The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1868-02-22
M j ) Ia,
Saturday Morning, Feb. %, 1858.
The Case Stated.

Au1lcuS quuLIci- tuS ITtCutc 10 tIy =
sns &C .essi. the the Times out off the party,
while the latter deals sturdy blows
rRt its antagonist. In the following,
which we extract from. lengthy edi-.
Serial, there is much truth and sound
philosophy; the Times substantially
afirms, what all men know to be
true, that the Presidents plan for
the reconstruction of the South is
that which had been determined by
his predecessor, the patron saint of
the Republican party. Tho Times
further shows the folly and madness
of Congress in adhering to plan
that has "broken down altogether"
'1pon the very first occasion for put
hing it into execution. The article
as eminently worthy of pcrusal:
Immediately at the close of tho
war, President Lincoln commenced
the work of reconstruction, in the
way and on the principles laid down
and steadily maintained by all de-
partments Of the Government during
the war. Upon his death, President
johnson continued the work upon the
same principles and in substantially
the same way. Whatever may have
been the merits or demerits of that
plan, one thing is perfectly certain-if
it had been carried through, it would
have accomplished, long ago, what
oil nf oil ~,
Republicans, professed to seek-the
restoration of the Union and the
establishment of peace and prosperi-
ty in the Southern States. Congress
arrested the progress of that attempt
at Observation-Disclosures wisely or
unwisely we are not now discussing.
The fact is all we deal with now.
Congress arrested the work, fepudi-
ated the whole plan and the princi-
pies on which it rested, and devised
one of its own to take its place.
Through the whole of both sessions
che Thirty ninth Congress struggled
80 devise, enact and put into opera
ton its own plan of restoring the
Southern States to the Union, and
giving them again the rights of self
government and of sharing in the
government of the nation, which be-
long to all the States under the Con-
.stitution.
Congress completed its work
nearly year ago; and forthwith en-
tered upon the plan of putting it's
plan in operation. The Republican
Congressional Committee took the
matter in hand. Funds were raised
agents sent into every Southern
State to organize the movement;
committees were appointed and cor
respondence established in every
town and county; secret lodges of
the Loyal League took in hand the
organization and discipline of the
negro voters; the Freedman's Bu-
reau, through all its agencies, was
active and effective in aiding the
movement; the registries were revised
and closely scrutinized, SO as to get
every colored voter on, and to keep
every disfranchised white man off:
the commanders of the military de-
partments gave every possible sup
port to the plan; the State Conyen-
tions elected under the law were
devoted heart and soul to the Con-
gressional scheme; and Republican
Senators and members of Congress,
after travelling through the South,
reported ut headquarters that every
thing was going on in the most salts
factory manner, and that the Con-
gressional Reconstruction plan was
sure to prove triumphant success.
"4et at the very first popular
election held on that plan, and under
the law in which it is embodied, the
plan breaks down altogether. The
Constitution, framed by the Conven-
tion elected under the law, is rejected
BY the vote of the people to whom it
YVES submitted by the law; and in
precisely the form and manner which
the law prescribed. : X
"Now in our judgment, the fatal
defect in the Congressional plan of
reconstruction 10 that it ofton,,ta 10