The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1867-05-25
ENoREE PLANTATION,
NEwDERRY DISTRICT, S. c.,

NEwDERRY DISTRICT, S. G.,
2D MILITARY DISTRICT, May Is, 'G7.
MEssRs. ED1ToRs: I saw in your
paper, of the 14th instant, q commu-
nication over the signature of "Many
of your Constituents, in which my
views of our present political situa-
ton is requested. I respectfully ask
n limited space in your columns
through which to reply. In order
that we may have clear and correct
conception and understanding of
what should be the action of the peo-
pie of South Carolina with regard to
the bills recently enacted by the Con-
gress of the United States for the re-
construction and reorganization of
our State Government, it is abso-
lutely and indispensably necessary
that we should have clear, full and
thorough knowledge of the principles
of that great system of Government
under which we live and the position
which we at present occupy. Upon
an analysis, either analy ytical or syn
thetical, the conclusion is irresistible,
that ours is great federal republic,
and not great, grand, controlling
national government. It is complex
In its system, being compounded of
the separate Governments of the
several States which compose the
Union and the General Government
Of the Union, called the Government
of the United States. That the thir-
teen original States that founded,
organized and projected the General
Government of the Union were colo
MES of Great Britain, each with its
own charter and Government, and
connected i'll nowise with each other,
except as dependencies of common
empire, is an incontestible fact.
That these identical colonies did,
IL 1776, declare and promulgatc the
declaration that they 'sare, and of
right ought to be, free, sovereign md
independent States, and to establish
this declaration as q fact, each one
acting voluntarily and for itself, en-
tered into and adopted "articlcs of
confederation and perpetual union,"
and that they, after heroic struggle
OF seven years Duration, were sepa-
rateiy acknowledged by Great Britain
TO be free. sovereign and independ-
ent States" is equally incontestiblc.
These colonies having been scpa-
rately acknowledged by Great Britain
to be Gree, sovereign and independ-
I,n Ill
ton and perpetual union which had
been entered into and adopted by
them had fulfilled their main purpose.
and being unsuited to the then exist
ing condition of things and the re-
Gulrements Of the times, the problem
Tor solution with the statesmen of
that day was what kind of Govern
ment to form. Shall there be one or
several federal republics, or one great,
grand, controlling national govern
ment? This was the problem for So
luton. Having just emerged from
long and exhausting war, and ex-
tternal pressure being great, and fear
ing possibly n renewal Of the contest
at an carly day, it was decided simply
to make more perfect" that union
which had borne them so triumph
antly through tho late struggle.
That the thirteen colonies had each
Its own charter and Government, and
was connected in nowise with each
other, except as dependencies OF n
common empire, before they entered
into and adopted articles of confcdc-
ration and perpetual union, and that
IN the adoption of these articles, each
one acted voluntarily and for itself,
cannot be disputed
That these identical thirteen colo
mes, after they had been separately
acknowledged by Great Britain to be
free, sovereign and independent
States had each its own State Go
vernment founded; organized and
projected by the adoption and ratifi-
cation of writ zen constitution, the