The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1874-07-21
S. G..
Tuesday Morning. July 81. 1874.
Alps ON Alps.

the discussion OF the third term ol
President Grant as possible alterna
tive to be presented to the people ol
the South. We have preferred not to
consider ourselves as in the political
market; and we have thought. besides,
that this issue might not be made.
When it is made. it will be time
enough to consider it seriously. 1t
looks, now, as il the President desires
nad is working for his reelection, but
without any great respect to parties, as
at present constituted. H:s overturss
TO Southern men, and his expressions
of interest in the affairs of even poor
mobbed South Carolina, may have this
meaning. Bot we shall not consider
them as bids yet, nor as put forth to
feel the pulse OF the. Southern Demo.
scraticivote. We prefer to treat them
.as spontaneous evidences Of q new con.
<siotion which has dawned on the Pre-
sidens's rnind-as a returning sense of
Justice to muoh-maligned and out.
-.zageously injured people. The ad-
= sniniatration. and the Presiden. more
\ particularly, have found that the re-.
construction OF the South, which they
have conducted and superinteuded,
has been a stupendoua failure; that
the condition OF society here is daily
.r&zowing more threatening, and that
political and social Reorganization is
likely to set in, the evil consequences
OF which cannot be foreseen, and will
not conane themselves 70 the limits of
inc section where they originate.
They may learn. also. from the bust
ness men OF the North, from the oapi-
talists who have ventured their money,
from the merchants who have sold
aheir goode, that their expectations OF
progress and improvement have been
>sliseppoiuted. They may we'll regard
the problem OF the recovery of the
South to prosperity as eminently de-
.serviDg their best study and efforts.
1t is only proper that they should feel
even more concern for euch settle
ment Of the ugly social and political
questions which are rising here to con-
front the country as will give assur-
ance Of peace, good order and future
good understanding between the races
which destiny has placed in such pecu.
aiar and trying relations to each other.
In connection with these subjects,
soon. as. We believe, to ripen into
practical and pressing questions for
the people of the North and for the
General Government TO solve, We no.
Ece the increasing tendency of the
press to recognize their weight and
Importance. The Herald. for example,
while thinking that the fifteenth
amendment cannot be overtkrown, yet
says that is no obstacle to changing
the. base Of suffrage on some other
principle. 1t neither forbids q pro-
perty qualification nor an educational
qualification for voters, so long AS it
applies alike to both races, although
either kind of qualification would e1-
c)nde majority of the negroes from
the ballot box. It goes on to describe
what might be done by q President
actively exerting his influence in favor
OF snoh change, and requiring all
Federal office.h olders to work for it in
all sorts Of ways, both open and under
hand. It says that
"a President thoroughly in earnest
in this business could easily, by his
patronage and influence, control negro
votes enough to carry property qua.
LITIGATION or an educational qualitica.
ton in most of the Southern States. "
This is much to be desired, of
course. but nothing seems to us more
unlikely than that it will ever come
abont in this way. What we wish to
note particularly is, that it is one Of :.
GLASS OF questions which are forcing
themselves upon the attention OF the
thinking men Of the North, and which
will soon clamor for settlement. And
settled they must be, even if they over
turn tho fair fabric OF assumed polili-
cal consistency, self com placency and