The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-05-02
RUNIORS.

| RUhIORS
One Of the evils of military government
undoubtedly is the uncertainty which belongs
to its action-that is to say, people..never know
when circumstances may require, IN the opln-
ion of those. who administer it, orders which
NAV affect existing laws. And this uncertainty
always exerts an unfavorable influence upon
the business of country. But we ought to
recollect that in Government like ours even
military authority is modified by the atmos-
pLere in which it exists, and we have no rea-
son to anticipate such On exercise OF absolute
power as has marked Austrian rule in Milan
and Venice, or Russian rule in Warsaw. Like
every o.her power on this continent military
power will to great extent, represent the
opinion and the prejudices of the people. and
depend as much after all upon popular sympa-
thy as armed strength. Like all other old
governmental forms, we have adopted its prin-
ciple but have very much modified its action
We think, therefore, that however anxious
we may be for its removal, and however active
ly we may employ those judicious and proper
means by which it will be rendered unneces-
sary, our people ought to be on their guard
against the exaggerations of its exercise, which
public rumor is always suggesting. Every
now and then people allow themselves to be
Hurried and excited by the rumor that some
thing very extreme is going to be done, and
the expression Of irresponsible and subordi-
nate oticials is reported from mouth to mouth,
| to the discomfort of men who really want to
attend quietly to thoir own business.
Now, it seems to US that things have ad-
yanced far enough under the Reconstruction
Act for sensible men: to form a tolerable deh-
Finite idea of what are it's purposes, and how it
will operate Circumstances may, of course,
| occur which may render some extraordinary
! exercise Of military power necessary. 1t wll
be much to be regretted if this should be So,
but we do not see the probability of any such
| occurrence :; - ,.'''tl-' :. - -
The whole State seems determined quietly
and thoroughly to, do its part, and the recent
public meetings in Pickens, Lexington; Rich
Hand Sumter and Marion all indicate the Prev
slenee of kindly and healthy feeling, and JUS
tify the anticipation not only that there will be
| mo conflict between the races, but that white
and black will move harmoniously together
toward q common: result. ;i
We think, therefore, that our people should
discourage all anticipation Of evil-that they
should. wait for actual orders before they be-:
llieve in the probability Of mischievous inter
| ference in their daily habits and avocations,
and that they should feel secure that as long
as. they seo the ,civil and municipal.ofhsers Of
| the. State doing their duty, such officers will
continue. in the proper discharge of their i'm
| portant functions. -,
Nor should we Be made uneasy by the re-
ports Of violent opinions which the telegraph
may scatter. over the country from prominent
men,, In times like these there always will be
| men with distempered Ivers and very bad tenn
pers, and the more violent they are, the more
likely is it that the weaker they feel. Wethink
nothing in the history of the last Congress
clearer, than that the men who claimed to be
leaders we're the mere followers Of public
opinion, and that just Us surely as the great
F, mass of public opinion manifests its wish that
this vexed question of reconstruction shall be
closed, just SO soon will these leaders find am
pie reason for following again.. Mr.. STE
VEINS may be an exception. His career,
however it is to be readiin history, is drawing
to its close He has done his work, such as it is.
His peculiar bitterness and yindictiveness be-
long to the individuality of: his character, and
Us he looks forward to no large future, it is
very easy to see why he should be unwilling to
the very last to sacrifice these characteristics
which have made him noticeable in life, and
which will give interest to his historical por-
trait after death.
We do not think our people need be disturb
ed by such dying malice as is manifested+in his
last t1utterances.
If we will 20 on steadily and resolutely as
we have begun with the work of reconstruction,
| upon the conviction that the whole country
wants peace and restoration, and will sustain
this act! if fairly complied with as finality-
if we will devote our energies to the business
of every day life, which is hard enough and
Ilarge'enough before us, without listening to or
believing every idle rumor that this or that e1-
traordinary thing is to be done, we will find
ourselves at the end of the year nearer to a
solution of our difficulties than we could rea-
sonably have hoped two months ago, and that
solution which we believe will offer to all our
people new and brighter prospects of success
full industry and prosperous life.