The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1867-09-04

only Of the South, but of the whole
country, that the party which had obtain
ed possession of the Government was
more intent on securing its own power
than of restoring the Union to its owr
pristine glory. After acquiring power
on the sole ground of bringing back tho
Southern States TO the common fold, with
all their dignity, equality and rig hts un
impaired" they basely betrayed the peo
pie Of the North, By subordinating the
interests and rights of ten States to the
effort to perpetuate the power of theil
party, falsifying, while they did so, every
pied ge which they had made during the
continuance of the war. The war; which
was professedly waged solely for the res
toration of the Union, in its progress, de.
generated into the open attempt, on the
part Of it's authors, to consolidate and
perpetuate radical rule, and q Govern
ment, which was founded on the noble
maxim, that Governments derive their
just powers from the consent of the gov
erned," has been perverted to the base
ends Of subiecting ten millions OF its peo
pie to military despotism.
That l may not be accused of stating
this proposition in stronger language than
is warranted by the facts Of the case,
beg to call your attention to the following
extract from an article which emanatcd
from Massachusetts Bearing the impri.
matur of Boston, its language, which, had
it been uttered here. might have smacked
of treason, can be regarded only as loyal:
'"Thc principle" says this writer, son
which the war was waged by the North,
was simply this: That mon may right
fully be compelled to submit to and sup
port Government that they do not want;
and that resistance on their part makes
them traitors and criminals. No princi-
pie that is possible to be named can be
more sclfevidcntly false than this, or
more selfcvidently fatal to all political
freedom. Yet it triumphcd in the field,
and it is now assumed to be established.
If it be really established, the number of
slaves, instead of having been diminished
by the war, has been greatly increased !;
for man thus subjected to Government
that he does not want, is slave; and
there is no difference in principle, but on
ly in degree, between political and chattcl
slavery The former, no less than the
latter, denies mans ownership OF him
self and the products of his labor, and
asserts that other men may own him and
dispose of him and his property for their
uses and at their pleasure. Previous to
the war, there were some grounds for
saying, that in theory, at least, if not in
practice, our Government was Il free one,
that it rested on consent. But nothing
of that kind can be said now. if the prin-
ciplc on which the war was carried on by
The North is irrcvocably established"
Here VIC are told in emphatic language,
by u Northern man, whose mind cannot
be obscurcd certainly by the so.caled
heresics of Southern doctrines, what was
the principle on which the war was wagcd
by the North, and we arc warned-God
grant that the warning may not be in
vall-wlat will be the result if this prin-
cipo is irrevocably established. Let it
bc established, and VIC may bid adicu to
constitutional liberty-republican institu-
tions will be swept away in the storm
that will arise, and VIC shall enter on those
dark and gloomy scenes which always
prccedc a nations death. The time will
then indeed have come for us to pray, in
the words of a fearless and eloquent son
of Georgia, for the speedy advent OF the
american Caesar" The whole recent
legislation of the fractional Congress at
Washington seems to have only in view
to break down all the barriers Of the
Constitution of the United States; to ig-
norc the immortal truths Of the great re.
bcllion of '76, and to convert = Govern
mcnt. which had, as it's only foundation
"the consent of the governed" into one
sustained by force alone. None Of the
radicals pretend that the military bills arc
constitutional. They admit-perhaps ]
should say, rather, they trust-that these
measures arc unconstitutional, while they
endeavor to make the South ratify them
by arousing and appealing to the basest
passions Of human nature, fear and GU
pidity. They threaten us with confisca
tion, on the one hand, if VIC do not ac
ccpt these measures; they give them tho
scmblancc of law, while on the other they
attempt to bribc those amongst us who
are so base and venal as to willing tc
purchase immunity for themselves by
selling the liberties Of their country.
Are these dcspicable motives strong
enough to corrupt the virtue of the
Southern people? Will that people, who
have proved themselves capable of max
ing any and all sacrifices for the sake O
their principles, sink so low as to buy Tho
mere privilege to livc-cven if they live
slavcs-by giving up all that they have
heretofore held sacred, and all that makes
life itself worth having? Will they al
low their action to be influenced BY
threats? Threats can never govern
bravo men. Are they afraid Of contisca
ton by Congress? If they adopt these
reconstruction Acts, they will most as
surcdly suffer confscation in its wors
and most tyrannical form. through th,