The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-08-29


and rights unimpaired," they basely betrayed the
people of the North, by subordinatlng the interests
and rights Of ten States to the effort to perpetuate
the power OF their party, falsfyng while they dld
so, every pledge which they had made during the
continuance Of the war. The war, which was pro
fessedly waged solely for the restoration Of the
Union, in its progress, degenerated into the open
attempt on the part Of its authors, to consolidate
and perpetuate Radical rule, and government,
which was founded on the noble maxim, that
governments derive their just powers from the
consent Of the governed" has been perverted to
the base ends OF subjecng ten millions Of its peo-
pie to o military despotism.
That I may not be accused Of stating this pro-
position in stronger language than is warranted
ton to the following extract from an article which
emanated from Massachusetts,. Bearing the I'M
pr,mdtlr Of Boston, its language, which, had it
been uttered here, might have smacked OF treason,
can be regarded only as loyal:
".he principle;" says the writer, "on which the
war was waged by the North, was simply this !:
That men may rightfully be compelled to submit
to and support government that they DO not
want and that resistance on their part makes
them traitors and criminals. No principle that is
possible to be named can be moro selt-evidently
false than this, or more sefevidently fatal to all
political freedom. Yet it triumphed in the field
and it is now assumed TO be established. II it be
really established; the number Of slaves, instead
Of having been diminished by the war, has been
government that he does not want, is slave and
there s no difference in principle, but only in de-
gree. between political and chattel slavery. The
former, no less than the latter, denies mans
ownership OF himself and the products OF his
labor, and asserts that other men may own him
and dispose of him and his property for their uses
and at their pleasure. Previous to the war, there
were some grounds for saying, that in theory, at
least, If not in practice, our government was free
one-that it rested on consent. But nothing OF
that kind can be said now, if the principle on
which the war was carried on by the NORTH ls IRE
vocably established"
Here we are told in emphatic language, by q
Northern man, whose mind cannot be obsoured
certainly by the socaled heresies OF Southern doc
trlnes, what was the principle on which the war
was waged by the North and We are warned
God grant the warning may not be in yain-what
will be the result If this principle is irrevocably
established. Let it be established, and We may
bid adieu to constitutional liberty-republcan in;
stitutions will be swept away In the storm that will
arise and We shall enter on those dark and gloomy
scenes which always prscede nations death.
The time will then indeed have come Tor us to
prag. in the words Of fearless and eloquent son
of Georgia, for the speedy advent OF the Amerl-
can Caesar" The whole recent legislation OF the
only in view to break down all the barriers Of the
Constitution Of the United States to ignore the
immortal truths Of the great rebellion Of T6, and
to convert o Government, which had, rs it's only
foundation, ".the consent OF the governed, INTO
one sustained by force alone, None OF the radicals
They admit-perhaps I should say, rather, they
trust-that these measures are unconstltutionai,
while they endeavor to make the South ratify
them, by arousing and appealing to the basest
passions Of human nature, fear and cupl@IY.
They threaten us with conisc alton, on the one
hand il We do not accept these measures they
give them the semblance OF law while on the other
they attempt to bribe those among us who are
30 base and venal as to be willing to purchase
immunity for themselves by selling the liberties
OF their country.
Are these despicable motives strong enough to
corrupt the virtue OF the Southern people2 Will
that people, who have proved themselves capable
of making any and a1 sacrifices for the sake of
their principles, sink 30 low as to buy the mere
privilege to ive-even if they live sayes-by giving
ali that makes life itself worth having? Will they
allow their action to be Influenced by threats?
