Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1867-04-20
The Chief Argument of the Passlvist..

The following very excellent editorial VIC
take from the Richmond Wbig" of Tues
day
There ere those who have such superb
pride and 'uch heroic nonchalance that they
will conscrl to do nothing that is required of
them "hey solacc themselves and bcguilc 9th
ers with deusion that to stand still and await
events ia the sure remedy for cur situation. -
They justify their course ky asking what
guarantee we have that if we comply with the
demands Of Congress we shall be restored tc
our proper position in the Union? This oucs
ton Is their bggu and when they fire it of
they imagine they have achieved great vic
| tory. AS the issue depends upon the future
and is exceutory, rather than executed, they
! think their argument irresistable The de-
light in saying, "we caunot trust any pledge
the Republicans make, and the great rroha.
biIlty is that when we have done all that thcv
require of us they will turn around and mock
us This argument Is induStriousy piled
ty many, and has cxertcd m'ch influence.
We propose to examine it briefly.
Why cannot we trust the pledge nf Con.
grcss, soemn'y given in the face Of the world |?
The answer Is, because the dominant partv,
which controls the Congress, and is. in fact
The Congress has so often deceived us Great
and pcrnirions ms have been the excuses of
the dominant party, we deny t'at they have
deceived us. From the close Of the war up
to this time they have threatened us. We
have had from them no hypocriticul rrofes-
sions Of love and brotherhood Our complaint
has been that they always spoke i'll of us aud
acted harshly toward us. We have proclaim
ed to the world, time after time, that it was
their insults. abuse and persecution that post,
poncd the revival of Southern loyalty and de.
layed the subsistence of sectional anmosity.
They have never courted us, nor sought to en-
tice us by fair promises
They have never for moment turned their
nmiablc side toward us, if thcv have one
Their countcnance has always been angry,
their words always full of wrath, and their
actions always harsh. They have not decciv-
ed MS. On the contrary. they lave been
hlnnt'y frank and barbarously honest They
said that We shoni no, hc admitted into The
Union under the Presidents plnn. and ,Mry
have kent their word They sail that We
should be punished, that our leaders should
be disfranchiscd, and that negro suffrage
should hc fixed upon us. Here, also they
have kept their word. They did not prom
iSc softly and perform harShlv Their words
and their acts have been in strict accord
On this subject Of deception, the dominant
party may we'll and truthfuly rctort, if they
choose, that the South has been deceived,
ecregiously and calamitonsly, not by .hem,
but by the Democratic party Before tile
war, during the war, and since the war, they
(the Democrats) have deceived us, but they
failed to do it. Those who arc prolific in
promises, but sterile in performance are thos.
to he distrustnd. no matter how kindly their
feelings. False friends are more to be shun.
ned than open enemies. However, it is nei-
ther orr object to assail nor defend Northern
parties, but to answer the argument of the
passivists We think we have answered it,
and we demand, in Justice to the dominant
party, from tender regard for the we'll being
of the South, that we shall in this instance
trust that party, and do what they require
we trust them or not, and if they do so aga tnst
our efforts, either active or passive it will be
all the worse for us. They promise if we will
second them, and comply in good faith with
their conditions MS laid down in the Military
Bill, that VIC shall be restored to the Union
TO this Congress as pledged the good faith
of the nation in the face of the world. This
is the first promise made to tls by the Radical
coli1tCSS. w nave seen no" laltn1ul IL mas
been in executing its threats, let lis now see if
it will not he rs faithful in observing the only
promise j. has made ns. IN conclusion. with
the declaration from the lips of the prominent
Republican leaders that the refusal of the
Southern people to accept the situation, and
to comply with the condition offered, will be
regarded as renewal Of the rebellion"
and will be punished accordingly, VIC would
ask the passivist what they have to expect
from their do nothing policy? II is not too
pcrilous, as policy, for eight millions of pco-
pie with their women and children Shall
they risk their safety, happiness and means Of
living just to crafty proud whim or feel
ing Of blind spite
A VEnY IMPORTANT DECISION The
(" Columbus enquirer" learns that Judge
Erskine, Of the United States District Court,
during its recent term in Atlanta ruled in
effect that the adjudications by our State courts
during the war are Of no binding effect. The
point came up in this way: The plaintiff in
the United States Court sued on note, and
the counsel tor the defendant interposed the
plea that it bad already been sued upon in
State court, and Judgment rendered therein
U...y - 4