The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1874-04-29


the, leading journals douonnco recon.
struction as monstrous sin, AS IN
evidence Of the temper now display.
cd by leading newspapers TINT not
long since firmly backed the admiuis.
t.rstilQnliiaa itts*S,ralnlpioal msasafes in
tho Southern States, we subjoin an
editorial from tho Now York Herald,
a paper that bas&hc sagacity of ul.
ways expressing the views Of the ma
jority. Its significant. If Southern
Conservatives. arc only careful 10
their conduct. it will not be long be-
fore they arc iu accord with tic gov.
ernment:
"W.e can understand tho tempta.
tions that would surround the Presi.
deut aud lead him to take positive
attitude in. these Southern qnarfels.-
They aro the scandals of our re publ
oan form Of government Much Of
this is duo to the impa,ience OF our
policy Of reonstr uction.. :. e.
The major general was followed by
the carpet.bayger, tho: soldier by the
plund derer. We now See tina, lad the
military occupation Of the conquered
States been prolonged for five years
more it would have becp better for
every Gloss. Tho PASSIONS, of war
would have subsidized. Ihe defeated
classes would have become reoopciled
to tae necessities Of peace. The freed
men wonld have lea'ned by education
the duties as we'll ps tho amenities of
ire, dom. The new mcn who came
iuto 10 the South, not SIMPLY as ,,ud.
vcnturers but to make their homes
~. that rich and highly favored land.
would have been Encouraged in the
honest aevel"fment of en.erprise.-
W Nhehth tine cane Tor recunstruc-
tlon, the worthiest CLASSES would have
ruled and government would have
been the honest expression of the
peoples voice. The army of occa
patton uuder The enlightened aud
honest ralc cf the Nvr.hsrn Journals
would have. been the surest plan Of
fe;onstructi II.
The most painful circumstance
| about lhe South has hecn the dislD.
pearanco Of he marked men WHO
sorvcd her before tho war and " ho
led her through that extraordinary
episode Of the Confederacy. y. What.
ever were the faults Of the Confede-
racy the men who guided it possessed
u high order of s,ut,smanship. We
certainly expected that with tho re.
turn OF peace aud general amnesty,
these men would retain their leadet.
ship. They owed this to their rco-
pie, even if they had lost the ins pira
tions of ambition. Never did peoplc
need counsel nluEs than the Sa1th
eruers ul5er tho rebellion. Tue,
were in crual attitude. WAY had
de. olated their homes, destro, d
their industry, ovcrturnod their.sucla
institutions, dccir!utca their families
and deprived them Of franchise
which was conferred uEon class who
had hitherto been brought, 50 Id as
slaves, aud kept in a coudi,ion Of de-.
hbcratc and. crilninal ignorance that
they might be ducile us slaves. They
needed the UTMOST wisdom aud GOOD
advice. but Tie men who led then,
in the past we.c 10 longer leaders,
Lee retired into sccius:an from which
he never came and died without say.
ing word, as far as we know, tt
counsel the people who followed him
with their lives and for, unes to Ap
ronatux. Others followed his ok
ample. ..
The youly prominent Southern
| leader who has come back to Con
yre,s is Stephens, aud he comes like
IL ghost ava akening cur iosity, but .lt
luugcr inspiring Oheu iouce or conf
dcncc. This SUI dem iuding out y
the old Southern Statesmen is an cx
truordinary. circumstance, and we at
tribute many of,ll,e cEils which huy,
uggr.vatcd the. Southern Stakes to tn
apathy or tclplc. Sues Of the gifte,
and courageous men who led then, int
Rebellion and for tvuryears conpelle,
the world to deal with their Confcdc
racy as a genuine aud powerful ma
ton.
We should haze welcomed tn
lsadc of the Co"fedoracy II they ha
comr buc i TO political life. For al
people have. L,.tnrul loadcrs, and til
ucn who naturally lead the Sout
arc the men. If the Confederac,
hut instead Of their leadership "
j. have had in the South scr.cs {
political volcanoes and earthquake
aud. on.inous grum"lings. To.d
VIC rec the smoke in Arkansas. We,
te,day we heard tho rumbling i
South Carolina to morrow the cart
may end .in Louisiana or Texas, vii
sppnting Gte and streams. AL the.
. phcnomem. mean the same tb,nt
There are A..hcs aud consuming ii,
under the surface. With ali OF ud
statos manst.ip we have never bee
| hl,, a., ,an.L IN. ,.yil It - i11o