The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1871-04-06

: ~ 4
quiet within the bosom of the society
itself. Hinder our COM piex political
system defence agafnst d0Te Tes:
! sion Isl despavsd apen the Federal
government md She ptesefy yatioa Of
internal irsashilIify isscofnlnit sed tothe.
govern ,oig 81 meiIts of ne separate Ststes.
For a period of more. than. eighty
yearslhis partition of functions govern
imeut having proved entirely coupe.
tent to g punish crime; reptess disorder,
and, ,admiuisterju within their own
lilimits.s Thee was ssoincwhat famous
rebellion in Rhode. Island "a State not
much larger than good dssized county,
in 1912; but ait wasput down without
any intervention of Federal force We
have had, at sundry times, extensive
anti-rent disturbances in the State.of
New, York. :; .hut the State authorities
never felt the need. of any outside
assistance d in dispensing the rioters and
bringing the 3ringleaders to 10 justice.
Law and order were at one fine sub?
yperted in California; but the San
I Francisco Vigilance committee applied
an effectual remedy. The State
eaonvernneRts Of the South, even during
our late civil war, had difficulty 10 up.
l6oldihg domestic order, although they
had q large population Of slaves and
most Of tho white citizens were absent
+, from their. homes 10 the military ser
VIC, of,tbe Co6fetleracy.
| Itis m Instructive. and most inns
pressive illustration Of the value Of the
Reconstructed State government which
were forced npon the South at the
point Of the bayonet, that their very
Authors proclaim them. worthless for
fulfilling the chief, function for which
governments are instituted. In the
most difficult period in The history Of
! those States, namely, the first two
Years after the Close of tic war, when
| tho disbanded Southern armies had
/ Just been turned bose upon an impot-
j efished community, without employ.
/, ment zof much possibility of finding
!: any, in that trying period. the Southern
'liSfate governments, which had been
/ established by the authority Of Che
! people, easily maintained order; inso.
/ much that twas q theme Of wonder
!, and congratnlation that enc tofthe
greatest @arsin history had closed with.
/! out bringing after st a train Of dis
4 turbancoS General Grant hirhsel
/ went South :in the winter of41S 1S666 on
a toursof observation, visiting South
Carolina among other States, and made
4 d report in which he testified TO thc
4 good order and the obcdienco to Law
(which prevailed 10 the South: And
H6w, after. all tho reconstruction and
4 tinkeriny Of these Intervening gears
4 tire sam. General: Grant puts tho new
q State governments to open shameib by
4 prociaiaing that fhey are incompetent
4 20 discharge the ordinary dulics ei
such governments ia our political sys
q. -. - f = -,
TEN. 80 = ..3, - - = = ~ - /.
d. We End no fault with The issuance o
such . proclamation. Under the cir,
cuinstaDcss, twas nodaubt the Ptesi,
dents duty. 10 mako il: y iR: moro
spcct. strapscends The authority con;
ferred upons him BY the Constitution
and by ! laws of lung standing, i
governor Scott csttiGss that The f6ttcn
reeoustrncted government Of South
Carolina, is too feeble and imbceile t
/, preserve order, and applies to thl
Federal government TO support j j! |!
to teriog authority, The Presidents mol
4 tat, liberty ,to question his r representa-
/ tons. They are intrinsieally probable,
| How can. government that is loathi
4 ed and, despiscd by all men Of charac
Ter and intelligence .lnaintain order
: The reconstructed government q
South Carolina reeks with the foules
corruption, as even the Tribune hal
again and again published and declared!
The notorious Whittemore, who wa
expelled from Congress in disgrac!
and immediately. elected to thc State
Senate, is q sample Of the kind ofmer
WHO. administer the reconstructed
government in that State. The. rcck
less extravas auce and barefaced Robbery
! which run riot in the South Carolin;
Legislature, oppressive taxes it ha'
Imposed, the enormous State debt j
has piled up. its disorderly proceedings
ignorant debates, and bad laws, hay.
excited tue contempt, disgust and ha'
tired Of all reasonable men. II is no
surprising that . government which
offends the moral sense sof1the whole
community, and is utterly destitute 9
any moral authority, proves incapable
Of discharging the ordinary, duties o
civil rulers, The people of the othel
States, besides supporting their OWL
governments. must be taxed heavily
for maintaining, troops to prop up tbt
rickoty reconstruction affair in South
Carolina, which is falling into ruins
not BY the dilapidation Of age, but ii
all the, newness of recent completion
because It was planned by bad archii
tects and built on a rotten foundation
1t fails to answer the chief end fol
J which all honest governments ART
made; and the Republican party seem!
70 cxult iu the hope that the othel