The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-08-15

rendered with tllcir arms To tho conuucror~thcsc
can meyer.hSess be rcgainc upon tho terms pre-
by Congress.
The DEMONSTRATION Acts ot Congress- ornblo tho
conquered Slnlcs either Of them 10 return To
The Union, il they shall elGct to do su In cL0ns.
/ ing The moro cxpcdcnt linn OF action, il may bo
useful for those concerned To bear in mind SONS
oil tlc lost opportunities thrown away by tho lcnt-
ers WHO have heretofore controlled the politics of
the South. Maintaining always either tic attitude
nf urfiarco or of antaSonsul, or of reserve tho
Southern leaders avU neither offered or accent cl
| any possible basis OF accommodation and adjust
| mcnt. Fair terms, repeatedly tcntlrrc:I BY tho
United States, have brcn rs often refused.
On tho ih Of March, sGt, President Lincoln in
| llia inaugural address offered amendment 10
tho Constitution, guaranteeing slavery forever in
the Stntra where il then existed IIo demanded
only that tho South should rcllnquis tho prctc-
sign that slavery must y, recognized and protec-
tod by Congress i'll territory under tho exclusive
jurisdiction of tho federal government Lincoln's
magmanimnms offer was treated with dsdan
South Carolina declared and began lIUstililics
In 1852, President Lincoln propnscd M tho basis
OF settlement, schcnio Of gradual emancipation
with compensation.
In September, 1862, one hundred days wcro given
to those in arms against tho government to dclbc-
rate and choose between peace, retaining all their
slaves and their political rights intact-or war; FOL.
lowed by emancipation cotliiscation and the loss
Of all political riShts. unliappily, Tho latter
alternative was chosen.
On the Isl OF January, 1863, emancipation was
In ISGi, President Lincota invited negotiations
for praco on the basis OF restoration OF political
| rights aud liberal measure Of compensation tor
| oniancipatcd slaves. Negotiations upon the pro-
posed basis wcrc 'crlincd by the oncniy.
| III 1865, ut thr conference OF Fortress Monroe,
President 1incnlu renewed Uycrturcs for peace.
| and they wcru again refused.
In 1855, alter the surrender, President Jolllyon
Invited Tho conHtituunccs included within tho
provisional governments ho ha,l csta6lislied to
send eligible representatives to Congress-. Repre-
| Rcnintycs were, indeed chosen but hot ono in
ton could take tho oath Of oIliGo prescribed bv
n al inn
was lost.
In 1866, Congress, in an amendment TO the Com
| stitution. proposed terms Of settlement adjusting
tho basis uf tlturo representation, imposing dis
qualification Tor Office upon certain persons who
had borne arlms against tho United States. anu
srnn'ing by implication general amnesty 10 nil
others. This amendment, adopted by nearly all
| the Statcs III the Union, was not accepted ns q
scttloment by any OF The rebel States except Ton
| nesseo, and thcrcupon Tennessee was promptly
restored 10 the Union, with Gl her ancient rights
| and dignity unnlpaircd.
During lSGj-GG riots tumuts, afrrays and n
long catalogue Of cruel and unprovohe, 0uirages
! upon Unun soldiers, loyal refugees, and blacks,
natlo IL plain to all that military government must
bn continued from tho Potomac to the Rio Ciranac,
until, by cmfranchisng tho blacks, they should
pusscss sufficient share Of political power to
command respect aud security for their own civil
! Southern population.
In March and July, 1867, Congress, by tho Re-
construction Acts, rcaflirme1 and continued mill
tary rule over tho conquered tcrritUry-prcscrib-
| ing, However, certain limitations and regulations
in restraint OF martial law; and at the same timc
,Ssrtn r to S the ,nabhnt thu privilege @ md The
| States might organize Il legal government and be
readmitted 10 the Union.
| Now, the question Tor tho South il whether to
reject this last opportunity md thereby challenge
Congress to do its worst, or, by acceplng in good
faith tho proilorsd pro terms I", an end to seven
least, if not political power, large measure Of
political rights.
Tho fruits OF the policy of the past seven years
! thx l,nt.r -
clement offered by President Lincoln on tho ith Of
March, 1851, i'll his iirsl inaugural address, and
tho terms now proftred by Congress- in the Act Of
accepted tho wealth, prosperity and power Of the
South would have remained unimpaired, and all
4 the sacricrs OF long war saved.
