Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1867-09-07
Retrospective.


SiCKLEs to tho Charleston Board of Trade,
relative to q modification of General Orders
Nos. 10 and 32, which, to the thoughtfulrea-
der, will be found full of interest.
In the midst of a great revolution, like the
present, we are too apt to overlook vital points
in even our recent history. That wo may,
therefore, recur to importants events ncccssa-
ry to proper elucidaton of the question of
reconstruction, VIC avail ourselves of the points
statcd-the terms of reunion proposed by the
government of the United States since 1860
up to the present time by General SlcKLEs.
They arc, in tho main, correct. He says:
On the 4th of March, 1861, President
Lincoln in his inaugural address offered an
, amendment to tho constitution, guaranteeing
slavery forever in the States where it then eX-
'istel Hc demanded only that The South
should relnquish the prctcnsion that slavery
must be recognized and protected by Congress-
in territory under the exclusive jurisdiction
of the Federal government. Lincolns mag.
unanimous offer was treated with dis,lain -
South Carolina declared war and began hos.
tilitios
/ In 1862, President Lincoln proposed as
the basis of settlement schcmc Of gtadual
emancipation, with compensation.
In September, 1862, one hundred days
were given to those in arms against the gov
srnmcnt to deliberate and choose between
peace, retaining all their slaves and their pol
itical ri 5hts intact-or war, followed by cnlan-
clip ton, and the loss of MI political rights
Unhoppily, the latter alternative was chosen.
On tho lst of January, 1868, emancipation
was proclaimed
In 1861, President Lincoln invited ncgo.
tiations for peace Oh the basis of restoration
of political rights, and liberal measure of
compensation for cmancipatcd slaves Ncgo-
tations upon the proposed basis were declined
| by the enemy.
| In 1865, at the conference of Fortress NJ on
roe, President Lincoln renewed ovorturcs for
! peace and they were again refused
In 1865, after the surrender President
Johnson invited the constituencies included
within the provisional governments he had cs.
tabishcd, to send eligible representatives to
Congress. Representatives were, indeed, cho-
sen but not one in ten could take the oath
of office prescribed by Congress for members,
and thereby representation was lost.
In 1866, Congress, in an amendment to the
constitution, proposed terms of settlement nd
justing the basis of future representation, i'm
posing disqualifcation.f for Office upon certain
persons who had borne arms against the Uni
ted States, and granting by implication gen
eral amnesty to all others. This amendment,
adopted by nearly all the states in the Union,
was not accepted as settlement by any of the
rebel States except Tennessee, and thcreupon
Tennessee was promptly restored to the Union,
with all her ancient rights and dignity unim-
paired.
We do not propose to go behind May, 1865,
in the discussion Of this question But we
| cannot here forcgo the remark that, if the
war was mistake, Ga point now conceded by
al, we bclicve,) it is, something more than Il
! htrr" X f. to aritate the aucstions-nsist upon
issucs-nally, fully and forever settled by
the results of tho war. These arc
|. The abolition Of slavery, with the abso.
Lutte results flowing thercfro,n-to be defined
by the victorious party.
2. That the constitution, rs construed by
the successful party, (the North) shall be ac.
ccptcd by us, (thc South) as the present or
ganic law Of the land
The Reconstruction acts of Congress is the
mode now, (thc constitutional amendment
having been rojccted) by which we are, once
again, to be restored to the Union, with the
rights of property and person secured. But
nlcssrs. PERRY, HILL, HAMPTON and others
spurn these terms. The acts Of Congress
leave tho acceptance or rejection of these terms
optional witt, the voters of the South. You
will be called on at an early day to decide for
yourselves Will you follow the counscs of
these gentlemen, who defy the powers that be,
and whose course continues agitation, causes
delay, and invites harshor terms; or will YOU,
looking the reckless past full in the face, come
square up to the duty of the hour, accept
these torms; and, by your own act, shield
yourself and country from further oppression.
Lay firmly the ground work of an enduring
peace, which, let us trust, will rebound to our
prosperity and happiness.
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