Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1867-07-06
Embarrassment of the Southern Press

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Embarrassments of the Southern Press
There is no doubt but that the newspaper
press of the South occupy, this time, po-
s'tlon surrounded by great cmbarrassmcnts,
aud one which requires prudence and sound
Judgment SO to manage it as to be productive
of the best attuinablc results. The " Charles
ton Mercury" of the 26th, has an article on
! this subject, from which we mako the follow
ing extract:
| +" The Southern press is embarrassed with
| great difficulties as to it's course. Those who
| arc in favor Of the military Act, of course,
havt u smooth sen to sail over. They have
lsonly to point to our distressed aud ruined
condition, which all feel and dcprccatc tc the
reconstruction under this Act as the haven Of
all r>llcf nd.all peace Only get into the
Union and then Northern and European cup
ltal w'lIoverflow IN our fana, and II new heay-
en- ana n new earth will open to our happy
visions. Suffering always gives wings to fan
cy, as the poor traveller, dying of thirst in
the desert, sees water in the ~movingsof the
sands. But if the press attempts to expose
the futility of Il, ,scanticipatons, it is met Mt
once with serious embarrassment. There
are two populations in the South All YOU
| say with view to the white race, may,
| through The instructions given to the black
race, be considered as against them. 10 urge
a policy for the one, is furnishing fuel to in
| cendiarirs for alienation or hostility on the
part Of tho other. 70 say nothing or to
speak only in favor of the enforcement of the
military Act, is.urged MS the only course for
peace. "A desire, deeply fell. to keep the ia.
ccs IN concord together, has heretofore re.
strained the Southern press from fully dis
cussing the reconstruction policy Of the nli-
tary Act. If loft to, themselves, the races
might easily have settled mutual friendly 10
lations towards each other"
/ 81 What the " Mercury sa,cnns by speaking
| ofnewspapcrs "'in favor Of the military Act"
we may not correctly understand bit our
respected contemporary can well appreciate
/ the, dIitersnee between submitting to the de-
cree OF an. adverse tate aud auding or even
being IN fayorof such untoward destiny
General Lee surrendered his armies, and with
them the hopes of the Southern Confederacy
aud the cherished aspirations of its people
and who will say that said surrender was not
timely aud wise? Vet neither these gallant
men nos the people of the South were Gin
! favor. of it. They simply accepted their
defeat, complied with the ternls offered, aud
have ever since dcmeancd themselves in strict
acoordnnco with them. And ~ it is now. -
Those who counsel the people to cowfiy with
the same honesty of purpose, end with the
section as did our Leaders aud the whole pco
i,ple accept the te,n,s OF surrender. 1t is un-
Just, thcrcfprs to class the many true Journals
Of the South who advise reconstruction untaar
the Acts as 6" in favos" of them.
But the s. Mcrcury" refers to ono point
connected with tho plan of reconstruction as
presented to us in the Congressional policy,
and that rs the action Of tho "two popula-
tons as it dsnomnatcs the two races, Which
now have the same rights and equal privlee-
es before the balot,box, But while we sae
no serious embarrassment" in relation to
this matter, we agree with our cotemporary,
that had the two races been left to themselves,
they could have sonn established mtssua
friendly relations towards each othcr. But
this is not the case nor was it hardly to be.
expected; for those who cnnetud the ,lfilitnfy
bills dds under the belief that the freed.
'"cli needed protection lnthc rights Just ac-
:or''ed to them, and it was natural for item,
therefore, to suppose TINT the newly made va.
tcis needed nstructiu rs to the propertexcr-
else Of those rights. Tia, they wore5 wrong
in all these apprchcnsions, is beyond ques-
siosf, and tho only thing now loft for the
Southern whites to do in the promises is to
cultivatcamicablc relations with the. ..9reedmcn,
und to convince themethat both RACES arc
equally interested in speedy restoration,
1t is on this account that VIC arc "in favor
Of" doing the best ,yc eau under tho circum.
stances which. surround us; Of uuiting all
our people in faithfully carrying out, both in
sprita and letter, tho Acts Of Congress, under
which, and under no other, can tic South be
restored to her former posisionin the Union;
of all using their best cndeayors to prevent
the formation Of political pasties in our midst,
and of modestly demonstrating to Congress
that wo accept with honesty and sincerely the
terms which is has proposed. After having
done all this, should that body recede from its
proposition and break its5pighted faithswith
the, South, the latter will have con,e up to the
fullmeasuresof their duty, and vii stand JUS,
tilted before thetpeople Of thisicountry and Of
tho world, for having doneall that men could
! do for the salvation Of their country. There
ehould not, and must not, bo any party dipis,
Eions amongst us, if we sincerely desire a. re..
union Of the States. These divisions once
inaugtirated, war of races will ensus, aud
our ferile,and beautiful land become desol.tc.
E GIN. GaANT roR PRESIDENT. The Az
piantaW New Era :, is out in an article adyoca,
III a ~