Threats can never govern brave men. Are they
afraid Of confscatioas by Congress-? II they adopt
suffer confscaton in its worst and most tyrsnnioai
form, through the reconstructed" States. II ID
for them to determine these momentous questions
for themselves. They have already carried con-
cession to the verge Of folly. Hear what another
Northsr writer says on this point:
"The progrslume of the ruling party cannot be
altered or changed by cohoes.ions, That has been
tried in the South. All the demands Of Congress
have been complied with by the States lately in
revolt, They have altered their constitutions,
tended to the condition af the freedmen, repu-
dated the debt contracted by them for 5ar pHr-
poses, and in this manner showed their snxiety to
resume constitutional relations with the Federal
Government. But each concession has been met
States have been surnbd Into military divisions,
fen Governors, chosen by the people, supetseded
by ave Brigadier- Generals, ard the will OF mi
nority Gongrsss placed over and above the power
and authority OF the Cong Golstitntion. -,
In order to carry out this salfsas Rhtea vas s CON
gress, the Southern States are made subject to
military tyranny, without limitation or responsi.
bity, pr other checks or instructions, than that it
snail use ts powers Ntsraly to carry out the po, ,
itioa purposes Of the riding party n t5s matt nation ~
mands been so productive Of benefit that we stu
desire 10 pursue it Are prepared, for the SAKE
of expediency-that fatal fallacy which has lured
us 50 tat on the road to destruction1that Trojan
Horse which has Sa 1t aa 0t to ns
Yet this is the course we must follow, IL #e heaeIt
farms which We know to be contrary to the condi.
tions en- which we surrendered, which are mimi
cal to all true reconciliations, and which are in
Ss SPs1 nsea sa Papaee shss Constitution WHICH
swear to support, at the very moment We are gross.
ly outrragin8 its most sacred provisions. Would
not thoss who vote for these laws, knowing them
to be unconstitutional, be guilty OF perjury what
good can come Of laws which begin Id ffaad ARd
can be carried into effect only by perjury Let me
not be understood as making any reflection on those
Southern men who honestly and conscientiously
adyocate otr acceptance Of these military bills. Any
divisions anbng fns are to be deprecated, and it
is as unwise as il is upkipa to it4pnga the MotXes
Of men who, on manys field hage proved ttelF
devotion to the South. Especially do regret the
r,r, Uh mala that
BsllApt soldier who 30 long and 30 ably led the
Virginia: It'has besn his hard fate, in peace as in
war, to be wounded by his own people. That
diSfrust Il our own Judgment, should make US
kindly and proper constellation But tor those
,swho see the right, and yet the wrong pursue,'
who. while their country seems to be struggling
in the thress Of dseath, consult only their own
base fears and low Instincts 70 save their
vile property or still more yil6 persons, would de-
grade their state-who bid us accept dishonor as
the price of safety-anguage has no terms strong
enough to brand their infamy. They are as far
beyond the reach Of adequate punishment in this
world as they are beneath fbe scorn and contempt
OF all honorable men.
But to return to the consideration Of the Recon.
struetiop Acts, from which this digression has
led me. What inducements do the advocates Of
these measures hold out to us to accept them?
Can they promise us peace2 Look at Tennessee,
and learn what kind of peace we are to have. Can
they promise us IN acceptable State Constitution,
one that will not be interfered with by Congress2
Look at Delaware, Maryland and Kentucky-three
''loyal sovereign states-which are to be put on
trial before star chamber committee on the
charge Of not having Republican constitutions.
Can they promise restoration Of The Union2 The
Radical rulers expressly declare that thsir mea-
sures are not 'tfinalities" Can they promise oven
that doubtful good representation in tho Congress
of the United Statesi refer you to Kentucky,
| whose representatives are lSnominiously rejected
because rebels voted for theml But suppose that
the State accepts the terms proposed by the mill
tary bills-that she agrees to the permanent and
total exclusion from hor councils OF the intellect,
the experience, the wisdom, and tho patriotism,
Which, in times past, gave her lustre-that instead
of those noble qualities aud virtues, she commits
her political destnes to the guidance ofignorance,
inexperience, folly and radicalism she adopts
constitution disfranchsing forever the men VINO,
in obeying her command to defend her, be-
i ~