Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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COLUMBIA. Thursday Morning, March 28, 1867. (?cn. Longstreet speaks. Thc subjoined letter is published in the New Orleans Times, of Ute Istb inst. This well-known and popular officer hrs, us the Times says, a his? tory in the past, and his voice is now as firm and decided for peace and organization, under tho law, as it was for vigorous "and gallant effort us i long as there was a hope of success in the struggle in which he had en? gaged. Thc letter is dated Now Or? leans, March 18: DEAE Sin: In your paper of yes? terday, you have expressed a desire to hear thc views of several gentle? men upon the political condition of the country. I find my name men? tioned upon your list, and proceed, without hesitation, to respond. As I have never applied myself to politics, I cannot claim to speak to the wise statesmen of the country, who are devoting their energies to the solution of tho problem which agitates tho public mind. C can ouly speak thc plain, honest convictions of a soldier. It can hardly bc neeessaiy, at this late day, to enter into a discussion of the matter that is usually brought up in arguing thc proposed plan for re? constructing the Government. In? deed, I think that many of them are not pertinent to the question. The striking feature, and the one that our people should keep in view, is that we are a conquered people. ? Recognizing this fact fairly and squarely, there is but one course left for wise men to pursue. Accept the terms that are offered us by the con? querors! There can be no discredit to a conquered people for accepting the conditions offered by their con? querors. Nor is there any occasion for a feeling of humiliation. We have made an honest, and I hope that I might say a creditable fight, but we have lost. Let us come forward, then, and accept the ends involved in tho struggle. Our people earnestly desire that the constitutional Government shall bc re-established, and the only means to accomplish this is, to comply with the requirements of the recent Con " gressioual legislation. It is said by some that Congress will not receive us even after wo have complied with their conditions. But I can fiud no sufficient reason for entertaining this proposition for a moment. 1 cannot admit that the representative men of a great nation could make such a pledge in bad faith. Admitting, however, that there is such a mental reservation, can that be any excuse for us in failing to dis? charge our duty? Let us accept tho terms, as we are in duty bound to do, and if there is a lack of good faith, let it be upon others. I am, very respectfully, your most obedient servant, JAMES LONGSTREET. We extracted u paragraph, some Jays ago, stating that Gen. Lee ad? vised the same policy as suggested in the aboye letter, and further, urged that we should not go listlessly about thc work ol' reconstruction, but that every qualified voter should partic?? pale in thc work of re-organization, lt is futile and worse than idle for any t<? imagine that any principle of honor wiii be compromised by an ear? nest participation in pressing forward the work ol' restoration as speedily as possible. No Southern man, how? ever strong his political prejudices may have been in tl LO past, or with whatever disfavor lie may regard tho requirements of the present law, can be humiliated or dishonored by fol? lowing the*counsels and examples of such tried and trusted men as Robert E. Lee, Wade Hampton and James Longstreet. They enjoyed thc confi? dence of the Southern people in their most trying day, and the opinion and advice of such men must have a large and controlling influence over the sentiments of their fellow-citi? zens, who might think ;t ,i breach ol' good faith to give their assent or voluntary assistance to a measure which might appear to abandon or compromise those who have incurred disfranchisement. But all such sentiment must give way to the condition of affairs which now meets us face to face. And let it l?e remembered that those very men who have incurred the penalty of dis? franchisement--thc heretofore promi? nent leaders of the Southern people- - those in whom they have confidence to-day, and whoso devotion to thc best interests of their section cannot be doubted for a moment - urge upon them to engage heartily in the work of reconstruction as directed by thc provisions of the late laws of Con? gress. It is the only course that wis? dom, patriotism and piadcuco can dictate, and will, doubtless, under the teachings of such men as those I referred to, be pursued by all our people. i lu this connection, wo would call attention to au article from the Rich? mond Tina*, under tho caption of "New Leaders." lt is very suggestive ! at tlie present?me. TH? Relief Resolution. j The following is the text of the I joint resolution granting relief to the j South, after being amended by tho i House, and as it has gone to the Pre? sident: Resolved, c?o\, That the Secretary ot' War be and hereby is empowered and directed to issue supplies ol* food sufficient to prevent starvation and extreme want to any and ail classes of I