The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1868-08-20
THE Moaning OF "Let us Have
& Peace"

up the meaning of General Grants
apostrophe: "a
Congress is now upon trial before
the great inquest of the nation, Its
policy and Legislation, its purposes
and acts, are fair subjects of inquiry,
which, cannot be superseded by par
tisan clamor, or ignored by personal
calumny. The unhappy condition
of the country, and the disturbed
state of all our material interests, are
far too serious and important to be
treated with levity or to be set aside
for inferior considerations. The
people are entitled to know if their
confidence has been respected or
abused, and to claim strict account
of the stewardship of those who are
ut best but servants of the public.
These demands have been made,
and instead of answering them salts
factorily, Congress seeks to avoid the
issues by reviving old slanders and
fighting over again the battles of the
war. The attempt is to stife inves-
tigation by going back to 1860 and
resurrecting men and things that
have long since past away. Instead
of confronting the living and vital
questions upon which the present
peace and future prosperity of the
country depend, they resort to artful
strategy in order to evade an irksome
responsibility. Every expedient is
adopted to avoid direct answers to
the questions which an outraged
people PROFOUND; and now, when
brought face to face with their cul-
pable neglect of the public business,
frauds, corruptions and crimes, they
cry out, "Let us have peace" That
is the reply which the country gets,
when it asks for an account of the
enormous revenues received, and for
any candid statement of the "situa-
tion." The Jacobins who have
brought misery, and discord, and
ruin upon the land, and who dare not
meet the accusing voice of betrayed
people, have adopted this cry of
"Let us have peace, in the vain
hope of silencing inquiry, and of
covering up their glaring iniquities.
When it is asked how have the fif-
teen hundred millions collected from
taxes and customs since Lees surren-
der been expended, radicalism ex-
claims, "Let us have peace"
When it is asked why is there one
currency for the bond-holders and
another for the pensioners and peo-
pie, radicalism exclaims, "Let us
have peace"
When it is asked why the public
debt has not been reduced, radical
ism exclaims, "Let us have peace!"
When it is asked why the taxes of
manufacturers and monopolists have
been diminished eighty millions q
year. thus augmenting those of the
people, radicalism exclaims "Let us
have peace!'
When it is asked why a vast stand
ing army is maintained, without
even pretext of reason, radicalism
exclaims, "Let us have peace!'
When it is asked why have not ex-
travagant expenditures been stopped,
radicalism eXclaims, "Let us have
peace"
When it is asked why negro barba-
rism has been adopted as the basis
of Congressional reconstruction,
radicalism exclaims, "Let us have
peace!"
When it is asked why Congress
proposes to arm the negroes, radical
ism exclaims. "Let us have peacep'
When it is asked why taxation
has not been equalized and reduced,
radicalism exclaims, "Let us have
peacew
When it is asked why the bond
holders should be preferred class
and exempt from taxes, radicalism
exclaims, ''Let us have peacer'
When it is asked why military rule
is prolonged in the South, radicalism
exclaims, 'Let us have peacew
When it is asked why negro suf-
frage is enforced in the South and
excluded in the North, radicalism
exclaims. "Let us have peacer'
When it is asked why the corrup-
tions in Congress, which are noto-
rious and openly charged, are not in
vestigatcd, radicalisn exclaims, "Let
us have peacew
When it is asked under what au-
thority Congress assumed powers
conferred by the Constitution upon
the Executive, radicalism exclaims.
;'LeG us have peacel"
When it is asked why the judicial