The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1867-06-13
COLUMBIA.
Thursday Morning june IS. ,lss7.

lishes'a letter from Gen. Longstreet,
and claims that he has taken his
stand on the platform of the Repub-
lican party, and considers that the
Democracy have lost all of their vi
tality, and that with the surrender of
Gen. Lee, nothing remained to the
South but to accept the situation.
The principles of the Republican
party he now recognizes as law, and
as q law-abiding citizen, he feels
bound to sustain them. In view of
the letter the General writes, the New
Orleans paper trusts that not a week
will have passed after the opening of
Congress without restoring to Gen.
Longstreet the full rights of citizen
ship, and without his being cordially
recognized as avalued leader in the
Republican party.
To many of the gallant Southern
ers who followed Longstreet. and
were incorporated in his celebrated
"corps," the above announcement
will be esomewhat surprising, although
it may not be SO. "Tbe principles of
the Republican party" as referred to
by the New Orleans paper, are the
only principles left us of the South,
and, indeed, the only principles,
North or South, which could COM
mand over corporal's guard to their
support. The only principle now is
to re-unite the people Of this coun-
try, and the only way to re-unite
them is by the strictest obedience to
the laws which prescribe the terms of
reunion. AS Gen. Longstreet says
in this letter, "the highest of human
laws is the law established by an ap-
peal to arms"
We agree with Gen. Longstreet,
that political discussions ought to
have reached their terminus by this
time, because, as he says, the prin-
ciples discussed, and that divided
parties before the war, were tho
roughly discussed by our wisest
statesmen. When argument was ex-
hausted, resort was had to compro-
mise, and when compromise was I'M
availing, discussion was renewed and
expedients were sought; but none
could be found to suit the emergency.
Appeal was finally made to the sword,
to determine which of the claims was
the true construction of constitu-
tional law. The sword has decided
in favor of the North, and what the
parties claimed to be principles, have
ceased to be principles, and become
law. The views that we held cease
to be principles, because they are op-
posed to law. Therefore, it is our
duty to abandon ideas that are obso-
lete, and conform to the requirements
of law.
Such are the views, in brief, of one
of the most gallant leaders of the
Southern armies, and such, in letter
and spirit, have been the views ex-
pressed through this journal since
the passage of the reconstruction
laws. as they are called, enacted by
Congress. And to-day, we would
rather have the endorsement of such
men as Longstreet, Hampton, Lee
and others. as to the urgent necessity
for reconstruction and prompt resto-
ration to the Union, than the honest,
but ill-judged advice of disappointed
politicians, and the impulsive out
giyings Of the brave men who gal
lantly followed those noble leaders,
offering their lives as sacrifice for
the maintenance of those principles
now extinct.
The General exactly comedies with
our views, in saying that, if every
man in the country will meet the
crisis with proper appreciation OF
our condition, and come fairly up to
his responsibilities, we may yet be q
happy people, "our fields will again
begin to Weld their increase, our rail