The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1872-09-11

MR. O'CoNoR's Position BRIEFLY CoN.
sIDERED. There is one peculiarity in the
attitude Of Mr.. O'Conor which we trust
will be pondered with the greatest erayi.
ty by the people Of the South. In his
survey OF the field land moro narrow
observation was never taken by a gentle
man supposed to be statesman) he dis.
poses OF the wrongs. the sufferings, the
hopes. the fears and aspirations Of this
ar-blasted, carpet-ba ridden section in
ABOUT twenty lines. Nor does he do us
the justice to pause even for one moment
TO discuss our condition. What he saws
OF the South Is introduced parentheti.
cally, when he compares Grant and Gree
icy, With an evident inclination in favor
OF the former. Now, after our many
wrongs, what shall we think of the states.
man q! who. IN an elaborate letter, ig.
nores our suferings? Can he have any
genuine sympathy with us7 Can he
nave any claim on our heads or hearts?
we answer no. 10 concur with him
viii be practically to support Grant, for
against u.s. To feel our hearts warm to-
ward him would be akin to acknowled0.
ments on the part of the sheep in the
shambles should it lick the hand which
was stretched forth to give an additional
impulse to the upraised arm OF the
butcher. So far from awarding him
sympathy, or feeling toward him an
emotion of gratitude, We reproach him
with having deliberately interposed be-
tween the people of the South and their
only hope of deliverance from the sys-
tenn under which they have been bur.
dened with debts of S215, 900, 600, and
oppressed with dragonnades as cruel as
those under which France once suffered.
ae admits, by Implication, that Gen.
Grant has inflicted "misery" on US, and
OF this, unhappily, there is no doubt;
out IN defiance of the current fucts of
our history, and in the face of analogy,
he tells US, with the most astounding
composure. that the probabilities offer
us ''blank Olympiad" on one hand, as
against four years of undefnable acti.
vlty on the other" This is absolutely
preposterous. Mr.. O'Conor knows that
Gen. Grant has recently refused to par
don few old and some dying men, now
frettlng out their lives among q great
mass OF In Klux prisoners at the North.
he knows that a corrupt judiciary obeys
his orders in the South, and that we are
systematically robbed and oppressed by
Grants orders. He knows that the
peaceful sentiment propounded by Mr..
Greeley has been protested against by q
member of Grants Cabinet, and that the
canvass is conducted at the North on war
ISSUES; and yet, he. the New York re-
former, can see no reason why we should
support Mr.. Greeley, who denounces as
"thieves" the men who have increased
our Indebtedness over 5000, 900, 00Oi Mr..
OConor's letter is on insult to the intel
llgence and ON outrage to the feelings of
the South. He really propounds no
remedy for our sufferings. The cause of
local liberty is asserted by the coalition,
and this fundamental principle, if re.
established, affords us Immediate hope
OF relief, and in many cases relief abso-
lutte, and at once.
In support of his curious views. he
writes speculative letter, which does
him no sort of credit, either as plcader.
q statesman, or man of feeling. ANY
respectable pleader would have avoided
his surplussage about restricting the
rights of government to contract debts,
for that is not an issue in the canvass.
and can only be reached by amending
the Constitution, which authorizes Con-
gress to "borrow money"
Statesman would have realized the
condition Of the South and adapted him.
self to it at once, for reconstruction fur
nishes the problem which we are now
engaged in solving. and it's result de-
pends entirely on the formula adopted
whether that Of Grant or Greeley. A
man of feeling would have taken
broader view. He would have recalled
the cruel wrongs, outrages and oppres-
slons under which we have suffered, and
IN more modest and humane frame of
mind than Mr.. O'Conor has exhibited,
he would have considered our wishes,
our hopes and our endeavors in this
campaign. But, no! Mr. O'Conor in
his calm elevation disposes of the South,
incidentally, and by way of parenthes esis,
IN few lines, and avows his unalterable
fidelity to Democracy. Now, let US ask
what the Democracy of this country has
done for It's in the last thirteen years.
and then see how far we are bound to
follow Mr.. O'Copor's lead. Our North
ern brethren deludcd ns with the cry of
principle, and declared they would rise
at homo if coercion was attempted, but
when war began, wo found them on our
front, flank and rear, engaged in estab-
lIShino