The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1867-06-06
A,saliral senlaes on Reco,n;.struotIon. 3.

Atsniira1 semnaes on, n,Kseconstruction
But, aside from this evidence, that
the Norshern people intend. to keep,
faith th us, what other course is
open 20 MS? Since the BaRefsn frat
took ground upon this question,
which was when the supplementary
bill was passed, which left the South
ern people no option, almost all our
prominent men have spoken. We
have carefully read their letters and
speeches, and we find in no; one of
them any plan proposed by whichwe
can. better ourselves. Some of them
5denounce the reconstruction Acts as
unconstitutional, and from the North
ern stand point they are so., Butwe,
as highttoned Southern men, mind
ful Of our honor and our past history,
must occupy our own standpoint,
and not that of our late enemy, if we
wonld not stultify ourselves. To
repeat former arguments used in these
columns, we claimed the right to Sc
cede; we did seeede;. we established
what we claimed to be foreign Go
vernment, and we waged four years
war in support Of that Government.
We were beaten i'll that war, and are
to-day conquered people-conquer-
ed in u foreign war, proclaimed by
ourselves, and not merely subdued in
domestic insurrection. Shall we
turn round now and proclaim our
selves liars? Shall we say that none
of these things occurred? Shall we
not only admit ourselves to be liars,
but shall we, in addition, proclaim
ourselves to be swindlers? Shall we
admit that we induced our people to
withdraw from the Union under false
pretences, and that we invited the
officers of the old army and navy to
become rebels and traitors, instead of
rallying to the defence of legally
constituted Government? Is it the
code of honor the passivists now pro-
pose for our acceptance? Yes, it is,
and, strange to say, sensible men,
honorable men, commend this code
to us; to such an extent do mems
wishes, and interests, and politics,
blind them. But, to lay this oues-
ton of honor aside, and look at ex-
pediency. How are we to help our
selves? Has not Gen. Pope told
Gov. Jenkins that the reconstruction
law must be executed like any other
law? and do we not know that it will
be executed i'll spite of anything we
can do? If the people of Mississippi.
or any other of the ten conquered
States, should register themselves,
and vote against calling convention,
the convention would be called never
theless. The negro vote and the vote
of the radical whites would outnum-
Der the passivists; or, if it did not,
the reconstruction Act would be so
amended at the next session of Con-
gress as to accomplish the object
with, doubtless, further and more
stringent determinations against
those who have participated in the
war. Gov. Perry, of South Carolina,
in particular, must be mad, when he
recommends the people of that State
to vote against n convention, for he
knows that the blacksll alone in that
State are moro numerous than the
whites. Gov. Perry talks of honor
and the Constitution, and ut the same
time recommends his people to put
their necks quietly under the foot of
the black man. If there were any
free choice left US, we might or might
not accept the terms; if we might or
might not take our respective States
back into the Union on the condi-
tions named, the case would be differ
ent. But if we do not re-organiZe
the ten States ourselves, they will as
certainly be re-organized by the ne
groes and radicals as that the sun
shines, and that is the choice, and
the only choice, left us. Choose for
yourselves, brethren of the ten
States.-MemphiS Bulletin.