The Orangeburg news. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1867-1875, 1867-07-13
The Signs of the Times.

81 We are still drifting. Thc Congress Of the
United States is in solemn session, gravcly CON
sitlcring the question .. Reconstruction From
present indications, they will pass anoll'cr
Supplementary Act OH that subject, which will
be in words too plain to admit of mistake in
its construction. We may expect the lines to
be drawn closer than before; and when this
farce of becoming rcipstatcd in the privileges
'ofSmcrican citizenship is playcd out, and we
once again feel that South Carolina is State
in the Union, the people Of the South will not
value their newly acquired rights The truth
lis, when this war ended, the most inyctcratc
Seccssionst who took the Amnesty oath, took
It in good. faith spooting to keep it strictly
and sacrcdly. But the great government of
the United States has acted towards us with
{lis3sacefnl perfdy: 1t has held us strictly to
hll obligations, but Oh its own part. it has kept
none Of its promises. Prefcrring to govern us
by the baycnct, it has never songht to attract
JUS by conciliatory measures These were only
adopted when We had arms in our hands, and
at time when, defeated MS we were disheart-
cncd as VIC were, in utter despair ofsucccss as
VIC were, we would have fought to cxtcrmi,a-
tion ere We would have submitted to the thought
Of such utter. humiliation as VIC have since en-
dured. ~ Sr.!@-oa s7 e!s.'N -
And what more is before us ? Is this the
end In our, opinion, far from it. The day
Of American liberty is East passing away. The
Constitution, n beacon light erected upon a
rock, when the waves wore calm MS the waters
Of the Peaceful Ocean, has not been able to
withstand the violent surgcs of the storm. 1t has
gone down under the hcaviny pillows Of party,
and the ship of state, with a feeble pilot at the
helm, and a turbulent crew on board is drift
ing widly,,n prey to winds and waves
While this imminent peril threatens the Re
public, what is being done by the people !?
They arc split into factions by the spirit of
party; they are wrahgling over the spoils of
office they arc plundcring and robbng the
government under every form, of fnancicrng
and they are trying to rob and plunder each
other by every mcaps within the pale Of the
law. Some few bright exceptional cases may
be found but the general characteristic Of tho
times is lcgaizcd rapinc and violence. All the
pure doctrines of rcpublicanism derived from
our forcfathcrs arc disregardcd or perverted ;
all the virtues Which cnnoblc the individuals
of great commonwealth, and make patriot
ism, fidelity and justice as familiar as house
hold words,-thosc virtues nre departed; nil
that pure love Of country which should be the
characteristic Of tho masses in democracy, to
make q popular government successful, is gone
forever. How soon the government itself will
collapse also, we cannot .tcll but such ro-
suit seems to MS Inevitable. W. do not believe
that the American Union will exist ten years
longer; and it will be the Radicals who will
destroy it, asa t. l..e s.
We observe that tho most fslr-sightcd among
them are taking the alarm. They forcsoo the
legitimate results Of their present policy, and
they are re- tying t9 introduce more moderate
counscls. Take as an Indication Of this; the