The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-10-22

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Northwest against that merciless spirit OF Rad
icalism, alien to America and to American IN
stitutions, which seeks to uproot all the prlncl-
ples held sacred by the fathers of the revolu-
ton, and reduce, as it has done, o gallant peo-
pie who have contributed SO much to the glory
and greatness of the nation, to a condition
worse than colonial vassalage. Aud can 1t be
that the soil which covers the ashes of Wash
ington, q Jefferson, Madison, Monroe,
Jackson, and long list Of other statesmen, he
roes and patriots. shall be per Danently ruled
over by tyrannic power and barbaric lgnorancef
IF so, then farewell to constitutional liberty, to
Justice, aud all the bright hopes which once
cheered the American patrlot--the sun OF
America will have set, and the despotlsms OF
Europe will be paradise compared to what
was once rejoiced in as "the land OF the free
and the home of the brave"
It was the fortune Of the writer to have sery,
| ed for many years in the Senate OF the Unltcd
States with that great intellectual triumv,rdie, u.s.
| Clay, Webster and Calhoun, and leaving the
last named out of the question as having be-
| longed to The section now so much oppressed,
| L can readily imagine what would be the course
OF the others If now in the Senate. Whatever
| differences may have existed between parties
then-Whig and Democrat-trlfe5 light as ar
compared to the present greatissues, no doubt
can exist as to the course they long since would
have pursued. They were statesmen OF lofty,
| magnanimous views and their counsels would,
no doubt, long since have brought peace and
quiet to the country on the basis OF Justice
and constitutional lbs1ty. Unfortunately the
| national councils seem to be governed in the
main by designing demagogues who have been
thrown on the surface by sectional agita-
tions who are men of principles in proportion
to their interests, and whose seat OF patriotism
| is in their pockets.
The allegations on which these pseudo pa
triots live AMI have their political beicg-that
the Southern people are yet rebelIous-are Ut
terly unfounded, Notwithstanding the efforts
which this miserable faction have made to
| provoko violence and disorder that they might
make political capital. say it, with large op-
portunitics ofknowing its truth, that no people
ever more anxiously desired peace and quiet,
and their very first wish is a restoration to the
Union under the shield Of the constitution.
Impoverished, tirod Of war, their greatest need
is peace, and their most ardent wish is for the
repose it would bring.
It is also alleged that Northern citizens can
not emigra,e to the South with safety. This
is also untrue; for believe lis universal
wish that immigration, to large extent,
should take place OF steady and useful cl5l-
zens. It is true that political pedlars, who
come South to foist themselves into Offices by
stirring up disaffection and encouraging hate OF
the back against the white race, are unwelcome
guests, as suppose they would be among any
civilized people. The great macs of our peo-
pie are disposed to judge men by their merits
and not by their place OF nativity, and any
worthy citizen OF the North who desires TO take
up his residence in the South will be received
with kindness and satisfaction, as there are
now many instances within my knowledge.
Never IN the history OF civilized man have
the principles of free government and the re-
sources of great country been SO thoroughly
and recklessly sacrificed for mere party pur-
poses as they hayo been in the South by the
u. 80 20. .1,no1, A
abounding in the elements OF woalth and great
ness has been parayzed by their policy, lntilct-
ing serious blow thereby on the commerce
and manufacture OF the North, and greatly di-
minishing the national revenue. Let the
Government of the United States restore con-
stitutional liberty and protection, and, with
them, confidence will spring up, industry will
be invigorated, prosperity will rapidly follow,
imparting its benefits to every part OF the
Union; and with their return we can pledge
much hic her devotion to the constitution than
that shown by Radical leaders. for We wish to
get under the constitution instead OF outside
OF it.
By what authority have States-and some of
the old thirteen-been put out OF the Union
and treated as provinces ? The Congress OF
the United States more than once during the
late war, bv solemn resolutions and enact
ments, declared that State could not place
herself out of the Union by any act OF her own.
The same great issue was definitely decided by
the sword. Can Congress, by any act, expel
State from the Union OF reduce it to the con-
dition of territory2 lhls transcendant
power is nowhere given in the constitution.
Can it be believed that, while the constitution
carefully defines other delegated powers OF far
less importance, that if IL had been intended by
its framors to confer this post transcendant
of powers that it would not have been express
ed? The constitution gives power to the Gov
ernment OF the United States to execute the
laws as against persons in the States, but no
where gives the power to punish State o1
change It's condition. The States made the
Federal Government, and it would be an
anomaly if the creature could destroy It's
creators. .
The States are part and parcel of the Consti-
tuition of the United States, each Of tue old
thirteen being described by name in the lnstru-
ment, and the new States since admitted were
brought into the same relation. Having
fixed position rs States on the fac, OF the i'll
strument, it is a gross absurdlty to suppose
that the mere legislative power can alter the
constitution aud change the condition OF
State.
1t is clear then, as Stale cannot by her own
act withdraw from the Union, and as the con-
stitution delegates no power to Congress TO
eXpel her from it OF change her status. that
the States are yet States, and, as logical con-
sequence that the Reconstruction acts are un-
1O d
sion would be to say that Congress, like The
British Parliament is omnlpotent, or possess
es the same power Of the old Gcrmanc Con!ed-
Grafton, whose Diet could put omc of tiic States
under the ban. / know Of 10 way i'll which the
constitutional status ot Il State can be cnan4eu
except by an amendment oil threc-tourths OF
the States, as provided in the instrument it
self.
A word as to the colored race. Nothing can
be more absurd and uufouudcd than the charge
that the people of the South wish to restore
slavery. We would not if we could. We could
not if we would Once rid Of them, we desire,
for the most obvious reasons, never to nave
them again; although our ancestors bought
many Of them from New England traders, we
give them up without even claiming that
which seems to be in the nature OF warranty.
1t is, believe, q remarkable fact that, while
Virginia and North Carolina voted, in the con-
yention which framed the United States Con-
stitution, to suppress tho African slave trade,
Massachusetts and Rhode Island voted to con-
tinue it. The question was compromised by
continuing it till 1908, by which this curse was
greatly increased in the South by New Eng
land and other traders, who brought them Tor
sale. So late as 1925 or g a senator from the
State Of Rhode Island sat in the Senate OF the
United States, who mad accumulated an inn
mense fortune by the African slave trade.
Taking all these things into consideration, are
we not entitled TO some leniency some justice
from our brethren of the North, between whom
and ourselves q common fraternal feeling
should exist. All good men should desire fra
ternal relations to be restored between the two
sections. With this brilliant future would
IN m SfQtnS