The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-01-22

pier fosuii,1 than we're secured by yeats
Of bloodshed and misery. But wise counsels
did not prevail; party spirit became embh-
tered as the struggle was heightened out, and
that which might easily at the commencement
have been settled to the satisfaction OF all par
ties was at the close, after years Of agony
and at tho cost Of much blood and treasure,
settled to the satisfaction Of none.
1t is not for us to despise the teachings of
history. Our advantages src great il we only
accept the experience of tho past We are
placed upon vantage ground BY the peculiar
character of our institutions. Not one of the
nations Of the past was similarly favored But
if we will not learn we must suffer. II we will
not profit by the experience of others we must
learn by our own. Tho evils OF the situation,
as we have said, are not incurable; but it the
people do not ut once take the matter in hand
and make their voice echo and rc-echo over
the land, it is not in the power Of man TO fore
tell what disastrous future is in store for us. n
---------------- N#N
Governor Orr, OF South Carolina. Stabbed
by the Clovcn- HceIers.
Governor Orr, of South Carolina, has just
delivered an address before the Reconstruction
Convention now sitting in Charleston, in which
he gives the cloven-hcelers some sensible
advice and at the same time makes some sin
guar admissions. He acknowledges the proba-
biiity that the next President and the coming
Congress may be democratic or conservative,
but that the repeal Of the Congressional Recon
struction acts cannot be effected until the 18th
of March, 1871. Therefore, as tho new con-
stitu!ion must remain in force until that time,
the Governor hopes that through "official, if not
personal influence, he may accomplish some
thing in securing from the Convention liberal,
just and wise constitution" The Governor
the white and colored races, where they have
been thrown together with equal privileges,
have rarely. if ever, been able to harmonize,"
and admoniahes the sable delegates-who are
in large majority in the Convention-that as
the Intelligence, wealth and virtue Of South
Carolina" entered largely into the rebellion
and now compose the disfranchised class,
they must expect their acts to encounter the
severest criticism of intelligent white men at
home and abroad.
Entertaining these views, is it not little
singular the Governor should be caught in the
midst fan assemblage that has no other object
than the elevation of the blacks at the expense
Of the degradation of the whites? 1t seems,
moreover, that the Governor is giving counsel
to the Convention in the face Of q direct snub
inflicted upon him by burly negro delegate,
who alleged that bis Che Governor's) political
tumbles were SO rapid as to make mans head
"dizzle" to look at him It ID very likely,
not been sought 1t will pass UNDECIDED. Indeed,
the initiative propositions made to the Conven-
ton tend to show this. For instance, there
have been offered one resolution throwing all
State institutions-such as universities public
schools and colleges-open to the negroes and
another that negroes shall be admitted to
oil hotels, travelling conveyances and places
Of public entertainment on tho same terms as
the whites. In other words, that all the bar
riers erected for the protection Of civilized
society shall be cast down and untutored semi
barbarians permitted to enter, roam, insult
and outrage at will. II will be difficult we
think, for the Governor TO reconcile his idea
about the Intelligence, wealth and virtue Of
South Carolina" with these propositions 10
degrade respectable whites to level with
people whose instincts lead them to rapine,
lust and beastliness. The "harmony" between
the races expected to flow from the delibera-
tons Of body composed of such material
must be very distant indeed-beyond even the
period Governor Orr assigns as the lifetime of
any constitution they may concoct