The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1874-09-09

| H"'o uoue oo, huu Iue BioTy OI tue lilG-
gal act claimed for some one else Pat.
:cTson, of course.
|
A Proposition for IL National Convcn-
| tion.
ln an elaborate aud weli-considrreu
article. not free from Misrepresentation
towards the South, but, upon the
whole. just and kindly, the New York
Herald proposes q national convention
of peace and reconstruction, 10 con-
slider the war, its causes, consequences
and results, aud how best the Union
can adjust itself to the new and strunge
conditions it has left behind. If tho
Northern people could bave listened to
reason and regarded Southern states
manship which. we we'll remember,
raised it's voice for constitutional
convention defure the war. they wonid.
perhaps, have been spared n resort to
this expedient now; the war nnd all the
heinous disgrace and wrong which
have followed i'll lis train might have
been avoided. tho rights OF States pre-
served aud the feeling Of friendship
between the sections not murdered in
the murders of q senseless and savage
INVASION. As things are, We heartily
agree with the suggestion of the Hc-
rntI. if carried out out upon fnir cou-
ditions. A convention of the kind it
| proposes. if tho Southern States eau
get proper representation in it, will
be more likely than any other agency
to settle upon the tel rls of just aud
LISTING peace; but not if we should be
represented in it as we have been rep
resented III Congress, III onr S:ate Lc-
gislatnres aud III our spurious and dis
honest State Governments we can.
not. nor do we desire to. reproduce the
whole Of this article, bns wo present
some passages, which we'll show the
straits the Northern intelligent public
regard themselves to be in, through
the misgoverument and atrocious
wrongs and crurl,ies which they have
allowed their satraps and their rotten
limitations Of governments to perre-
trate in the South. Rsferring to re-
cent events here, the Herald sny-:
They show that. instead Of an honest
measure OF generous and pacific recon-
structiOn, we have reduced the CON
qnered States Of the South into the
condition Of Poland and Ireland. No
known section of conquered territory,
not the most lawless districts Of Vest
meath, nor the most impatient com
munes In Alsace. are as disturbed as
many Of the Southern States. This
cannot be attributed to the pressure OF
war; for the war is over, and the
harvests have long since embodied with
living verdure the bloody fields. Nor
does it come from failures of crops,
that frequent cause of discomfort, for
all accounts tell us that cotton aud
sugar and rice promise an abundant
yield. Nor does it represent the fer.
menting ambition that would rise III
new rebellion, for no Southern leader
not MIR. Toombs himself-has limited
the thought Of war. The cause lies
deeper. It hus become disease
slowly growing. irritating disease
what might he called an uictratioh Of
the whole political system. Unless we
remove it there can be no end but
death. Already in arkansas aud South
Carolina we observe the first tokens Of
death in the shameless reputation
which has become an accepted princi.
pie of legislation. Such examples
should not be overlooked. Ii the
Union cannot be destroyed by war, it
can be destroyed by reputation.
There can be no wholesome union be-
tween Massachusetts and South Caro-.
lima, between New York and Arkansas,
on the financial conditions that exist
to-day. Already the North lnments It's
existence, and tomorrow, if rrpudia-
ton continues to be the controlling
sentiment Of the South, we shall have
the solvent patriot States Of the North
crying: "Who shall deliver us from tho
body CT this death?"
It gives it's idea of tho rsal cause Of
troubles here
Tho men who. few short years ago,
were strong enough by genins and
valor to rule tie councils Of the Uuion,
and subsequently to construct power
in the Southern Confederacy that re,
quired four years of war TO suppress
and is still historical power, oom-