The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1867-09-01
COLUMBIA, S. c. SUNDAY MORNING SEPTEMBER l, 1867.

longer able to resist the arms of the
Federal Government. The surrender
was made upon no terms which had
been previously offered by the Go
vernment. The Federal commanders
were not authorized to treat as politi
cal agents. The terms of surrender
were absolute and unconditional.
The South hoped for and expected
the establishment of separate inde-
pendent Government. The laws and
Constitution of the Federal Govern
ment she entirely ignored throughout
the whole four years contest. Hav-
ing, therefore, rejected all terms of
fered by the nation for peace, by the
act of military surrender she sub
mitted to the nation and to the lcgis-
lation of its Congress. The Southern
States were conquered provinces, or
territories, if you will, and could
claim no rights under the Federal
Constitution or laws until they were
again received rs States into the
Union. These facts Gen. Hampton
himself seems to have fully recog-
nized in 1865, as is evidenced by his
letter to Mr.. Gibbes. Gen. Hampton
is probably right in saying that the
State Conventions of the South, held
in conformity with certain conditions
made after the surrender, were mis-
takes; but mistakes himself by i'm
plying that these conditions were
made by the Northern people. These
conditions were simply those of the
Executive, without tho ratification or
sanction of the Congress, and should
have been so understood. Whether
the Southern States, if accepted
then, on these conditions, would have
been brought back into the Union
with more or less of loyalty, could
not he then, and it is not now. q
question for discussion. One thing,
perhaps, cannot be denied, that the
Southern people could have made no
greater mistake than the one of anti
cipating the will of the nation by ac-
cepting the President as its exponent.
If it were sought to defend the
South, this proper discrimination
would, in some measure, relieve it
from the serious charge of its faith
being Punic.
To soy, with Gen. Hampton, that
the party which sustained the Go
vernment during the war and now
controls it, has betrayed the people
of the North, is simple absurdity-
inasmuch as the present Congress of
the nation is composed more largely
OF the elements of that party than
ever before, notwithstanding the fact
that the representatives of the people
have been three times changed since
the commencement of the war.
Ii appeals are made to certain
Northern journals to sustain such
opinions as those held by Gen. Hamp-
ton, it is only necessary to explain
that tits scarcely more difficult to
find traitor in Massachusetts than
to find, in the common acceptance of
that term, loyal man in South Ca
rolina. But when any writer, North
ern or Southern, asserts, as in one of
the quotations of Gen. Hampton,
that ''all the demands of Congress
have been complied with by the
States lately in revolt" he makes
this assertion against opposing facts.
The Constitutional Amendment pass
ed by the thirty-ninth Congress, and
made the issue of the elections
throughout the North one year ago,
was rejected by nearly every South
ern State-the Legislature of South
Carolina casting but one vote in its
favor. 1t was this very rejection by
the South Of the first terms of resto-
ration offered by the nation, that
rendered necessary the passage of
the military Reconstruction Acts.
These Acts are now before the
Southern people for acceptance or
rejection. Whether they are accept
ed or rejected, the result will have
but little effect upon the strength of
the dominant party in tho country.
That party found itself able to sus-
tain the nation during the war, and
the people have entrusted to it the
problem of the civil restoration of
the Southern States. Whatever may
happen here or elsewhere, its DEGREES
will doubtless be sustained.
Claiming to be radical, as that
name is accepted, 1 do not agree with
those who believe that military bills
are not constitutional. But, as Gen.
Hampton has only asserted his OPT
Mon that these bills are unconstitu-
tional, without attempting to show in
what manner they are so, 1 shall not
place these measures on their defence.