The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-01-11

The main points of the celebration of the
9Th Of January at Washington have already
been reported by telegraph. The following
letter from Ex-President Pierce will, however,
repay perusal:
LETTER FROM Ex-PREsDENT PIERCE.
CONCORD, N. H., January 4, 1868.
Gentlemen II it, was In my pow. as it
will not be, to accept your invitation the
battle OF New Orleans, it would afford 9
pleasure on many grounds, Still it is only.
apparent that no one can sit at your banqu
| table without contrasting, with painful emo
tons, the condition of our country now with
what it was during the eight years that the
great defender of the Crescent city was at the
| head of the government.
By whom was that battle fought2 Where
were the homes Of the men the result Of whose
| steady courage on that eighth Of January car
ried. as the news spread, not only fresh feel
ing of national security, but shed a radiant
gladness in every hamlet, every valley, and
along every hillside throughout the laud? I
young ear caught the sound. In sparsely set
| tied towns families assembled together; parents
went with Their children to join in prayer of
thankfulness, and then to send up their united
shouts for the great deliyerance: We're not the
| soldiers under The command and leadership Of
|
OF citizens now disfranchised, ruined IN estate,
and in the want and suffering Of their families
paralyzed and held down by despotism cloth
ed with the authority Of might to execute upon
the weak and helpless the behests Of vengeance2
I am sure, especially if I were with you, I
could not help contrasting the career OF Ter
! nessee, her political and domestic tranquility,
her increasing wealth and power during the
| life of the sage and hero whose memory is en-
balmed in the hearts of all who will be at your
| banquet, with the deplorable humiliating reign
| of absolutism in the State which pre-eminent-
| ly he loved and adorned. 1t cannot be other
wise than salutary at all times, and particular
| ly on such an occasion as you celebrate, to
recall the events Of our foreign wars, from the
revolution to the treaty of peace with Mexico,
and to remember that the blood OF gallant
men North and South, lighting side by side in
common cause, mingled on every battlefield.
| II the prosperity Of oil the colonies, and
later OF all the States, and the united prowess
of their people were essential in these con-
ficts, have they ceased to be 30 now2 Will
they be less 80 should we be required in any
complication of events to assert and maintain
by force Of arms on sea and land the rights Of
American citizens2 Whatever may be before
| us, let us hope that the period is not remote
when the Union shall be in fact restored each
State standing forth as the co-equal Of every
other State. with dignity, equality, and rights
marked and cheering indications that the peo-
pie are rising in their majesty with united
strength to deliver from misrule their country
and themselves. Signs that integrity and
economy in the conduct of public affairs, in
stead Of profusive peculation and abounding
fraud, are by their command to be the rule
again; that taxation is to be equalized; that
the bondholder is not to screen himself behind
exemption, and thus cast upon another, OF
more humble means, his fair proportion Of the
public burden.
You, at least, will welcome the conviction
that the time is at hand when craftsmanship,
humanity and patriotism will better meet the
demands OF the nation than wild theories out
side of the constitution, wicked maleyolence
our race, and selfish clinging to power, place
and plumber
With high consideration, your friend and SER
want, FRANKLIN PIERCE.
n ,vtt-r uzs aIso read from Secretary Nc
Culloch, of the Treasury Department, in the
course of which he takes occasion to say:
I consider the restoration to the Southern
States Of equal rights with the other States
un Ter the constitution as essential to the exis-
tence of our republican institutions, and to the
Improvement if not to the maintenance, OF tho
national credit; and that, in my Judgment, this
is unlikely to be effected by any policy differ
ing materially from that which was substanti-
ally inauguratrd by Mr.. Lincoln, and attempt
cd to be consummated by the present
Executive. AS civil liberty is not the
offspring of military power, but is in
danger of being destroyed instead Of
being fostered by it. I have not favored
the establishment OF military governments in
the Southern States, as true Union sentiments
cannot bo renewed in these States bya general
ostracism of their prominent and trustworthy
men. I havo regarded with great apprehen-
sion the enactment and continuance OF laws
which exclude from Federal Offices and from
tho ballot citizens Of ability, integrity and in
1uence without whose cooperation q reliable
reunion of the States is not to be expected;
and believing, as 1 do, that the question Of
suffrage should be controlled by the States,
and not by the Federal Government, and that
the elective franchise cannot be safely be-
slowed upon q race recently IN bondage, and,
with few exceptions utterly unprepared to use
it intelligently, have deeply regretted the
legislation which deprives part OF the States
OF rights heretofore enjoyed by them, and still
exercised by others, and which, by ignoring
ali distinction between races so dissimilar,
and by it's sweeping disfranchlsement OF cer-
tain classes, virtually subordlnates the su-
perior to the inferior race. gave to the
Executive policy of reconstruction my hearty
approval before it became party question,
aud have never doubted it's wisdom or its
practicability.
A difiereit policy has beon adopted and is
now being tried. Should it be successful in
restoring true Union sentiment in the South
err States in stimulating industry, in increas-
ing production, and in establishing harmony
between the races, the wisdom OF Congress
will be fully vindicatel aud their action will be
approved by the peo Die, and by none moro
heartily than by those who now disapprove it.
Should it tail in accomplishing these most de-
sirable results, the ombarrassments and suf-
ferng which now exist must be endured for
seaso:i, and they will doubtless be aggravated
by their continuance. But they will not be
lusting; the different sections OF the U lited
States are not to be permanently antagonized,
tions to be changed by tho war, nor by the
troubles which have followed, nor by those
which are still to be encountered. There is
power enough in the government to stand any
trials to which it may be subjected, and intelli-
gence enough in tho people to correct any er-
rors that may have been committed by their
agents.
I A lotter from the Hon. G. 81. Pendleton,
after expressing regrets for his inability to at
tend, adds:
Tho attempted Africanization of the ten
Southern States, under the false pretence of
reconstruction of tho Union; the utter subver-
sion of the constitution to accomplish this end;
the profigacy and corruption peryading many
branches of the public service, have brought
out their proper results. The reaction against
the revolutionary yiolcnbe and hcence Of the
past few years has at last commenced. Its
progress will be aided by worthy contempla-
lion OF tho life and character OF Jackson-of
his fervent patriotism, his persistent energy,