The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-06-29
THE ISSUE BEFoRn. us.

We mentioned in our remarks yesterday on
this subject, TINT there arc few among us who
openly oppose registration; but we, neyerths-
less, feared thsro would be large number Of
our citizens, not disfrnnchised by the, Act. whn
themselves of this privilege. We arc confirm
cd in this belief from what wo sec and read of
as going on in the other Southern States where
registration has been in progress for some
time. Tho negroes everywhere register
promptly, whilo the number of whitos who
have registered is out Of all proportion to the
number Of voters in tho several cities, counties
or States before, or eyen during tho war.
Sometimes the number registered is less than
| onc-half tho number Of foreign voters And
| This is tho case, notwithstanding the oft re-
pcated and most urgent appeals from the en-
tire Southern press in fayor of registration;
for whatever tho opinion entertained by any Of
our public men OF journals as to the constitu-
tionality of tho Reconstruction Act, or tho wis
dom of somo of Its features and provisions, all
are agreed as to the policy, the absolute and
vital Importance of evcrybody's registering,
who has boon disfranchised by the snid Act
The reasons for this are so pnlpable that they
must strike every discerning mind upon mo-
mcnt's reflection. Not single sound argu-
4 ment can be adduced against IL; and indeed
we DO not remember either hearing or reading
such one attempted.
In our article of yesterday VIC indicated the
motives that may be expected to influence
some, in either refusing or neglccting to regis
ter. The principal cause, however, in our
opinion, must be looked for in tho practical
| opposition TO the whole scheme Of Rcconstruc-
tion under the present Act, by many citizens
of education and influence, who, whilo they
oil advocate registration and make no direct
nnd public efforts to oppose tho progress of
reconstruction, yet ut the snme timo make no
secret Of their hostility to tho Act, and per-
sonally will do nothing 10 further its execution.
II cnn Of course not be expected TINT ignorant
people, or such as are not accustomed to give
much thought 10 political subjects, should be
! able to unravel these complicato meshes of
| contradictory advice and example on tho part
Of those to whom they have always been in
the hnbt Of looking for direction in matters of
public policy. The trumpet of their leaders
gives forth no certain sound; bewildcred by
at loss to decide on the precise nature of
their duty, they yield 10 the innate prejudice,
which of course prompts them 10 stand aloof
| from the whole business and machinery of
reconstruction.
For this no one is to blame but the afore-
| named lenders of public opinion. These are
quite desirouB for o cessation of our present
anomalous state,--so detrimental to our ma
terial prosperity, no less thnn painfully
humiliating, and fraught with danger, because
tending by its indefinite prolongation to sub
vert all constitutional liberty. Yet they are
themselves unwilling to take hold, nfraid, pro-
badly, Of soiling their dainty hands Phsy are
in hopes that there will be people enough with
out them to take the State back into the Union,
and that hereafter, when things shall have
settled down, they will be able to come before
the people and sny, awe have kept our hnnds
| olear; VIC hive not bowed the knee to BAAL;
we have not touched tho accursed thing, etc.,
ETC." We all know the vocabulary of dema-
gogio claptrap, always at hand, when poll
ticians are desirous of making capital, by
appealing to the prejudces of the people. This
| they arc even now doing in covert manner;
plain enough, however, to give us m adumbrn-
tion OF their future course. They are not safe
guides. HH,
again 'nero are "~- --L~ arc nlways in the
opposition. Antngonism is their element. In
IL they live and move, and have their being.
Their idiosyncrasy is to argue ON "the olher
SIDE" They arc constitutionally opposed TO
the established order of things For years be-
fore the war ihoy preached a crusade against
the United States Government; during the
war they opposed the Confederate administra-
tion; and now, with consistent inconsistency,
they oppose the Congressional plan Of recon
struction. II may be very wholesome to have
such censors in commonwealth, whether m.
pointed or self.constituted, matters not; but
certainly no sanc man can think them aafe
leaders Of the people. Their course and their
doctrine arc in thoir very nature imprac clcable,
and the greater the in1uonce they exercise
upon community, the more serious tho ruin
ou' consequences certain to onsue upon such
teaching.
Generals LEE, JoHsToN, BEAURHoAnp, Hoop,
LoNdsTREEr, HAMPToN, and their many diuin-
guished oonfreres and companions in arms ore
better and surer guides In the present juno
ture Of our affairs. They engaged in the cause
Of tho Confederaoy, honestly, and gave 10 Il
oil their heart and all their energies. When
the fate Of war had decided against us, thew
surrendered their swords, and accepted the
conditions Of their victors; and these they
have ever since been honestly carrying out. Il
Is needless to soy, that they havo not deemed
such o course Incompatible with honor. And
what these, our most distinguished and best
beloved Generals have done, all our people
may safely do. What court of honor can there
bo constituted, that shall be more satisfactory.
more entitled to the absolute and entire conf. |
dence Of the people Of the South, than one COM |
posed Of tho houored captains, who rendered
her brief span Of national history brilliant and
glorious In the annals Of tho worldi Lot no !
man allogs that hia honor prevents his regis
tcring or voting. Our honor is safe in the /
keeping OF such men US LEE and H.Mpros,
LoKosrnRRr, JoHssTos, and BEAunRaAap.
Boomer or later, every honest man in the
South will acknowledge this, practically at
least, II !, not confessedly. Would il not bo wise,
manly, and moro In accordance with the priu
oiplos Of honor to do SO now, and to 10 Il
openly fa-"