The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-07-19
A SURVEY OF THE FIELD.

A SURVEY OF THE FIELD.
Reconstruction, under the Congressional
programme, has been in progress since March
last, and there has been ample time for even
the slowest intellect to arrive at conclusion
in reference to the line of policy to be pursued
under its provisions. Accordingly, VIC find
that the leading men all over the South have
taken their positions, and in most cases have
made known the same through the public
prints.
Upon survey ofthe field we find that much
the greater number of the public men in the
South have accepted the Congressional plan OF
reconstruction, and have constantly and earn
estly urged its adoption on the part of those
who they might have reason to believe would be
swayed by their opinions. And there is in
this nothing surprising. When we reflect upon
the nature of the qualities that inspire the
people with confidence, and make them de-
light in comforting Offices Of honor and emolu-
ment upon the men who possess, or are sup
posed to possess, those qualities, we cannot
wonder that these should be the foremost men
to lead the way in the effort for the successful
rehabilitation Of the country. On the roll Of
these we find very few of the half-snd-half
men, who never affiliate with their fellows, who
are always ,"misunderstood;" who were quasi
Union men when these States seeded, ''politi-
cal philosophers" as they are pleased to call
themselves, who have their consolation in the
happy consciousness that the future historian
will award that need Of praise denied them by
short-sighted cotemporary interest. -
So also those whom opposition forced, un-
consciously perhaps on their part, to taking
extreme ground on the subject of slavery; who
had persuaded themselves that slavery was q
"divine institution" s'blessing to both
races" and that without it NO state of society
or civilization was perfect. This class of the
sssecession leaders," for the most part have not
given in their adhesion to the inevitable logic Of
facts. They still hold fast to the CONSTITUTION
of our Fathers" wilfully blind to the fact that
the events of the past Beven years have effected
q revolutionary change in the Government Of
the United States. They are not safe guides;
indeed we do not think they ever were. Events
have proved them blind leaders Of the blind;
and it becomes matter of vital Importance
now for the people to consider how much
oredence is to be attached to their vaticina-
tions-how much reliance upon their judg-
ment. They have led US astray before, and
and there is every appearance that their pres
emit course has no better issue in prospect
The sagacious men everywhere, those charac-
terized by their practical good sense, and the
with which they know how to
adapt themselves to the circumstances and re-
quirements of the hour, have almost every
where advised the people to accept the pro-
posed scheme of reconstruction. Among these
we have the satisfaction Of being able to name
General Robert E. LEE, General JOSEPH E.
JOHNSTON, General B. T. BrAUREaARD, Gene
raj -HARDEE, General ]. B. HOOD, General
WADE HAMPTON, General JAMES LoNGsTREET,
General HUMPHREYS, and many others of the
late military leaders, not so widely known.
80 likewise Hon. W.. W. BoYcE of this State,
10 whom is due the credit Of having been one
Of the first to see the inevitable troubles Of the
future. His advice very early was to bow be-
fore the storm. Gov. Orr has on several oc-
casions made known his views on the subject,
Ex-Gov. MAuRATH, an able counsellor, and
'sone Of the Judges eff the people," is under
stood to be in favor Of accepting the PROPOSE
lions of Congress, though he has never made
his opinions public; So also Ex-Gov. AIKEN.
There are other leading men in the State, who
wc know hold the same views; some Of them
have openly advised this course, others, while
protesting the same sentiments in private,
from false shame, fear Of being charged
with political backsliding, have not yet made
. public profession of their faith.
In Georgia we find Ex-Governor JOSEPH E.
Brown bold, independent, and far-sighted
leader Of the people. he stepped forth prompt
y, almost upon the very day Of the publica-
lion of the Act, and counselled its acceptance,
showing that he had we'll considered the SUBJ
ect during the two years of its preliminary
agitation. He is one of the few public men of
the South who have part in the history of the
past, fully equal to the demands of the pre-
sent who sees that the issues for which we
went to war are gone, have been swept entire
ly out of existence that the world has moved
onward during those six or seven years, not
the blockade of the Southern cot
ton ports Governor BROWN is abreast with
The times and one of those men who compre-
hends that when the times change people
should change with them.
The other side finds very large representa-
lion in Georgia, much larger than in South
Carolina. Here we only have Mr. B. F. PERRY
openly and decidedly pronounced against re-
and perhaps one or two newspa-
pers of circulation and influence. In
Georgia the greater part Of the press, and
some Of the best papers in the State, are in the
opposition. Of public men, Governor JENKINS,
ex-senator B. H. HILL, and ex- Governor HER
scHEL v. JOHNSON are known to be on that
side. SO nlso the Hon. ALEXANDER H. STE
pHENs, who, however, has studiously avoided
giving any public expression of his views.
AIessrs. JOHNSON and HILL have written much,
md their arguments have been extensively
copied, not in Georgia only, but by papers fa-
7oring "passivism" all over the South. In
,ur next, we propose to examine some of the
=; a1us aduancad hu thaaa tuo laa dora Tho 70.