Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1867-03-22
THE DUTIES OF THE HOUR.

1t is the part Of true wisdom to make the
best Of the circumstances which surround ~
and to submit cheerfully to the inevitable ~"
cesstics of our position. VIZ may regard tie
provisions of the Military Hn! as hnrh anl
illberai, ns unjnst and inexvelient. yet to our
choice, the question Of its acceptance or re-
lection has not been submitted. " ithont our
action and against our will, the Military Re
construction Bii has already bacomc law
and the Supplemental Bill now renj:ns b,fore
Congress, promsas soon to lr a:.l nnler thee:
enactments. the sole question t'r our COZ sid
era,ion will be whether shn! remain mac
tive or attempt TO control tho result oil tn
ensuing elections.
Now whet shall we gain BY ;pactiom! Vii.
it stay the process Of reeenstluct;on--lr call
ing Of a CVnvention-thc exercise Of nnir'E E$a'
suffrage by the blucks-the election Of tfc".
gates-thc formation Of q CoGsi!!utiohi Dr'
assume that such will DO the rc>n't, viii i'"
effect he otherwise. than to turn us over a!,ai"
to the extreme men of q Radical Congress. VIII"
seek to disfranc!se all who have taken Part i'll
the late rebellion (ao.calied,) nnL 20 give the
blacks and the loyal whites, full nn1 exclusive
possession Of political power in The Southern
Statesi Such. We are told by the c"nserva-
tive journals Of the North. will he the 'nrc
of rejecting the terms of the reconstruction Pro-
posed. Congress will enact law similar TO the
Louisiana Bill which passed tie House tt, the
late Session, embod5 ing the foregoing; rows
ions, and probably with Summers a'nen'imens,
and Stevens copfecaton acts appended there.
to.
But If the work OF reconstruction is to 60
on, it will DO tho duty Of all good citizens TO
seek to control ito preserve enms elements
of conservatism in the general anarci, .t-and
to save the State from falling i"to ,he hards Of
uuscrupulous dcmngogucs who woull inauSu
rate general system of prescription and con
fscation.
On this svhjcct, we would DO well to heed
the timely suggestions Of TINT staunch and
conservative journal, tho National H.!t'Hgcr-
Ger:
'Whatever force there may hnro teen i'll the
argument that the South could take no action
under tho Sherman Sheliaberger bill without
voluntary participation in its own degrade
tion. is now destroyed by tho bill which passed
tho House Of Representatives. That takes the
question Of holding q Convention out OF the
ssaln of popular consent and confers it upon
the Military Commanders. lie ID enj"ined 10
make registration and order an electior.-
Whatever may TO done. therefore, is done un-
der military duress, and il is the part of Nise
men to accommodate themselves to crcun-
stances. The registration will be made. Tho
election will be held. Tho negroes will vote.
Shall the whites ab=tain2
1T inaction accomplished aught, we mi:h,
understand why men should advise it; but
when the practical effect Of in.ciion will be to
secure the adoption Of State Constitution by
those who do act. and .n application for nlmis
sion into the U ion from men who ha7e voted,
while ,hi. inaciion will put arguments in the
mouths Of men who have already too much
control of the Government, we canno: exactly
see the wisdom Of hesitation Those who alb
stain now from choice will MIST ain her eniler
from necessity. No one appreciates more fully
the inequty of this kind of legislation; no
one realizes more kecnly its Inconsistency with
Republican principles; one moro heartily
deplores the stab it gives to Constitutions!
Government; no one is more alive to tho dan
gers which beset tho new order of things
which it is proposed to inaugurate: ncvcrlhe-
less, We believe in the superiority of intellect
and of culture; and, if they do themselves
justice, they are bound to control"