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

Tho entiro term Of the 39th Congress and
the initial fraction Of the 10th wero spent in
quarrelling over the ye1ed question of Recon-
struction. This was time misspent, ns is now
sccn very clearly. At the last moment tho
SHERMAN Bill was hurried through both
Houses, and became q law. II virtually abro-
gates all existing laws in tho ton Statos, in
which it is in operation. This Of course was
easy enough to!do: A stroke of the pen may
suffice to destroy tho labor OF tho accumulated
wisdom Of years. But the difficulty of carry
ing on q government Of ten States and over
| from sevcn to ten millions of people, who have
been % long in the enjoyment Of civilization
aud FREQ government, that however they may
be restricted in their liberties, it is found
that the machinery OF society cannot be con-
.ucted upon moro general principles. In the
absence Of statutary cnactments, virtually
abolished by tho, Reconstruction Act, re-
peated recourse to "general orders - is found
necessary. How, much. better it would have
been il Congress, instead Of wasting time in
long speeches and idlo discussions, had we'll
digcsted tho organic Act, and olenrly, and in
.inmistakeable Language told us what It is pro
ciscly, they desire us TO do. Many Of our citi-
zcns, with the best wishes, nre unable to
| comprehend the full measure Of their duties,
because ignorant Of their status. If Congress
hadI presented us with such code, thcre
would have been uniformity in the administra-.
tioh of the 1aw-uniformity Of time and Of
action.
For time il was hoped the Attorney Gene
raj, the regularly appointed oonstruer and OK
FOUNDER of obscure Acts Of Congress, would
give us a clear and authoritative exposition
OF orr duties and disabilities In this We wore
again doomed to be disappointed. Tho District
Commanders are thus thrown upon their own
rosourcesi but it seems they meet with much
ccnsorious comment in the exercise OF what
they deem both their Prorogatiro and their
duty ~; .'a.'. II s,.:I "i
Thus Gen. SuHoPIBLp girss "warning" to tho
Richmond Times for using language Of a disloy-
| al tendency, and he is applanded BY the Radi-
| calls; and cenuured by the Conservative Gnd in
| dependent press At.anolher timo he forbids
the delivery Of public lecture, and his action
is commented upon in precisely tho same man
ner. Gen. Porn writes sharp letter to Gov.
JENKINS for having written certain address
to the people Of Georgia, Of which tho Com
mander Of District No. 8 does not approve
The act is highly commended by Radicals, but
and interfering with the right Of FREQ speech.
The latest instance Of the kind is the sup
preston Of the Mobile Republican by General
SwArKH. The Tribune say,:
"The suppression OF the Mobile Republican, for
the publication of an article melting the freedmen
to violence, appears to be proof that The power
OF the military is impartianY used in that city.
In the sonth without regard to COLOR"
On tho other hand, the Now York Liader, .
Democratic organ, says: .i
s, ,An must deprecate tho suppression OF the Radi-
cal newspaper at Mobile. However incendiary a
newspaper may be. all loyors Of liberty believe in
sa ana nee HhGh once the
This ground, though from different motives,
is held also by the Erening Po,t. It questions
the right Of District Commanders TO take any
sognizance Of whit the papers say. .".They were
sent there, not 10 stop or interfere with free
discussion, but 10 sustain It. They were nent
there by Congress TO keep the peace, to keep
mems hands'from each others throats during
the discussions, necessarily bitter and violent,
because long restrained and upon questions of
vital importance, which II was seen must ac-
company the reconstruction movement. Their
chief duty isto defend FREQ discussion, to seeto
it~that mo- Bitterness of prejudice, NO class
hatred, no ignorant and brutal fanalicism, shall
Interfere with tha froest discussion by voice
nnd pen; this is, in fact, almost their only i'm
gortsns dutyrsnd ;whena military officer for
geB this, tsfd a6tddliy suppreises newspaper,
and stops free discussion by the military pow
er-does precisely that thing which he had no
business either to do, or to let my one olse do"
Such are some Of tho difficulties Of practical
reconstruction, and yet, we fear, We have
scarcely seen the beginning Of the end 4