The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-01-08
CHI A. R L E'S T ON.
WEDNESDAY MORNING. JANUARY 8, 1868.
The Farlorn Hope.

The prospects of the Radicals are gloomy,
and the leaders of the party have begun to
speak plainly to their followers. By the
New York s!!.ribune" and dozen other in
Auential Northern journals it is freely con-
fessed that i; is necessary to reconstruct
the Southern States 80 that the electoral
votes of those States may be cast on the
right side at the Presidential election.
More than this, they avow their determine
tion to force the South to vote with the
Radicals, and declare that unless this is
sure to be done they will use every effort
to keep then, from voting at all. They do
not care ono etraw for the wishes Of the
white Southern minority or white Northern
majority, nor do they pay any regard tothe
provisions Of the Federal Constitution or to
the principles on which the Government Of
the United States was founded. Their only
constitution is the resolution of caucus,
their only principle want of principle;
and, in their own words, the South must
vote for the candidate of the Radical party
or the county will witness can internecine
struggle consequent upon the refusal to
count the vote of the Southern Democracy"
Such is the programme and such is the
threat.
Not long ago the Radicals declared with
their customary vehemence that theirs was
the task of saving the country. Mr.. JOHN
SONS scheme of reconstruction was set
aside because it was unsafe; the first Re-
construction bill was passed, because the
Southern whites were rebellious and the
freedmen must be protected; the first and
second supplementary acts were enacted to
expedite tie return Of peace and hasten
general goodwill and universal pacihcation.
I But wha; a mockery now must these
things seem to the thinkers of the North.
The South rejected the scheme of military
reconstruction, not because it was of Radi-
cal birth, not because the South was re-
bellious in spirit, but because the South
could see further than the North could
see,-because the South could see that this
Radical reconstruction meant war and not
peace,-besause no party could be trusted
to act hone crably and fairly which had bro
ken every promise, and had signalized its
accession to power by trampling upon that
constitution which it had sworn to defend,
and by which it professed to be guided.
The South knew that Radical reconstruction
was no reconstruction at all; and this is now
known by the people of the North and re-
ceives its expression in the vast majorities
which at every election vote on the side of
safety and will secure the triumph of con-
servatism.
Will tho North long bear the incubus
which now threatens to strangle it to death?
No! And as this country moved swiftly
downwards, SO will the upward fight be
fast and steady. This country does not
change as other countries change A CEN
tury in Europe does not accomplish as much
as decade in America. Feeling is already
changing; and, at any day, sweeping rev.
olution may set in that will hurry the Rad
icals to destruction with q rapidity only
equalled by that short shrift which was
given to the bloody leaders of the French
Revolutions,