The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1867-09-04
TEE REMOVAL OF GEN. sIcKLEs.

THE REMOVAL OF GEN. sIcKLEs.
The removal of Gen. SIcKLEs from the command
of District No. is an event of serious conse-
onence. If the removal has been made in exccu
lion of general policy on the part of the Presl-
dent, by which he intends to enforce his construc-
tion of the Reconstruction Acts, we have no COM
ments to make, for the simple reason that we nave
no means of knowing to what extent that inteFpre-
tation goes nor what is more Important whether
the President is strong enough to maintain such
nosition. and to renew his contest with the he
publican Party with more success than mas hi'her-
10 rewarded his efforts We should content our
selves with saying that as general ruie' the au-
ministration of Gen. SIcKLEs has been satislaceo-
ry to the people of this State-that he has e1er-
c;sed his mower to promote what he conscientious
IL believed the best interests of the State, anu
that his earnest desire has been to restore the
State to her rightful relations to the Union There
have been some of his orders which perhaps bore
hardly upon the sensitiveness of our people, but
taking into consideration the delicacy and difficult
y of his position, the strict limits within which
the provisions of the Act restricted his power for
good and the absolute authority which it gaze him
for evil, We have every reason to be grateful for
the temperate and in many instances beneficial
use which he has made of his power, and when We
part, we will venture to hope that his influence will
be used wherever it extends, to promote the speedy
restoration Of those rights to the Southern States
which will render it unnecessary for the United
States Government to furnish successor. 1t
would be injustice to him and ourselves not to &C.
knowledge our special obligations for that manly
and statesmanlike letter to Mr. Trumbull, IN which
he did more to yindicate the honest purpose and
conduct of this State than could have been effected
by any action of our own.
But if we understand the kilograms, Gen. SICK
LES has been removed for special cause, and that
is, his insistance upon the application of order No.
10 to the Courts of the United States, as well as of
the State. II this is so, We think Gen. S1cKLEs
clearly in the right for believe the interests of
the State will be seriously embarrassed by any in
reference with order No. 10. Whether he had q
right to issue order No. 10, at all, may be qucs-
ton, but once issued and allowed to stand, it
would cause very serious complications and great
embarrassment suddenly to repeal it. Our people
have accepted it, and adjusted all their business
relations to meet it, and it is especially one of
those cases where any fixed rule is better than per-
petual variations and confusing uncertainty. But
if it is to- stand at ALL with what justice can 1t be
modified as the President directs? Why should o
New York merchant be allowed to sue and sell out
A. while A is forbidden to collect his money from
n, fho 2
What is this but to give the Northern creditor
the power to sacrifice his Southern debtors and in
the present condition of matters at the South, to
buy what property he selects at his own price.
Take another illustration, which is not a supposed
case: A lawyer entrusted with the collection of
Northern debts has made compromise with debt
ors in tie State based upon the existence of this
order and the fact that for months the Government
have never disayowed it. Is the lawyer to be held
responsible for the compromises the Northern
creditor to suffer because he recognized the action
of what he had right to look upon Us lawful au-
thority? Why should the Northern creditor have
this advantage in the U. S. Courts? Who passed
the reconstruction Acts-who created this military
government? These very Northern crcditors-and
when their own agent, the military commander
for their own purpose-rcconstructon, declares
that il is unadyisable that debts should be collected
in his District, they the people who are to be
relieved by Executive interference from the incon-
veniences of their own creation. Very singular
justice, indeed does this seem to be.
The truth is, the Inconsistency of the reconstruc-
tion Act consists in the attemptto reconcile mill
tary and civil government of the Southern States
the two are not rcconcilable and the President,
with oil his power, cannot make them work togcth
er. If the instructions TO Gen. CANDY are intend
ed to remove che almost expiring functions of our
State Government, We sec nothing before us but
inextricable confusion.
We have said this much because we think it i'm
portant that our people should not be misled into
the belief that changes such as these can cure our
present troubles To reach n conclusion, one Of
two things is necessary-the reconstruction acts
must either be repealed or ezecuted-which of the
two, it is not for us to say.
POLITICAL MEETING AT BELT0N.
Tn accordance with preyious notice riyen in this