The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1867-04-10
COLUMBIA.
Wednesday Morning, April 10. 1867.
Agitation.

ihc Oouch 10 HStIeilJ Iireo VI pun
tical agitation; it has nearly been the
death of her and her best interests.
1t is, therefore, with regret that we
sec, lin some of .our exchanges, q lin
gering disposition still to discuss po-
litics, and argue the right and
wrong of the military bill. The
Richmond Enquirer recently put
sundry questions to tho New York
Times, among which was ono to the
effect that if the Southern people
have taken an oath to support the
Constitution, how can they become n
party to the late legislation of Con.
gress?
The Times, wo think, very properly
responds in substance, that it cannot
see that the Southern States "bccomc
party, to the legislation of Con-
gress, by accepting it as law, and
obeying its requirements Congress
has passed law providing for cleo
tiops, conventions and other steps in
tho reorganization of Governments
in: tho Southern, States. That law
may or may not be constitutional, but
the Southern people arc not respon-
sible for it., They wero not parties
to it in any sense; they did not vote
for it; its validity does not depend on
their accepting or asserting to it.
1t will go into effect, and tho South
ern States Governments be organized
under its provisions, whether they
accept or reject it. They must take
tho law as they find it it is made
for them by those who, for the time,
have the power to make it.
These views of the New York pa
,per are ours, simply because they are
facts rs they exist. It is nonsense to
talk of acceptance OF rejection of n
h,c which has been passed by the
law-making power; and if the En-
qnirer and other Southern papers
were to argue its fitness or constitu-
tionality from now until dooms-dny,
it would not lessen it's forco or modi-
fy its acquisitions.
'Fi But the great evil to be npprehend-
ed from this useless discussion is,
that it keeps alive political and sec
tional agitation, and that ngitation
paralyzes business. When Congress
adjourned, after having completed it's
measures for recognizing State Go
vcrnments in the South, it was hoped
that agitation would cease. 1t was
and is believed that no quorum of
Congress will meet in July, rs pro-
vided for in the resolutions of ad-
journment, but that the recess will
continue until December; thus giving
nino months of political quiet, and
an opportunity for the Southern
States to rc-organizo and bc prepared
to submit their State Constitutions to
that body on its re-assembling. The
Indications from Virginia and Mary
land are that Northern capitalists are
ready to invest their capital in South
ern lands and Southern enterprises,
provided they can believe the politi-
cal questions of the day settled, nc
cording to the legislation of Congress.
Tho whole country needs tic re-
pose of -harmonizcd action in the
councils of the nation. The finan-
cial condition Of tho North, MS we'll as
the depression throughout the South
the latter depending mainly on the
hcalthfulness of the former-de
mands that political agitation should
cease. In the South, its continuance
would not only be profitless, but
rninous; while, ut tho North, it would
continue to clog the wheels of trade
and commerce, and continue to keer
capital locked up which should bt
flowing i'll every channel of enter-
prise. tending to develop thoresources
of the country. Our truo course
then, is to push forward the work O.
rOppD r,1 otiOO onI not -;n,1,,1o<o =,