toy. Orr's departure. Measures
which were in embryo when he was there have
since been passed by the House with haste
which seems almost to preclude the hope Of
such triumph Of moderation as he deemed
probable. To this extent the situation has
changed, and changed for the worse 1t does
not follow, however, that the counsel offered
by Gov Orr has lust it. wisdom in conse-
quencc. The result at which he aims might
be more difficult of attainment, but the cxpc-
diency perhaps the duty--of manifestng
disposition to have a perfect and complete
settlement remains unchanged. For, what
ever VIC may think of the harsh and husty pro-
cccding of the House, we cannot forget that
the South has placed itself in the wrong by
its refusal to entertain tho proposition pre-
viously submitted by Congress- The display
of willingness to come to terms would of it.
self have done much towards dsarming ex-
treme assailants. The unanimous rejection
Of overture made in good faith, and tho
failure to propose any conditions in its stead
arc circumstances that look like stubbornness,
oven if they are not. They have helped, VIC
are sure, to swell the maiorities for the meas
ures of Messrs. Elliot and Stevens, and to
give color to the opinion that they arc pol
itcal necessity.
The acceptance Of Gov. Orr's advice would
vindicatc the South from the stigma under
which 1t labOrs. Granting, as our Richmond
correspondent contends, that the people have
no faith in the efficacy Of anything they may
do or propose, it by no means follows that
nothing should be attempted. The reverse
would probably be nearer right Because the
House majority legislatc on the assumption
that .hc Southern people are unyeiing, in
tractablc rebellion, therefore let the Southern
people provo that they are not unwilling
to consent to guarantees which, with one ex-
ception, arc Identical with the Congressional
Amendment, and to at least one guarantee
that of negro sutfragc-for which until the
other day Congress never asked. The more
extreme the measures Of the House, the more
necessary is it for the South to listen to the
suggestions which Gov. Orr. and others have
at tho eleventh hour ndorsed
CoNFIscATIoN PRoGRAMME.-Thad Ste
vens, on Monday last, used tho following Ian
guage
" The President has already, as far as he
is able, and illegally, pardoned and restored to
these rebel traitors property which was conts-
Gated by the Act of 1862 and he had done
that in defiance of the law Last Saturday,
gentleman from Alexandria came to me
one OF the judges thcrc-and told me of the
case of an old gentleman who had bought
some SIT 900 worth of property under tax
sale of the United States, but that the rebel
whose property it had been came recently
with the Presidents pardon and an order for
tho restoration of the property; and an eject.
ment has heen brought in the State court,
and beyond all question the recoverv will he