The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1868-10-14
AIlarsaa. 81 IEoa. s. Q. .A.IalI.s.
ICoNTINUKDI


whenwe broke from President Lin
coins calm, peaceful and constitu-
tional way, and dashed our mad
cnnrse IN our turn through the or
gapic law. Mr.. Lincoln's mind was vas
legal and moderate, and he moved
carefully in we'll considered way,
Mr.. Summers mind is theoretical and
extreme, and very impatient Of any
restraints. He must leap Instantly
to his end, even if the Heavens fall.
And upon him eventually fell the
mantle of leader of the Republican
party, and to his inspiration, more
than any other man, is due the Re-
construction Acts. The same mad
ness ruled the hour which had al
ready wrought your rnin. Your lead
ers could not brook their threatened
fate in the Union-ours could not
postpone for moment their pro-
| missed fortune. It seems to me that
If you trace out the process, it is
ultimately the same in the one case.
and in the other. It was in both
cases what 1 have called political in
temperance. Neither party had faith
enough IN the cause or their fellow
citizens, or patience enough in ma
tural and regular methods, or con
hdence enough in the supreme law
which our fathers gave us, to bide
their time in the assured conviction.
that the greatest good for all must
eventually result.
You have suffered the penalty Of
your intemperance, and you are feel
ing its effects bitterly to-day. We,
too, if 1 am not very much mistaken.
have day of reckoning in store for
us-a painful SOLDERING from our de.
bauch. If we persist, it is impossible
for any tolerable Government to con-
tinue long, for it will degenerate into
mere squabble of contcnding fac
tions, for a chance to oppress for a
time their less active or less numer
GUS opponents.
Now, you can see clearly enough
to- day, where your interest lies. If
you involve the Constitution, it is
not hard to find the reason. You
need most terribly just that protect
ing medium interposed between YOU
and the governing majority. A Con
stltution is meant for just that, to
mitigate and distribute the blows of
maiorities.
Some day, I have no doubt, we
shall see In Massachusetts, the merit
OF Its operation, as clearly as you do
now; but L fear that it will not be
until we are in a minority, and look
In vain for the shield we threw away
to ward some threatening blow. But
to you, my friends, this necessity is
pressing, is overbearing-something
you must have, you think, or perish.
Now, without going so far as that, 1
believe that the very best thing for
you to try to get back, is the Consti-
tuition of the United States. Now
You are substantially prisoners of
war. held by military force, and
liable at any time to further orders
from the majority. do not intend
to speak disrespectfully of your State
government; and I would especially
urge the utmost obedience to your
de facto rules; but I take it, that it
would not be long insisted upon
here, If it was understood that the
North took no manner of interest in
it. You want the original principles
OF Union restored, the right of the
States to manage their own domestic
affairs, without the interference of
the General Government, and the
manifold checks and balances and
distribution of power, which our an
cestors desired re-adjusted; and I
agree with you that it is your only
practicable escape from your Jail,
which radicalism, North and South,
has made of your good old State, so
far as you are concerned. And this
brings US to the key of our discus
slon-how can this be done?
Why, how did it happen to need
to be done? I mean the last and
proximate cause of your present un-
protected position. It was, as 1
think, mainly because the extreme,
impatient and fanatical portion OF the
governing party were enabled, partly
IN consequence of Mr.. Lincoln's
death, and partly by the indiscretion
OF the South, to overpower the calmer
and moro moderate men in the party,
and WELD its whole force against you.
Now l know that it is likely that
many of you may feel general and
indiscriminate detestation of the Re-
publican party, involving the whole
array, in the denunciations which