Columbia phoenix. (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1865, April 24, 1865, Image 2
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Monday Morning, April 24, 1865.
: Situation-of Affairs T~
There is a temporary truce between the
armies. For a moment only, perhaps, the
weapons of war are dropped, and th?' bp
posing hosts take breath after tho perilous
and protracted struggle. . Htt& soon taeV
will resume their weapons, whether.they
will e?rer resume them, ia the question.
And if the war ceases, what are to iba- the
conditions of the cessation? Theseiar? the
questions, the solution of which Iks bid?
den in the womb of time. !
Who can propose to solye it, even
through .the mest logical conjecture^ Oui'
Congress, ?mr peoole, our press?) A]?.*-!
the one lias seemii glv surrendered! everyl
thing to the Government; f lija Govern merit'
yields everything to the President; fjhe peo.
'pie concede to Congress,?ajid the pres* li?
neally no oracle, '?t rather feeds inp popu?
lace vanity than seek to correct ii sj ?m o rs,
rebuke its vanity, and inform its; under
standing. What is *doney what ^hall he
done, will be at the fiat of certain pertcus;
possibly appoint* d by the President, whe
will carry ou negotiation?, of wBich wr
shall be .permit? fd to know nothing, uulii
the telegraph shall tell us of an aetion in
the premise*, which moy be beyond recal
or remedy. Negotiations. are, said to be
going ou; but b?twf< n what agents? 1 Wis
are t<*ld that Judge John A. Campbe'l, o
the Di.-tiiot. Court, ami vu assistant secre?
tary of one of ll^e Government depart
.lUent?, bas ' been left by tho President ni
Richmond to* conduct negotiations-o
ra?bei see what can be done. This repon
is nn? fficial. . It may be true or not; it. i
quite probable. In ?hat degree does* tb i
p'rocr ecii g trt-H tho sanction of Congress
How f?r is Ci'tipeis pr ? v-y lo it, and wi ia
" erv. tie quai ti?-?, as a .statesman, whb'l
j :l?;e Campbell , possesses for tho woik'
ile baa considerable reputation as a law
\ er, bul lawyers ru rely make good staler
men. His n.b d i? logical and ecvnsibh
.nile i? shrewd lather than profound; wvi
trj-iit- vou ri goori disquisition np ni a judi?is
ai bject, arid maintain a respectable pos
"l?en lit a'controversy; Buthehflsaeq'mre
IX? rtpiitjith ?) as a diplomatie?'-bas 1 arl ti
experience in the pi?viucc, r.nd ve <!oubv
be Le inc ripht no-t of perfon to m<er. th
jc?'ey in ib*? r>e3?vnt instance. Put tl
{-Tili.bir.tj istbat be acta under instru?
tipjji-fct' Proidri^[Davis.
Wtat an- li ase iriBtroctiona? To gi?
4
|f?em ifs" nn;**r?na,W,^u^,?, ^uT^saTfffc
^President must have reached a-result io his
own mind, winch is decisive as to our situ?
ation. He must Lave settled, tho question,
j first, as to our capacity to carry on the war;
j ns to thc policy of doing so or not; ns to
I tho exigencies which make it necessary to
I sectfre ie ace; ss to the resources which, wc
still r^^sesf, by. which to command such
t?rros'as'shall consist with honor and saTetyl
arrd oppecially'to sntisjfy the people of these
Confederate Suites, ; Unluckily, the status
of the, people is not ot a sort to command
much consideration, except*When votes ar?
.vant^uajLa popular election. They exacl
na responsibilities, and few officials care tc
> V. i 3 I
dyfir'flicir ^public performances to theil
judgment.^,,. ... '
^ Bbit thdre ?3 Congress-thc*press. Well
where ii Congress-^-where the press? Th?
formet*,' b^'rJoubt; possesses sources of infor
(nation which the press does not. - Th
iction cannot;beide!?ycd till press and pee
plo get the information.. A people may I
Uisi in thc*? delay. The Congi ess is n<
.V he ie at pissen*. Ibo Se* ate, which
.ippoiutcd to sanction fiction of tl
President, or not, in all matters of negotii
?lion, sud which should advise* with bin
i docs not ap| ear in posipou nt his ?ar.
