The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-09-12
WHERE ARE WEI
friends.

citizen of the United States reloiced in the
possession of the most perfect liberty that ii
was possible for man to enjoy 1t seems but
Yesterday that we had n country prosperous at
home, and capable of protecting its citizens
abroad. which performed all of its functions
without direct taxation, by means Of moderate
duties on imports and by the sale of its public
lands. To-day the United States groan under
an accumulation of debt, which is shacKle
OH every industrious man in the country. we
have no right to complain of the debt. IL
grew ont of the war in which we took part
the war inauguratcd by the clash of Northern
and Southern opinion. We do not believe II
impossible to get rid of the burthen in very
few years. as compared to the life of nation
The resources of this country, unbounded rs
thew are would soon enable our enterprising
population to free themselves from the yoke, II
the country were united and policy pur-
sued marked with ordinary wisdom We have
no right to complain Of taxation. That scourge
grew out of tho war, and OF necessity
followed the war. We have no right to
complain of the paper currency which is flood
ing the country, and tending to paralyze its en-
erries. That, too, is a creature of the war
We have no right TO complain of any thing
which was necessarily a result of the frightful
conflict through which we have passed; but
we have right as men to complain when our
rights are trampled in the dust We have
right and an interest as American citizens TO
protest against the deprivation Of our liberty,
and TO warn our fellow citizens Of the dangers
by which we are threatened. We have right
to protest against any and every ungenerous act
committed by our former foe AMI TO complain,
when the state of WASHINGTON, that grand
old Commonwealth, the mother Of Presidents,
and of Statesmen, is under the absolute control
of a military commander whose only title to
authority is the sword which he wears and
the gun of his subaltern. We have right to
protest, when the land of MADISON and MAR
SHALL the great framer, and the great ex-
pounder of the Constitution, is known not by
her proud name of Virginia, but by that of Dis
trict No. l. We have right TO complain when
our own loved State, certainly not the least
among the old thirteen, the home of CHARLES
PlNcKXEY, and of JOHN RuTLEDGE, is known
as part of District No. 2. We have q right to
when ten stars are practically OBJ
liberated on the national banner, and when the
stripes on that flag are the emblem of political
DEGRADATION to ten States of the Union. We
have right, and it is our duty to raise our
voice against the evils that surround us; and
though our warning may be unheeded, it is
none the less our duty to proclaim the truth.
Let him refuse to hear who chooses to be deaf.
TIN his head be the responsibility, on him let
the punishment be visited.
We do not desire 10 be understood as offering
resistance to the Reconstruction Acts of Con-
grcss We believe them to be unconstitutional.
We think them unwise. We are satisfied that
the same ends might have been accomplished
by more statcsmanlike means; but we know, too,
that those laws are sustained by military
power and sanctioned by the will and malig-
nifty of an ambitious and irritated majority.
The South is powerless, and no sight can be
more pitiful than senselcss resistance. She
can, however, appeal to the sober sense Of the
North, and hope for better days while submit
ting to her fate with manly fortitude and pa
tent endurance.
History is constantly repeating ITSELF yet
the party in power refuses to acknowledge its
teachings or to profit by its example. History
teaches us that whenever the checks and bal
ances in q government are destroyed-when-
ever one branch of government encroaches on
the other, some portion of liberty, perhaps all
liberty, is lost. The party in power have at
tempted to make, and, if they succeed, will
make the legislative override the other two
branches of the government. The New York
TriLune, the ablest exponent of the party, coun
sells Gen. GRANT to disobey his commanding OIL
ce under the Constitution, and says that ''if he
had done that, he would have done what the
and Congress wants" In the same
article and with the knowledge that Deputy
Marshal of the United States represented in
North Carolina the majesty of the law, it says
"a rebel Deputy Marshal of the United States
is more powerful to-day than the General of
the Army of the United States" Where are
we. To what point are we drifting. when the
abest organ of the Radical party, edited by one
of the ablest men in either party, counsels in
one and the same article resistance to and vio
ation of the Constitution, contempt for the
Judiciary, and open, unlawful opposition on the
part of subordinate to his superior under the
Constitution, the President Of the United
States.
Many of the advocates of these doctrines are
rood men, honest men, and some Of them great
ucn. Their goodness, their honesty, and their
greatness, only make their opinions the more
dangerous, and the necessity to combat them
he more urgent Because of their capacity, it
: the more necessary to show the end to which
heir doctrines must lead.
The will Of the majority is, ut present, TO use
military power TO make new experiments in
politics on the States of the South; though when
IN atcmpt is made to carry out the same en-
pertinent in the North, such men as Mr.. Sena
or TnrMnuLL pronounce the effort unconstiiu-
ona My OK and your hull are very different
hings from your OK and my bull. This is their
rule of conduct. This is their theory of gov
,rnment II cannot, however, be pretended
hat this theory is logical. The history of mill
larry governments through the entire world
$ the same IL matters not how good may be
hc intentions with which the soldier begins
his work. lie is not only fond of power, hut
ic is also aggressive. Not only is he unwilling
o surrender his power, but he is also always
lesirous of adding TO his strength. Where
here is military government, there can no lib