The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1867-09-06
Reconstruction--Gsen Hnmpton's
l,stlss. ~ ~. y Letter. 80 = e. -.

SShceAlho oA1O AOAAo"AhS, vA6SASuo OOi-
torial upon the progress Of recon
struction. It viii be seen that it says,
emphatically, that no legislation can
or shall destroy the whole South; and
that the people must make it their
task, at the coming elections, to give
the whole country such a Govern
ment as its interests require:
On the part of Congress-, there is a
desire TO usurp completely the execu-
tive power; and by numerous acts,
not as yet daring to overthrow at n
single stroke, they sap its branches,
and indirectly try to destroy the
trunk of the tree. They appear to
forget entirely that we are people
whose political powers have arisen to
the surface, born of elements which
have had little sympathy in common,
except the benefit of union; that the
war was not the result of political
passions which were the offspring Of
a moment, but rather the elimination
of clashing forces brought unavoida-
bly, into contact by our national pro-
gress-which forces, sooner or later,
had to appeal to the sword. We have
destroyed the causes which produced
the war; have eliminated from the
national problem of harmony one of
the two great elements that had suffi-
cient power to call armies into the
field and maintain fierce conflict for
supremacy. The problem ends here,
however; for we cannot destroy the
South. We cannot alter her climate,
her productions, her interests based
on agricultural wealth. We cannot,
by any enactment of Congress, change
the brain that climatic and race causes
produce. We cannot, therefore, ig-
more that, do what VIC may, our hu-
man laws have little effect in battling
with those of Heaven. The South,
by forced measures, may, to the gra-
ti6cation of n party, be represented
for moment as that party may de-
sire, but it will only be for a moment.
1t we throw into our Legislative halls
n representative mass of ignorance,
ii aciH not leGisldto far tic South alone:
II also gocerns the North. We attack.
NORTH and South equally, aCAen ,ce gice
The negro, in his present uneducated
condition, the electioe franchise, and
with the South we, too, must suffer
the control of ignorance, or appeal to
the inevitable military dictatorship to
free us from it. We have destroyed
slavery-a system of productive ener-
gy that could not live in white labor
contact. We may quarrel fifty years
over what we foolishly call recon
struction, and we cannot, with any
power we possess, destroy the whole
South. No legislation will effect it.
The letter which we published yes
terday, from Wade Hampton, con-
tanned some truths which are valuable
for our reconstructionists to study, as
the effect of their efforts to restore
harmony. He prefers the present
military rule to the rule of ignorance
which the radical programme would
establish. Aside from that love pro-
fessed by him for the United States
Constitution, which he drew the
sword to destroy, there is much of
good sense in the letter. 1t Indicates
how difficult is the problem before lis
as Congress has attempted to solve
it. His letter very wisely advocates
the rights Of the negro, but not the
Utopian theories which promise to
ruin him. 1t says: "We have re-
cognized the freedom of the blacks,
and have placed this fact beyond ali
probability of doubt, denial or re-
CALL"
We cannot carry out reconstruction
as either the President or Congress
would, each in radical manner, die
tate. Broad craftsmanship will re-
main contented in having removed
the causes of the late war-will for
get party feeling in the general good.
The President. giving general am
nesty, as it is rumored that he may
do, will restore harmony to n great
extent. If he does not do it, if par
tisan rule over him is deeper than his
craftsmanship, the country must still
suffer. Congress must still drive on
at its mad, revolutionary pace, and
leave to the people. in the coming
elections, the task of upsetting both
Congress and the President, and the
giving once more to the country a
Government which will seek our best
interests.
Atlanta has proved an exception to
other Southern cities, and has ma
iority of white registered citizens in