?Ju^gc Campboll to assume air. the'respoi
isibiliiy? 3?" his judgrntnt to decjide tl
? momentous qrestion?
i The primary questions aro, briefly-a
I we a conquered pcoplfc! Is ?it no long?
j posible tu oje?se resistance to thc i
! ?advi ? This is the firstand tho^t importai
I question. With thc capacity?etill,to bril
into the field rm ai my or arrases of o00,0(
fighting men,-are we to submit sud pg
' under- fha yoke-a^e-we tobe stibjugatt
- forced back into a union wit,** a peojj
whom we h ??he - under a despotiein whi<
W-'? hate, and n Inch strips of all prest
possessions, anil all future hope? Shall v
sir.k to tbts cot'd'lion of vassalage, a stria;
lu vassals, and at the *p<itof a h-gon
satraps of the types of Banks and Both
.it should . te, rune, < OIK. I it-ive, hbroln
piessiog, li?y, permanent necessity, ahi
sbould j istily this wretched surrender
light, ciuntry. property and mcred hoi.?
There wiH be arguments enough,
ni nbt. even-.,t? justify, this suba rs.-iijn in t
al'eged: 1??9Want *'6f ?ti niunit on .a
ainu?. .2? Ia .the-h ?-k of c]?>tb,ii g and p:
vii>ione." 3. In the p?ese! t t otb* li-lion
the cotildir .. lt tu .tint.- \?>? ?.< i
*fld - in the *> lt*jdwii??*>i in* ttfkfbf th?- j
pit; in the li?k?n >pii'us ol our iK.Juie
- i. .sj j\ t?VMStitfi >m-v' J * li
.Innfce^^kiJ^ in she blinc
^eupidiiy of thousands more; and in i he iv.
signatiou. of all to a fate against wfaicl
Mbej have no longer courge to contend
then, Indeed, you may drop- the weapon
and betake yourselves to your k/ices v. ill
al! possible despatch."
The negotiations will take their characio
from the morale of the country at its pre
sect juncture. It is_bigbly important
nay, vitW-^to any successful negotiation
that this morale should be fortified by pro
pea argument, by a just survey of thc pre
rnisesj bf tho prospect?, of our own re
scmrces,-as at present "left to us: as to tl^
numbera we can still bring into tho fiele
as to the fields in which ve may find cove
during a protracted struggle, where tb
fabian warfare shall supersede that mock
cry of'the Napoleonic, which has boen ll
curse of our late campaigning. lu th
survey, we shall need to inquire into tl
condition of our enemy; his embair?:;
mente-; into bis relations wirb other State
and why we should lold off from any n
gotiation which, in premising us peace oui
denies the recognition of our indepc
de-ice. All these a?e subjects, with mac
mere, needing the profoundest statestna
ship-to consider and weigh. Mere politics;
cunning rarely achieves*?nj thing in LC^
nation. Wu need in the statesman
philosopher-one wiso does t ot reject ..
man nature, and all ils instincts, as an.oi
fhe essential .elements of his subject.
Judge Campbell tho man for this-? L
alone,^p has he associator? And, i:
who are ihej? Thc people, ii Lhere bo a
pc. ple, should insist unon Eccr^lie-s rr,
stales*aiansli:p when their hbcili^ ?io
stake. They may need" to take tho mut
into'tbeir own hands. They should nu.
no vital sacrifices. We would yield ::i
thing to secure pe'ace to-the.-cou nt rv, s:
our honor, arid those* inherent righus a:
piTTileger-, deprived of which, as a peu*
we should beweise than bondmen.
.'m-. -
Wc ure iniei med thal Ti enduit I>avu> ^
I v??r*d a-very cheering speech in Charlot!.-,
I Wedm-sdny evening lust, in which he t'a
! that ?lu- surrender vi Gen, Lt-e. did not "\T
j nut" the innij oi Northern Virginia, and :
I in six w'eeki al*, would be rgli! nguiu. He :
I hil tnftttcd llinl France lied deiei rained en nt.
j int? rvrulioii.
It is c?ire?try i*|w*ried that a French ?
luis passed u;> ll??- Klkvisitippi li? ??ew i"!i> .
liH.vilig i;ui.lwVhitt-?l lite Y auk te Seel Al
i. ?mil ot' the nV?%
Pith il< IP l>?.\tt>ub<j I i.~ e hfjii.?:l sie }TJ Cit
. .>II.-. J\, C.
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