The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1875-09-30
RECONCILIATION and Honest Govern
ment."


ton Union Party, recently organized in
Boston, and which is intended to super
cedc the two parties at present prominent
in the politics of the country. AT the
late meeting in Boston, letters were read
from distinguished gentlemen who were
invited to attend the Inauguration of the
| movement, and among others was one
from Gen. Jubal A. Early, of Virginia,
who, in declining the invitation, has
given expression to some just, timely and
well-considercd thoughts, couched in
consideratc and friendly language. In
manliness, honesty and patriotism, says
the Columbia Registcr-in the true dis
cernment of the core of the matters
| vet in issue between the communities of
the North and South, and of the indis-
pensable conditions on which any real
friendship and honest reconciliation be-
tween them must be based, this letter is
in strong contrast with the cowardly and
puerile utterances which we sometimes
read as proceeding from Southern men.
| Gen. Early writes to the committee:
Reconciliation and honest government
are very desirable things in themselves,
and the latter especially is much needed
in the country at large, and every part
of it, at this time, but they are rather
vague terms, and can be variously inter-
preted, according to the different struc-
| ture of mems minds. Reconciliation, to
be of permanent avail, must be not only
reconciliation of the people of the diff
ferent sections to each other, but recon-
ciliation of all sections and States to the
form, principles and administration of
the government in all of its departments.
If the government of the United States
is to remain, as the party at present hay
ing charge of its administration have
sought to make it, consolidated, cen
tral government, with power to override
the State governments and reconstruct
them at will, whenever the interest of
the dominant party may be subserved
thereby, the people of the Southern
States can never be reconcilcd to it,
though from necessity they are compelled
to acquiesce; nor can they be reconciled
to the people who thus subvert the prin-
ciples of the constitution as it was when
assented to by their ancestors. So, too,
if the government is to be converted per-
manently into consolidated, centralized
despotisrn. mere honesty in the admins
tration of its offices and finances, if that
were possible under such q government,
would amount to very little. Nay, such
a government honestly administered
that is, administered with q rigid adher-
ence to the principles upon which it is
foundcd-might be all the more intoler-
able for that reason. For instance, if
the government at Washington were i'm
partially and honestly to apply the en-
forcement laws to all the States, and
exercise the same supervision over the
elections and the organization of legisla-
tive bodies in the States of the North
and West, that has been exercised in
Louisiana and some other Southern
States, imagine that the people in your
section would begin to realize the fact
that they have aided in establishing a
most intolcrable despotism. Doubtless,
if an officer of the United States army
were to make his appearance in the
House of Representative of Massachu-
sets, with a squad of soldiers, to arrest
and drag the Speaker and other members
from their seats, there would be q COM
motion in Boston far exceeding that
caused by the appearance of Captain
Preston, with his guard, on his way to
protect the sentinel placed over the chest
of the customs and the advent ola Sher-
idan to overawe the citizens of Massachu-
setts would cause Faneuil Hall to rever-
berate with tones of dcnunciation sur
passing those hurled against the compar-
atively gentle Gagc-that is, if the spirit
Of Warren, of the Adamses and Of Han
cock still survives.
The only true mode of eficcting gcnu-
inc reconciliation is by a restoration to
all the States Of the control of their do
mcstic affairs, and by placing them all on
q basis of entire quality, according to the
original design of the fathers of the con-
stitution, so that Louisiana and her sister
States of the South shall enjoy the same
right of unrestricted selt-govcrnment that
is enjoyed by Massachusetts, and the other
New England States. Until this is done,
it will be idle to look for genuine, stable
reconciliation nor is honesty in its ad-
ministration to be expected until the gov
ernment itself is confined strictly within
the limits assigned it by the constitution.
When the government recklessly dlsre-
CARDS the restrictions imposed upon it by
the charter under which it was organized,
honesty on the part of its officials and
agents is not to be expected. Now
though before the late war between the
States l was a decided and consistent
member of the Wing party, from the time
l was old enough to feel any interest in
public affairs until its collapse am
firmly convinced that the Democratic
party, as at present organized, is the only
one whose principles and policy can give
any hope OF Il restoration Of the rights OF
the States, and return Of the Federal
government to its ancient integrity and,
therefore, standing with the white people
of my State, l will give my support, in
my humble way, to that party in the
coming contest for the control Of the gov
eminent, and cannot give my counte-
nance to any movement designed to sup
plant it.