The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1867-04-03
D. WYATT AIKEN


was much struck with the large num-
ber of buildings that have lately been
erected. The area of the city has
been greatly extended; many of the
public buildings enlarged. new ones
built, and it is now quite a large and
hourishing city. The patronage of
the Government has been so much
increased by the late war that an army
of officers, clerks, office-seekers and
hangers-on infest the place; and it
seems to me mere casual observer
can see TINT we are fast drifting into
q vast contralizing Government, of
which the executive and judicial de-
partments are mere appendages-
almost without meaning, certainly
without power; and the sovereign
States who formed this General Go
vernment, with limited powers, are
overshadowed md completely ignored.
President Johnson is completely pow
erless; he has shown no political sa-
gacity; his cabinet officers have been
opposed to him, and he either did not
discover it, OF would not take the re-
sponsibility to remove them. y
4 n Time changes all things,
and we must change with them. It
is useless to speculate now OH the
past. We can easily see our errors,
but tbic Iooc NOT b,I,, NC <,4 &c 49,,
present troubles. The great secret of
success in governing is, to deal with
men and things as wo find them, not
as they ought to be. Often, VIC may
have Justice on our side-at least we
sincerely believe so; our opponents
do not-perhaps, will not see rs we
do, and we must give them credit for
little honesty and sincerity; ideas of
truth and justice, we must remem-
Der, ore not the same the world over.
Look at the diversity of opinion even
as to what we conceive the very plain
est points in the Bible. There are
very few, if any, universal truths,
and we must lay aside that Puritanical
spirit, of which we have had an abun-
dance for the last forty years, and
cease to believe that we are the only
true saints, and consequently sole
Interpreters Of all law, both human
and Divine.
Congress awaits in expectancy the
action we will take on the rcconstruc-
ton bill; if We can make them believe
we are heartily sick Of agitation, and
accept the issue in good faith, agita-
tion will cease, the radical party die
out, or divide, for they can't live
without food. We should establish q
friendly feeling, and show the colored
people that our interests are identi-
cal-that we are il earnest in our
professions of rgood will; they will
then unite with us, and we may be
preserved from extreme men and
measures. This result is not only
desirable, but absolutely necessary, if
we expect to have any place in poll
tics, any security in our property, or
any protection in our persons. We
must come up to the mighty issue
before us, and look at it calmly in the
face. Our destiny is yet, to q great
extent, in our own hands; the re-
sponsibility is great-it is fearful
Our position is that of conquered
provinces, and as such we must sub.
NIT to the conqueror-humiliating
though it be. Brave, virtuous people
have been compelled to submit 70
terms far worse, and it is in the power
of our opponents to degrade us yet
more; and need 1 say we are power
less to resist. The world is against
us, as it was during the war; all estab-
lished Governments nre opposed to
change, and the Governments of
Europe care not what terms are i'm
posed upon us.
Read what Gen. Longstreet says on
this point, published a few days ago, |
and am credibly informed General
Lee and General Johnston take the
same position; and L think General
Hampton will, if he does not already,
occupy that ground. We may rest
assured everything depends upon the
manner spirit with which we
meet the now order of things. Our
newspapers have generally been very
injudicious in their wholesale abuse
of men and measures. The time and
place were alike inopportune. While
it gratified, perhaps, the tastes and
feelings of the South, it only increased
the bitterness of our opponents, and
ensured the passage of the most radi-
cal measures. The tone of the press,
as general thing, is q good indica-