Aclniesecnco now in tho measures provided by
Congress- to restore tranquility and establish legal
State governments in the conquered territory, ii
| OF allegiance and received amnesty. For at most
il cun only be said TINT tho measures of Congress
in'rScH Yrs7l.tisc .rrNDlishnd tho institutions nr
inatitutons lnadc us enemies in war, then with
out homogeneous institutions wo may not, oven IN
| peace, bo friends.
It may bc assumed tlat,no disability will be r,-
moved from those who resist, oppose, or dscour-
age reconstruction. In every State whero terms
offered by Congress slai be rejected, it is plain
That ttlenceiorth political power will be aogetcr
| anu iiIlny rcmttctl To tho hands of those WHO
have over been layal to tho Union. by tho rejcc-
tnn oi The terms Of reconciliation now offered,
! ind themselves without possessions without
franchises and no longer tho peer OF the bunblcsf
citizen oi the republicand then will Tho rebellion
| have workod upon its nnrcpcntant authors lis own
impressive and signal reribution.
The particular grounds Of complaint suggested
| in yonr rcmonstranee remain to bo considered
You tako exception to paragraph VII of GEN
oral Orders 80, which declares That certain con-
tracls If hereafter mado by dealers in intoxicstin,.
liGmors shall be deemed anil troltcd within this
paragraph *. General Orders 32 abolishne dis
tross for rent, aud substituting in lieu thereof cor
tain liens; also to General Orders TO- staying the
dcbts. II il TO be inforred from your statements
TINT you regard tho revocation of these orders as
essential TO tho interests Of those engaged in conf
1t Is not always possible to extend to commerce
tle iaciltes most dosirod by merchants. 1t should
DO romem4croa tiiat whiie it is tho province of
commerce 10 direct tho material resources and Gu
ergios OF tho country into channels of ontorDriso
that nollrish material and moral dovelopment yet
commerce. itself is dependent upon domestic sccu-
rty anl! confidence, and tho pr0luctiyouess in la
bor IN tho departments oi agriculture and manu-
| !aetnres, So far from complaining Of temporary
is to control tho currency and capital Of tho Conn
| try should DO willing to forego other peculiar
privileges for tho sake of promoting the produc-
Lions OF labor from which tho profits OF commerce
| arc mainly derived,
No. S2 because certain Northern, Western and for
od liquors for sale within this Military District;
THAT tho customs duties on foreign liquors. and
the excise tna Up don6atie liquors, had been paid;
and you regard 1t as nh act Of injustice to these
parties 10 suddenly withdraw all protection from
said property against fire, md nlao to protect tho
owners OF said properly from collecting their just
debts ut common law" Ynu will find, by referring
to tho paragraph IN question, thnt il has not tho
retrospective operation complained Of It docs
not Interfere with cOntrncIB or sale storage or in
auFanea already nudo whom The order wont into
operation, nor docs it prevent Tho Balo Of such
liquora by properly licensed dealer, who con-
forms to tho prescribed regulations for this traffic.
The objection presented by yon to paragraph N
| of General Orders No. 80, abolishing distress for
rent, has been repeatedly rejected by the courts of
tho country. 10 modify remedy for tlin enforce
mont OF contracts docs not impair their obligation
In several OF tho States OF Tho Union tho abolition
OF distress FOR rent has been onaGtod without re-
gard to existing leases md tho proprioty OF such
| legislation ilas been indicialy sanctioned, Whilo
| approving tho measure at largo, you base yonr
only objection to II OH the erroneous 8Ipposition
| TINT parttes making contracts Iinvo right to de-
inand that thero shall be no change in tho princi
plc or policy OF tho cotle OF procedure during the
existence OF such contracts. Al tho duration OF
contracts il ordinarily within the control of tho
| contracting parties, you will perceive that tho
effect OF Your proposition would DO To subject tho
public interests, concerned in tho administration
Of justice, TO tho RterestB and caprice OF in
| diyiduas.
| In proceeding to consler your objections to
General Order No. 10, staying certain remedies for
tho collection OF debit il will bo proper first to no.
tico your statement that tho Legislature OF South
Caronn passed. q law tor tho Same purpose, and
| which, as yon obsorvo, was declared by Tho Court
Of Gf Appeals unconstitutional. This circumstance
had grcat wcigllt in tho PRONUNCIATION Of tho order
| in QlcNti0N Tho nnfinn nf In ouip pIoI,