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

speak. Can we reully reconstruct the
Southern States without the aid of tho
real sous OF the South? We havatried
to do 80, depending upon the ignorant
freedmen, Who yesterday were slaves,
and the unscrupulous white adventur-
ers, who yesterday fled from the North
as political mendicants and soldiers of
fortune. There Is no reconstruction.
On the contrary, We sec disturbance,
civil outbreaks, corruption and disor.
der, and, worse than all, war upon
the national credit by means of epu
diation that will be as disastrous to tue
Union as if the rebellion had been u
success. 1t would certainly be better
in the interests OF civilization aud H..
berty to have two confederacies, 90
verncd by stutesmcn of honor und
character. who respected credit snd
sacred obligations, thun such Union
Us we shall certainly see, if Arkansas
and Sonth Carolina ure permitted to
drug these Federal Stnles into the
abyss Of bankruptcy. This can be in
no respects IL wholesome living Union,
aud tho cud will be destruction bv
repndIutiou more disastrous than would
have been the destruction by war
Proceeding next TO show the futiIity
OF trying TO keep the peace by military
power, it passes to the view Of qncs-
tions which cannot affect the settled
results OF the war, but which it thinks
it eminently necessary to be considered
IN the spirit Of lstice aud true recon
ciliution. There can be no recoustruc
ton, it thinks, until they are decided.
It says:
Hnve we not imposed tno heavy "a
fine upon the South US the consequence
at the war? Have we not punished
her, although sister comm mon wealth,
ten times more severely thuu Fruuce
was punished by the alien Invader?
Ii Germany astonished the world in
exacting five nilliards from France,
what must bu thonght of the fine of
ten miilintds. which, estimating each
slave at $500, was imposed upon the
South by the proclamation of emanci-
patton? Shonld not some comp mpeusa-
tion be made to the South for this
enormous ine-not in the way of
actua! mouey paid to former slave
holders, but Ill the development of iu-
dustries in the South that were de.
stroyed by the war? Ii we of the
Northern States for generations aDs-
tanned. approved and proGted by
slavery when it Was Nh institution,
should we not assume some of the
e1pcnsc and responsibility Of regard
ing it as u crin.n2 Because We CON
nnered the South, have we any right to
desoiatc il? Can there be any form Of
desolation more thorough than to
compel tho people to bear nll the bur
Gnns of the war which they nssumed-
Of the abolition of slavery which we mt
one time guaranteed to them as an in
stitutlon, rs we'll as of the debt we
contracted ourselves to suppress the
rebellion? Can there be any genuine
reconstruction thut makes 1T thn object
al the Southern leaders to aim to de-
stroy by repndntion the Union they
failed 10 destroy by SECESSION? These
are grave Questions To the minds Of
socas Of our renders they may no
doubt bo novel, aud it may he snid
that wo take gloomy or Il fantastic
ricS of ,Ee situation III the South.
Bus there cerlainly Is III evil IN the
So,:th that We have not reached. We
ARE rapidly drifting upon chaus, dis
order, war of races, repudlntiou.
We have nude oLr brothers of yesrer.
day onr enemies. and not only enemies,
but We surrender to their mercy the
credit of the nation and the happiness
of the 1. 900. 700 Of slaves we emanci-
patsd. More than ulI. We have given
them DO motive for reconstructiou;
but, OH the contrary, we have LEFT
them every temptation to war upon
the Union
fNbn r.,l r,.l.i -. -