The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1867-02-21

Banks Plan of Reconstruction.
The National Republican says: S'f If reconstfnc-
ton has become stale and hackneyed affair Gen
eral Banks manner of dealing with it certainly
did not have those defects. 1t was startlngly
fresh under his manpuations, and unique beyond
the dreams of eccenricity as he shaped it,
"The main idea of his speech was, that the
consolidation of tho South Upon the subject of
slavery, in every proposed scheme of reconstruc-
tion, would be retained; that under any plan here
tofore proposed, whether Presidential or Legisla-
tive, for re-cstablishment, the South would be
restored in the same compact and undivided COM
bination that it had when it contcnded for slavery
within the Union and fought to have independ-
cnce out of it. General Banks policy is to dis
solve the unity and atomze the South. He pro-
cceds to re-organize the individual, rather than
the united Southern States, and utterly disarm it
from; the capacity of Confcdcracy. lie would
put the States lately insurgcnt one by one under
commission, andradically rebuild the whole frame
work of civil society at the South, by eliminating
from the body polite their controlling and ruling
elements, calling into being the common orders of
society. The proposition has nothing whatever to
say concerning the legal attitude of the States, as
States under the Constitution but deals solely with
the'lochl governments as the war and subsequent
events find them. In nutshell, the plan is to
divide the theatre Of rebellion and prevent its
political unity, and to eradicate and extcrminate
from public influence what has before been known
as the South. The problem of annihilating the
civilization of vast section of the country, and
conjuring into life, through the agency of three
commissioners, new system of society, is too
vast and involves too many profound questions of
humanity and craftsmanship for us to give it our
approval, without the most serious refe ction.-
We will say, however, that if General Banks plan
is questionable, the character and manner of his
speech was unexceptionable 1t was high-toned
and admirable as composition, and wholly de-
void of yapid defamation, unmanly trihes and
indccorous personalities. The most gratifying
feature of the Generals speech to us, is the fear
full and fatal havoc he made of the programme to
give over to West Point the custody of the States.
If he does not succeed in convincing thc-c5tfitry
of the propriety of his own scheme, he will have
succeeded in burying deeper than pummct ever
sounded" the rank and offensive attempt to ini-
tate military despotism in this Republic"
General Cobb.
The National Lntclligencer, of the 18th, has no.
tcc of distinguished citizen of Georgia, now on
q visit to the national capital:
sGencral Howell Cobb, of Georgia, former
Speaker of the House and Secretary ofthc Treasu-
ry, is at the National. He is now practising his
profession at Afacta The fceting years have
made little impression upon q physique that gives
unmistakable indications of great yigor. Mr.
Cobb meets many gentlemen here of all parties
among them most prominent Republcans-with
whom he was associated in former days, and by
whom he was so much regarded. He comes here
upon no political summons nor errand but at the
request of friends he speaks frankly Of the polit
cal situation and with that sound sense that char
acterizes his views. He advises that the South
shall make no political alliances, but shall scdu-
lously seek to repair its fortates by dcvotita TO
economical affairs, and bear with foriitude What
ever shall be precipitatcd in politics General
Howell Cobb is a very large planter us we'll as
lawyer. In the former capacity, his former slaves
are ali with him some working upon shares,
others ut wages Absence Of capital and usual
facilities for agricultural purposes WILL lie thinks,
cause TIE cotton crop to he less this year than last
The tax, State,aud national, upon cotton planters
is equal to seven cents to the pound, which is Ger
tainly an unexampled s.cr ccntage in taxation. In
this view we do not hesitate to speak Of it as
most grinding and oppressive. 1t is so crushing
that of course planters must devote large portion
of their estates to raising ordinary farm products.
This cuts off the sale in the South of the fond pro-
ducts of the West. In respect to politics, General
Cobb states that none arc more determined to sis-
tain the Union in good faith and support the Con-
stituion and laws than the soldiers Of the late Con-
federate armies.
A Good Joke.
We have heard, says the Lynchbtrg Eepa6acan,
very good story about certain rusty old Confcd.,
who lives in one of our western counties. Not
long ago, being greatly in need of improved gar
den seed, and having read in the papers about the
Patent office and agricultural Bureau in Washing
ton, he Conceived the brilliant, but not very orig
nal idea, of supplying his wants at the expense
of the Government. So he wrote long epistlc to
the Hon. ChaFles Sumner, Senator from Massa-
chusetts, setting forth that he was one of the tried
and true who had come up out of the fire without
the hellish smell of rebellion on his garments
He also ezpatiated on the high regard and warm ad-
miratioi with which he had been inspired by the
contemplation of Mr.. Summers eminent, coura-
geous and patriotic public career. He would be
very happy if Mr.. Simmer would pay him visit
at his homie in - county, sringing his lady
with him. He closed by ulluding to the garden
seeds, Of which hestood in want.
A few days afterwards, package CAME frdfi
the Hon. Mr.. Simmer to the old Confed, who lives
hv the by in log cabin. about ten by twelve feet