The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-08-31
n aPoblTIcs ~ THE saUTH.ii

Mr.. sw1Nros, Of the New York Times, lately re-
turned from an extensive tour through the South,
gives tAstpllovins summary of public opinion IN
these States:
The Southetn whites may be divided on the
question Of reconstruction into three classes:
!. Those who reject reconstruction on prlncip;e.
2. Those who accept reconstruction on prlnclple.
g.. Thpee Rho either accept or reject reoonstrnc-
ton sans principle.
The first class embraces large part Of the ablest
men of the South, including many politicians law
yers and old-tine aristocrats vs. They we're state
sovereignty men and believers in the right OF BE-
cession. Any number Of them we're not in favor
of secession, and, on the contrary, thought II o
great political bunder; bnt, nevertheless, De-
lieyed in the right OF secession. .ss4., - -.
They now wish restoration on the old basis; Wlth
the exception, OF COURSE OF Slavery. Whio
the States are excluded, they are unwilling to con-
slider any conditions. They rejected the Constitu-
tional Amendment. They hold the doctrine that,
without the limitations imposed on the Central
Government by State rights, it runs inevitably
into despotism. Those Of them who register.
and most Of them that can wiIl-wil do SO for the
purpose of voting against Convention.
They say that should the Southern whites vobe
for Convention, that, would be to acauiesce in
what is done, and that DO naaHor what might be
trine of State rights would be quoted against
politic proper but themselves m IN attitude Of
protest against this thing, and when the ruin OF
the present system comes about, Legislation may
annul what Legislation has enacted. They say
that even il in other respects they could accept
the terms OF Congress, their honor engsgas them
to stand by their fellowroitizens whom Congress-
has deprived Of their political priVileges.hey will
not, to benefit themselves, aid in prescribing men
who were no worse rebels than they.
Many Of them declare they are willing to see the
present system hayeB 9 fair and generous trial, but
they are perfectly congiaced it must break down.
They all anticipate o war or raees-a conflict In
which whites and blacks will end by invoking some
military nisI ~ come in and save them from saeb
the United States is dead.
The second class is very interesting one. They
are much more numerous than the casual observer
would conceive. In the main, they heh, before
the war the same political creed as the frst-class
but the var educated them. They have come to
accept the American idea. They illustrate the doc
rne Of political regeneration, and whereas, before
they were blind. now they see. Their very adhe-
sion in former times to tho doctrine OF secession
and State sovereignty incnes them to the position
that their States are in the condition Of conquered
territories subectto treatment under international
law and the vii of tho oonqueror. A good many
think Congress is rather hard on them; but tley
are willing to take the best they can get: Some of
them, since the final rigorous definition of the
Military Bill by Congress, WaVer little, but they
Yill end by accepting the situation;
In this class we are to include hundreds OF
thousands OF soldiers sensible, practical men, the
hone of the South, It also numbers good many
whom the little experiment OF the Confederacy
whose real history, when written. will astonlsh
the world first taught realizing sense OF the
benefits Of the Union. .,,..,.
The only drawback to the efficiency OF this cclass
ia certain amount of social and conventional
timidity. which causes them to withhold the
thought that js in them. But this Is for the mo-
mcnt merely. They are essentially men OF lnde-
pendence, and will make themselves felt at the
proper time.
The third class is of course by far the most
numerous 1t includes most OF the nineteen
| twcntieths of the Southern population VINO never
| owned slave. A large proportion OF them can
neither read nor write.
These people, whether they favor reconstruction
or reject it, do 30 without principle Where from
one circumstance or another, they still come under
tho influence Of their old political leaders, they
reject reconstruction. Otherwise, they acqglesce,
as do most men in what they regard as tho IN
evitable. But as in the mass of mankind the SELF
regarding principle rules supreme, thus class tomas
| to become more and more detached from Its Old
political leaders, for they perceive that these can
now do nothing for them, whereas they 6eheTe
they have something TO gain by siding with the
Republicans. Many fancy that the triumph OF the
| Radicals will secure land to the landless.
This class, Notwithstanding lifelong bitter pre-
ilices against the blpcks seems to affiliate readily
enough politically with the negro element.