The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-02-18
Tho situation at the South.


oughly Southern in his principles and sympa-
thies, writes a private letter from Richmond,
in which he says:-
with slight changes l would agree to the
North Carolina plan as basis of settlement. L
wish our Legislature would at once propose
amendments declaring the public debt invio-
late, and the Union perpetual. Our people
believe there is nothing they can do that will
disarm the maligntty OF this Congress. and this
willing to yield the representation founded on
negroes, provided itwould give us peace.
We have great suffering, present and prospec-
tive. The policy OF the dominant party tends
to make perpetual enemies of population who
are perfectly contented to live quietly under the
Government, and who only ask to be let
alone"
Our correspondent, we fear, does not mis-
calculate the tendency of the policy adopted
by the House. Whether it result in the re-
construction of the Union or not, its imme-
diate effect must be to produce extreme irrita-
tion, and to ALLEVIATE the goodwill of nearly the
entire white population of the South. The
enactment of martial law would be bad
enough. But when to this is added the over
throw of existing civil authority, the univer-
sal enfranchisement of the blacks, and the all
but universal disfranchisement of the whites
it is not difficult to foretel the temper to which
the new state of things will give birth. Ad-
mitting as we must that the disposition,
especially of the authorities, is less friendly
than it should be to the National Government,
the proposed plans of reconstruction will GER
tainly not effect an improvement. 1t may
establish beyond peradventure the supremacy
of the National Government everywhere, and
mall things; it may insure the enforcement
Of laws now disregarded or deied, and may
prevent the wrongs and outrages of which
(ianara1S Shari1aI and Sick las have
planned; but the hearts of the white people
will be more than ever hostile to an authority
which manitests its power by investing with
absolute political mastery the mass of ignO-
rant untutored negroes The best of human
nature would be likely to approach "per-
petual enmity' in similar circumstances.
The more significant point suggested by our
correspondent relates, however, to the growing
| anxiety among thoughtful SOutherners as to
the dangers of the situation and the desirable
ness of doing something to satisfy the demands
! OF the North. In this respect an important
change is observable For the first time they
comprehend the infeXible determination of the
! represented States to exact conditions prior to
the readmissiOn of the South. Their great diff
fculty is in regard to the terms which the
| South may propose or accept, with a reason
able assurance that they will be decisive. The
! difficulty was less formidable three months ago
than now; but then, unfortunately, almost the
entire South refused either to offer or to listen
/ to terms of any kind.
Governor Orr's speech at Charleston, as tele-
graphed last Friday, indicates yet more dis
! tinctly the growth Of an uneasy and apprehen-
sive feeling. The stay-at-home residents of
South Carolina or Alabama have believed that
dignity" would carry them through their
troubles. Wise cOunsellors of the Charleston
| Mercury school have inculcated the prime i'm
portance of mastery inactivity" as a means
OF overcoming Congressional aggressiveness;
and the people have believed them. Governor
| Orr's remarks are fitted to dispel the delusion.
lie has visited Washington and studied the
| position there. He has seen, heard, and talked
with all parties to the contrOversy-with radi-
| cal congressman, extreme in their demands;
with the President, and with the Democratic
opposition. And his conclusion is, that the
existing political relations ''are of a very grave
character
The discovery is not new, but there is some
thing new i'll the PRONUNCIATION of the fact by
the Governor of South Carolina. sit is diff
cult, he reminds his hearers, ''to tell what
our political position i'll the future is to be-
and ne proceeds to recommend the adoption OF
a conclhatory course by the South as the only
means OF averting formidable disasters. He
assures them that in the present crisis South
ern dignity" IS OF no avail against the North
en call for guarantees. He warns them that
the doctrine OF mastery inactivity is preg'
nant with peril to themselves. And he sug-
gests the adoption by the Southern Legisla-
lures OF the modified Constitutional amend
ment with which his name has been connected
under belief that that measure-in con junc
ton with negro entranchisement-''will pro
duce the best results upon a considerable por
uon OF the radical party, and save the Soutl
rom many OF the proposed radical measures
Events have progressed rapidly at Washing
ton since Governor Orr's departure. Measures
which We're in embryo when he was there
nave since been passed by the House with
haste which seems almost to preclude the hop'
OF such triumph of moderation as he ha
deemed probable. To this extent the situation
mas changed, and changed for the worse.
uOes not follow, however, that the couhse
ouefed by Governor Orr has lost its wisdom Il
consequence. The result at which he ann
. might be more difficult of attainment, but TN
= eAPealency-perhaps the duty-of maniestlll
disposition to have a perfect and compiet
. settlement, remains unchanged. For wha'
ever we may think of the harsh and hast
: proceedings OF the House we cannot forge
! that the South has placed itself in the wron
u Dy lts refusal to entertain the proposition Pr'
70 Vlously submitted to Congress. The displa
OF Willingness to come to terms would
< itself have done much towards disarming e2
a treme assailants. The unanimous rejection
an overture made in good faith, and the failui
to propose any conditions in its stead, are cl
9 oumstances that look like stubbornness, eve