The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-06-05
DrFFICULTIEs OF MILITARY RECON.
sTRUCTION.

The entire term Of the 39th congress anu
the initial fraction of the 10th were spent IN
quarrelling over the vexed question Of Recon-
struction. This was time misspent, as is now
seen very clearly. At the last moment the
SHERMAN Bill was hurried through both
Houses, and became a.law. It virtually sbro-
gates oil existing laws in the ten States, IN IN
which it is in operation. This OF course was
easy enough to do. A stroke Of the pen may
suffice to destroy the labor Of the accumulated
wisdom of years. But the difficulty of carry
ing on government of ten States and over
from seven to ten millions of people, who have
been so long in the enjoyment Of civilization
and free government, that however they may
be restricted in their liberties; it is found
that, the machinery Of society cannot be con-
Quoted upon more general principles. In the
absence of statutary enactments, virtually
abolished by, the. Reconstruction Act, re-
peated recourse to general orders" " is found
necessary. How. much. better it would have
been if Congress, instead Of wasting time IN
long .spdsohes and idle discussions had well
digested the organic Act, and clearly, and in
uniaEiastakeabie language told us what it is pre-
cisely,; they desire us to do Many Of our citl-
zens. with the best wishes, are unable to
comprehend the full measure Of their dutie''
because ignorant Of their status. If Congress
had presented us with such q code, there
would have been uniformity in the administra-
ti6n of the iaw-uniformity Of time and Of
action. .,,, 49,. II F..a ...s.s.l,., ~. -
For a time it was hoped the Attorney Gene
raj, the; regularly appointed eonstruer and OK
FOUNDER Of obscure Acts Of Congress, would
rive ;us .ahelear and authoritative exposition
of our duties and disabilities. In this we were
again doomed to be disappointed The District
Commanders are thus thrown upon their own
resources; but it seems they meet with much
eensoriOus comment in. the exerciEe, Of what
they deem both their prerogative and their
autyas 1854 81, I05Gs}3s 81, al i ~
Thus Gen soHor1.LD gives "warning" to the
Riohmond Time. for using Language Ofs disloy-
al tendency, and he is .pplauded BY the Radi-
Gals; and censured BY the Conservative and in
dependent press. AT another time he ferbids
the delivery Of public lecture, and his action
is commented ppen in precisely ths same man
ner. Gen. Popl writes sharp letter to Gov.
JENKINS for having written eertsin address
to the people Of Georgia, Of which tbs Com
mander Of District No. 8 does not approve.
The act is highly commended by Radicals, but
criticised by others an trsnsoending his powers,
andiptsrfering with the right Of free speech.
The, latest instance. Of the kind is the, sup
preston Of the Mobile Republican by General
sw41ss. The Tribune says:i i.'. 4i9 ''.-4'''
''Tls suppression Of the Mobile Republican, for
the publication OF an article netting the reeamen
to violence, appesrsto to be proof that the power
Of the military is impafGsnY used in that city.
That Is precisely what we Wsnt-absolute justice
in the South, without regard to color"
On the other hand, the New York Leader, .
Democratic organ, says: .zf,ua
gail must deprecate the suppression Of the Rsdi-
cal Newspaper at Mobael However incendiary .
newspaper may be, all lovers Of liberty believe IN
the free speech and free press which. once tho
Republicans so hypocriticany shouted In chorus"
% This ground, though from different motives,
is held also by the Epening Post i questions
the right Of District Commanders to take any
oognizanoe Of what the papers say. "They were
sent there, net 10 4stop or interfere with free
discussion, but to sustain it. They were sent
there BY Congress to keep the peace, to keep
mems "a a. hands from each others throats during
the discussions, necessarily bitter and violent,
because long restrained and upon questions Of
vital, importance, which it was seen must ae-
company the reconstruction movement. Their
chief duty is to defend free discussion, to seeto
it that no bitterness Of prejudice, no class
hatred, mo ignorant and brutal tanatioism, shall
Interfere With the freest discussion by voice
and pen; this is, in fact, almost their only i'm
portant duty-and when military officer for
gets this, and actually suppresses newspaper,
andsstopsj freq discussion. by the military pow
sr4Ldoss precisely that thing which he had no
business either to do, or 10 let any one else do"
Such are some Of the difficulties Of practical
reconstruction, and yet, We fear, we have
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