The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1867-03-27
COLUMBIA.
Wednesday Morning, March 81, 1857
Foreign Complicntions--Fh United
States and Great Britain.

n.
The New York Times, in its issue
Of Friday, has an article in which is
shown how easy this country might
be precipitated into war with Eng
land. The occasion Of its comments
was the speech with which tie repre-
sentatives of the Irish Republic intro
duced themselves to the President.
It will be remembered that this F'e-
MAN delegation suggested that the
Irish Republic should be recognized
as belligerent, and the Fcnian army
as lawful belligerents. But the 1ines
thinks that it would not require even
such recognition, and says that we
have only to doze little, while the
Fenians invade Canada, and forth
with we would be at issue with Eng
land.
But after showing the danger the
country is in of being, at any time,
hurried into hostilities with England,
the Times undertakes to show that
neither country-England or this
is prepared to go to war. The Irish
difficulty is the formers bond for
maintaining peace, and, at this time,
Ireland is England's peril. But the
point the Times aims at is to show
that the United States, unrecon-
structed, is just in the position of
Great Britain, and that this country
cannot hope to maintain a vigorous
foreign policy SO long as we are af-
ficted with domestic discomfort.
On this point, we quote the language
of the Times. Speaking Of the al
legged discomfort, it says:
''From this we shall not be free,
not only until the Union be recon
structed, but until it be so recon
structed that the peoples Of the two
sections shall once more feel them
selves identified III interest and am
bition. That result attained, we may
be bold and even defiant on ques-
tions of foreign policy. Meanwhile,
England is not more crippled by Ire
lands alienation and hostility than is
this country by the condition of the
Southern States In the case of
either, war would be waged at dis
advantage"
In making this comparison, we
think the Times makes a mistake,
and does injustice to the Southern
people. There is disaffection in Ire
land to the Government of England;
while at the South there is no disaf-
fection that could ever lead to hos
tilities towards the Union itself nor
to the Constitution and Government
of the United States. The Southern
people have sworn to maintain both,
and when their armies, under7Lce
and Johnston, surrendered to and
were paroled by Generals Grant and
Sherman, the perpetuity of this
Union was established and all oppo-
sition to it effrctually and forever
crushed out.
Such we believe to be the honest
conviction OF the Southern people,
and upon this conviction, combined
with their duty to the Government
to which they have sworn allegiance,
they would act and sustain that Go
vernment against any foreign foe.
But it is of the utmost Importance
that the work Of Reconstruction should
progress as rapidly and smoothly as
possible, and, on this point, the Times
says:
''iSituated as we are, the first duty
is, to reconstruct On q basis that Will
be enduring, and Congress has de-
cided what that basis shall be. On
the plan laid down, however, the
work should be pushed forward, care
being taken that it shall be thoroughly
done, and done promptly. But if we
would prevent future disatiection-if
we would so re-organize the Govern
ment, and SO re-adjust the relations
Of the States, that there shall be unity
and lasting domestic pcace-it be-
hooves us to infict no superfuous
penalty, and to exercise D. greater
coyarit1- tbop ic ol>c olpta1x, ,oooocor1,