The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1867-06-11
COLUMBIA.
Tuesday Morning, June IL, 1887.



''1. To organize a Conservative
Union party, opposed to the adop-
tion, by the State of Georgia, of the
unconstitutional and oppressive Act
known as the SHERMAN Military
Bill" believing said Act subversive
of the union of the States, and wholly
destructive to the cherished princi-
pies of magma charta and civil Ii
berty.
''2. To,urge the people to register
and unite for the purpose of main
tanning the Union as restored by the
recognized policy of his Excellency
the President of the United States"
We do not doubt the patriotism of
the callers of this meeting, but we
doubt the wisdom of the movement.
Although they had the full permis-
sion of Gen. Pope to hold the meet
ing, yet, SO far as any good can result
from it, it is, we think, great mis-
take to commence the organization
of any party outside the platform of
the reconstruction laws of Congress.
Our reasons are simply these: That
in no other way than through the
operation of these laws can the South
be restored to the Union for years to
come; that restoration is her first and
greatest need; that it is unwise for
the people of these States to go to
the support of the policy of the Pre-
sident at this late day, when that
policy has been defeated over and
over again, and despite o number of
vetoes, by the Legislative Depart
ment, and not sustained by the Judi
cial Department, of the Government;
that the breach between the Execu-
we and Congress ought to be con-
tracted, instead of widened; and
that lastly, the organization of parties
at the South, and especially of any
party whose object is to fight against
the reconstruction laws, is not only
futile, but must lead to distractions,
among people where all should be
harmony, and may end in such o
strife as will be ruinous to our sec
ton.
For these reasons, we deprecate
any such movements as that referred
to. The laws referred to may be un-
constitutional, but the Supreme
Court, before which tribunal they
have been brought, has not said so.
Then why agitate the people with n
fruitless issue? If Georgia, or any
other State, South, refuses to coll o
convention, or to adopt constitu-
ton, in conformity with the require
ments of the law, that State will not
be admitted, and, indeed, if any con-
siderable number of the excluded
States should take such action, we
doubt very much if any of them
would be admitted. Is the South
prepared for q continuance of the
present condition of affairs for some
years longer? We do not think so.
Capital shuns the impoverished South
SO long as her political relations are
unsettled and una ijusted; labor, me-
chanical skill, investments in manu-
factures, all shrink from coming to
the States which may remain under
military rule for years. And this is
natural-capital is only safe under
permanent civil rule, and immigra-
ton has other and more promising
fields to go to, where this permanency
exists, and where the rewards of labor
are not threatened or disturbed by
public uncertainty, or the danger Of
organic changes in the political rela-
tions of the communities in which
they locate.
If the people OF the South will Sc
riously consider these matters, we
cannot believe that they will be led
astray by any set OF politicians, how
ever plausible may be their theories,
or however right in the past may
have been their doctrines. The only
road to prosperity, now, is, to con-
form to the circumstances which sur
round us.
MORAL Observation-Disclosures -=The