The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1868-09-06
SUNDAY MORNING SEPTEMBER g. 1853

have no means to make war; no dis
position to fight; mo enemy to meet.
Peace lis, all they wish for, and the
oiTiii liberty which, as citizens OF tfhis this
republic, they are entitled to. = '"1
tH'Would the negroes resortito arms,
in case they were deprived of suf-
frage?" -. - :" '
s1If they would and did, and fought
for it, they would then certainly be
entitled to it; but as o body, or o
people, they would not do it. An
occasional instance there might be
among them of men who would,
under the inspiration and guidance
of whites, clamor for the right of
suffrage; but SO rare as to be scarcely
noticeable. AS race, people, they
do not appreciate liberty. It is not
in their natures. ifrThey are simply
children of the sun, with none of the
genuine aspirations of the whites to
be free. But if an evidence of what
L say were wanted, I can point to
Tennessee, where $4,000 whites
Anglo Saxons-have been disfran-
chised, and they do not resort to
arms. In Georgia there are %, 600,
and throughout the South in the
same proportion; but we hear of no
insurrection or rebellion on this ac-
count. Therefore, it is clear the ne
gro will scarcely fight under the same
circumstances, notwithstanding that
it may be said, and the colored troops
fought bravely.'"
''How do you regard the finances
of the country, and are the Southern
people in favor of paying the national
-debt?"
''I am precisely of the same opinion
as Mr.. Pendleton, on the subject of
the finances. His views accord with
mine fully. Deal frankly with the
bond-holder, without speculating on
him, and without allowing him to
speculate on the public. Keep good
faith with public creditors, and thus
sustain it. But first restore constitu-
tional freedom, reduce taxation, abo:
lish the freedmen's bureau, and all
other channels of corruption, and
enfranchise every white man now dis
franchised, and then you will find
public credit good and gold at par.
AS to the payment of the debt, with
reduction of the annual expenditure
from $400, 100000 to $40, ,OOO,L COO, it
would soon be paid, and no people
would be more anxious to sustain the
national honor than would the South
ern people. A noted fact in our his
tory has been that, however lavish
'Southerners were in their personal
expenditures, they were always stingy
and economical in public pecuniary
affairs, and always jealousy guarded
their public honor. Some might
attempt to refute this. by saying that
Mississippi refused to pay her bonds;
but they were few who knew the
character of the class of bonds she
repudiated, and the circumstances
under which it was done"
'.Have the Southern people any
desire to pay the Confederate debt?"
t'None that 1 am aware of. First,
because of their inability; and next,
because they have already repudiated.
Two things that the United States
Government were very foolish in doing
at the close of the war, was the arrest
of Davis and the demand that the
Confederate debt should be repu-
dated. While I do not anticipate
that it will ever be paid, or any at
tempt be made to pay it; still, if such
be the case, it will be altogether due
to that forced amendment requiring
its reputation.
at this juncture, Mr.. Stephens re-
membered he had an engagement,
and with his usual punctuality he left
the cottage to keep it, after wishing
me very good evening.