The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1867-04-10
From the Darlington SouthernerJ
What Ought the South to Do.

done; the blood Of our risrlyred sons in
quantities too great to be "drank" by the
politicians who assured us there would be
mo war" is now the food Of plants ofthe
tie'dgall over the South the wheat, the
co'tOp. the corn and the wild flowers o.
she forest rejoice and fat,sn upon The new
fertilizer, OF human pu'refaction, and We
who have survived are but The wrecks of
our former selves. We nave done onr
best; nothing has been wi,hheidfrom the
alter of our country, which a generous.
selt-sacriicing patriotism demanded. In
surveying the terrible ruins Of the mast.
we think tire time has arrived for us TO
take connse! of our own deliberate iudC-
ment. ssto what is best to be done for
the future. No p-sNon or. exci,emen,
ssond cast i,s hues over the naked facts
hv which We are surroundsi, and in this
spirit we should I've prepared 10 express
our opinion as 20 the course which ,hou'd
he pursued by the State Of South Carolina
at this period Of her evon'fh history
We have been counsenel, unwiseIy,
not 10 act upon the terms Of reconstruction
which are now offered, under the recent
enas,ments Of ,hs C,ny,sss of,bo 1r.;,od
States, hut 70 remr'n the passive victim.
Of such farther .,iI,,;on .s NAV ,rooo,,
,fe,.f,on, w. r,I.rs,onl ,lo.,
t. he the assembling Of ,hs Iea;sI,,u,o
rhe call Of q Co,vep,;o, ,b,,.h,
election n he be,a for norto,, ,Lo.r
on N. pri-ci,ls oruniver.s, srr,ao
Wherein us ana can ,o,A ~, Lu,;;i,i
TO a sea, who hav;n, o,co,.lon ou
"a an off ~rs, ,o sunno,, ,.o.Co,.,;,,,,;
of,he United S,res srsrw,r,. ,i3ol;,
the so-:,U.,l r.h.ilI;o, -,r,o, a., C.,;
tuition. Of the Slate sho,Il ,k .o..,,,
on rh,. ha.i.. and the accan,src. - ,ho
Constitutional Amendment Gx;r, III.
representation Of The S,,,o ,cco,li,r o.
the ratio of IFS voting rorur,.;oo. AL
also disoua,f,iuc for Office az roso w,o
are excluded from voting, or ,arvi,a.os
members in such proposed Conyar,io,
This is, biichv, .wha, we Understand we
are ex pec'ei 10 accept or.reiec, remain
passive is not n neutral nosi,i,n. h,s .
substantially a positive rei.c,ion. Wbar
we ara called upon to affirm. the refusal,
to do so, especially in split Of imno,an,
malice, is to denv We r4y,,d !, q.
crual misfortune that We have been re.
drced to such an alternative. We follow
ed tie advice Of those whom we them re-.
sgarded. and still do regard, a. our well
meaning friends. when we first consent.r,
TO stake our all upon the experiment of a
political revolution. TIE events have
proven no" mh"h we can 'ntfrr, and how
m"rh we ca" forgive-for We have. dared
tor them to reject tbs Constitutional A.
mendment, which threatened to disqua'ifv
"nr promnept roIit'cal leaders We still
! hoped to preserve fo' them the political
rank they Dad always occupied, and % do
th's' consented to remain with them out
OF the Union. rather than to accept re-
! ""r"''oH which excluded than. The
event has shown how hopeless was tn.
eh"r'' tor we are now told that our peace
and uanq1irty tepsnd upon our accept
'nG not only the Constitutional Amend
ment' but the farther condition that the
negro shall be allowed to vote. We can
see now that it would have been much
better 70 have accepted it at first, than to
be compelled to'do so after its having
been made far more Objectionable thar
It ever was.
We have suffered. much-yerv mncI
but the cup has not been drained I,