The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1874-10-08
A National Convention of Peace and Recon.
structiOn.

A National Convention Of Peace and Recon-
Structi0n.
The New York Herald has been urging with
great ability an early meeting of representative
men from all parts of the country, to ascertain
and settle the prime needs of the nation to-
wards bringing about peace and reconstruction.
The following extract is taken from a recent
article in its columns:
In the present condition of the country there
are only two subjects of immediate urgency,
and even these two ought to be separated and
one of them postponed, because they are rea-
ted. These two subjects are the currency and
the condition of the South The free trade is
sue is an impertinence until after these two
have been decided. 1t is question in which
there is at present no popular interest. Of the
two thousand newspapers of the country there
are not ten that discuss it at all, and in those
ten nothing is so certain to be skipped as free
trade article. The attempt to force it as po-
litica issue until questions of more interest are
disposed of only obstructs political unity and
concentration. Even the currency question, in
which there is altogether more political life,
only serves to distract attention from what
ought to be the leading issue. Since President
Grants veto the country feels that there is no
danger of further initiation, at least so long as
he remains in office, and on the strength of
this assurance it is content to have the ques-
tion adjourned for year or two. The really
great question of the time is the condition of
the Southern States, and on this ground the
ensuing political battle ought to be fought
The really commanding issue i'll the campaigns
for Congress now, and for the Presidency later,
is the proposal so welcome to the South, and
80 grateful to honest men in the North, that
these States should meet in national conven-
tion of peace and reconstruction.
Had the reconstruction measures worked
we'll and fulfilled the promise of their authors,
that question would long ago have disappeared
from our politics. After the lapse of nine
years since the close of the war, it cannot be
said that those measures have not had fair
trial. They must be judged by their fruits
They have not brought tranquility; they have
not revived Southern prosperity; they have
not restored fraternal feeling between our
countrymen who fought in the war; they have
not reinstated republican government in the
South; they have not enabled US to withdraw
military coercion from that afflicted section of
our common country. The new State govern
ments are rotten with corruption. Their Leg
islatures are hotbeds from which there has
shot up rank growth of pecuniary infamy
which has no other palliative than the gross
ignorance of the negro members. The proper
ty of the South has been burdened with swind-
ling taxes until it has become, in many locali-
ties. nearly worthless This monstrous injury
to the South is also an injury to the North.
The whole country is taxed to support the
soldiers required for maintaining order in the
Southern States. The burden of government
rests with increased weight on the North when
debt, poverty and prostration disable the South
from bearing its proportionate share: The
very foundation of our free institutions is
sapped by accustoming the federal government
to intermeddle in State affairs, and set aside
the result of regular elections. The frequent
breaches of the peace in that section are the
shame and scandal of the times. The para
mount necessity of the country is to have this
state of things remeded, and the remedy will
come more readily after being considered by a
national convention of peace and reconstruc-
ton. The great pressing national want is
restoration of ORDER tranquility and govern
ments which. resting in the free choice of the
people, do not need constant propping by fed.
eral bayonets. Until this great issue is decided
and set at rest, all others are of subordinate
consequence. -.
The country does not ask the republican
party to undo its work in the South, but to
rectify and repair it. The country does not
object to the fullest civil rights to all men, but
it asks that the new privileges and franchises
be reconciled with peace, order and prosperity
If that party is incompetent to bring negro
rights into harmony with good order and hon
est government, the country will demand that
the task be put into different hands. This is
the great issue. When this is settled the cur
rency will be next in order, and it can be dealt
with more intellgently when it is seen how
much money is wanted in the South in con-
dition which re-awakens confidence and enter
prise, and sets all the wheels of industry in
motion. Next in order, after sound currency,
is the question of free trade. Free trade as
political question means free trade with foreign
nations. We already have it in our domestic
commerce. But before we can establish our
commerce with the world on sound basis, we
must first adopt the currency of the world as
the medium in which it is transacted. By
thus separating public questions and settling
each in its order, we might restore dignity and
respectability to our politics, and enable the
people to vote intelligently on every great
issue without mixing aud confounding it with
others.