The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1872-01-17
"Ths Flnsen,n Amondm.u..nl


MEssRs. EDIToRs: When the thirteen origi.
nal States, after the war OF Independence,
met in convention to form Union, they met
rs 30 many sovereign contracting powers
they alone constituted the parties to tho
compact or agreement. They were free,
equal and independsnt-eAo sovereign
power-could agree or not sgree-could form
. Union or General Government, or not; free
to, act or not. And the Union or General
Government, by the very nature OF thinkp,
was not party to this compact ofarrse-
mont. Dut was the creature and tho ordained
and established agent of these soyereix n
States; and upon this agent was conferrt d
and delegated certain specific and SOVEREIGN
powers. And the idea is prepoaterous, that
OF their sovereignty. The General Govern
ment, even now, only exercises deteEs tod
powers. For, by mutual agreehlent, the
states car can now. In convention assembled, as
power granted to their agent. Yea, three-
fourths OF them assembled can amend or
make null and void. The late civil war was
not war between the Southern States and
the General Government. but war between
the Northern and Southern States-the for
mer usiug and authorizing their agent-the
General Government-to carry on the war
aud even, 9as sovereigns alono can do.) en-:
AoA Sah6 ou0 uoIcSdIiuR CtueT ana eykfROrdt.
nary powers. The idea that the North went
to war to commit suicide, aud thus to destroy
their sovereign life or existence .ie eh.,.rc
The Southern States likewise estn nbiished and
empowered their agent at RichHiohd. It Mas
war emphaticaly between che Northern and
Southern States. And the great question at
issue WAS not whether the States we're
sovereign or not, but whether State had the
right to secede or withdraw. Some NAV say.
Il you deny Stnte the right to secede, you
deny that which ia essential to sovereirntv
When certain number Of men enter into o
ooPartnerehip TO carry on a specific bhsiness
don't know that any one of them can with
draw at pleasure, without the consent Of the
others. This dissolving Of copartn6rehip can
only be done by mutual CONSENT"
The States, not by separate action, gained
their lndependsnce-butto tog ether, lsagued to-
9ether, confederated together. And right
here lies the solution OF this great question.
upon this great question the south consider
ca hersef whipped, and has, since the war,
conceded the question OF secession settled by
the sword-by an appeal to arms. / he aboli-
ton OF slavery and the Reconstruction Acts
were the terms OF the victor imposed ubon the
conquered. It ie trne they were arbitrary,
and not constitutional. The North was nnder
no oOmpulsion to exact these terms-the con-
dition aud state OF things after the surrender
oid not require or necessitate them. The
Northern States ACTED from their own free
CHOICE Aud among tho terms they OK acted OF
their sister Southern States is the fifteenth
amendment"-h act not OF q brave, high.
minded and honorable people, but an act most
dsmnably infamous aud degrading: an ACT
that damns the honor OF any people. tree
is known by its fruit. The present condition
Gt south carolina is the fruit, and prove what
have asserted. He'll, itself, could not have
vomiied forth or begotten such an Offspring.
PAOOLET.
P. 8. The character Of the court lately held
IN COLUMBIA rivet the truth OF my assertions.