destitute or helpless persons in those j Southern ami South-western States I whore failure of the crops or other causes have occasioned wide-spread ! destitution. That the issue be made through the Freedmen's Bureau, under such regulations as the Secre j tary of War shall prescribe ; and to that end the Secretary of War is hereby authorized and directed, through thc Commissioners of the Freed? men's Bureau, to apply as much as he may deem necessary, for the pur? poses aforesaid, of the unexpeuded moneys heretofore appropriated to supply freedmen and refugees with provisions or rations, provided that the" expenditure shall not extend be? yond the present appropriations al? ready made for the Freedmen's Bu? reau. I How much remains unexpended from the appropriations heretofore made to thc Freedmen's Bureau, we do not positively know. A private letter "received by a gentleman in this city from good authority in Wash? ington says that the amount will be about $2,500,000. We hope, it may? be so; but it would, in our opinion, have been much better to have adopt? ed the simple resolution of thc Senate granting a definite appropriation, than one out of funds already spe? cially appropriated, and through a j department that, we have no doubt, has already enough on its hands. The direct appropriation and its prompt distribution, we must believe, would have been more beneficial to the recipients of the relief. ATTACK OX THE STREET CAUS IX CiiAKnESTON. -On Tuesday afternoon last, a seemingly wcll-orgaui/.ed effort was made by several riotous freedmen to test their right to ride upon the street cars, in violation of the rules of thc company. The cars were in? vaded, and in some instances the lady passengers were compelled to leave them, for fear of personal insult and injury. When the rioters found that the conductors could not be awed into acquiescence with theil demand t<> be permitted to ride on an equality with the white passen gers, tliey tried to interrupt tin travel of the cars by placing stones on tlie track. A squad of r?gulai soldiers from the Citadel and a de? tachment of police put au end to tin disturbance and arrested the ring? leader. Tili': STAUNATION OF I?KSTNESS r> 1 NEW YOUR. -Perhapsnothing, says; New York correspondent, shows in s? striking a light the prevailing stagna tion in all kinds ot" business as tin internal revenue returns from thc Thirty-second Collection District which is the most important collec tion district in the United States J embracing, as it does, the lowe: wards of the city, and including al the most important bonded wai'e houses: October, 18G6, $1,053,731.09 November, I860, $950,038.29; De cember, 18CG, $712,386.39; January 1807, 8627,520.71; February, 1807 j $334,".187.85. These returns certain!; exhibit avery remarkable decrease j but not mon? so. as there is reason h ! believe, than will those of tho otho! ! districts as soon as the footings cai ? be prepared. -???.?-? THE TRCE POLICY,-A recent nnm ber of DeBow's Review contains ai excellent article on the subject o Southern manufactures, from th able pen of Major Wm. J. Sykes of Mississippi, from which we tak the following extract: "Our mountains are full of CO?I and iron; our forests abound wit] the finest timber; wc have immens water-power that we can usc durin? the whole year, and which is not in jared by the freezes so common ii high Northern latitudes. "The best and surest proteetio: which we can make against big] tariffs and high taxes on cotton i to become the manufacturers of th cotton which wc raiso.'" -;-1??> One of the earliest cases of Barris ter Judah L\ Benjamin, in London was a suit against the United States Two Leading lind Irai Papers on Con fixent ion. Thc Albany Journal says: We cannot believe that tho propo? sition which Mr. Stevens has put for? ward with so much elaborateness in a carefully-prepared speech will secure sufficient support in Congress to make it really formidable. Wo should blush for our humanity and begin to doubt our civilization, were such a result, possible. I The Nation, a thoroughly radical | paper, (one of its editors is a syn of I William "Lloyd Garrison,) gives thc j bill tue following solid rebut?", after | summarizing its provisions: A bill in which provision is made | for thc violation of a greater number ot- the principles ot' good govern- : ment, and fOr the opening of a deeper sink of corruption, has inner been ' submitted to a l?gislative body, and ; wc venture to add, that had .anybody j proposed such a measure to the Sui tau after the storming ot' Constanti- j noplc, lu- would have been expelled from the "Medjlis" as a ruthless und j troublesome visionary. There is, of course, no probability that Congress i will pass it: but the men1 prospect that it will be discussed in the House ' afflicts us. and must afflict everybody who earths fur the credit of the conn- j try ! On the other hand, the Pennsylva- 1 nia North American says: For our part, wc are in favor of I confiscating tho estates of all such rebels as Davis, Stephens, Lee, Wise, etc., and we believe that Congress should exercise the power it undoubt? edly possesses to that end. Wc have not benefitted our country in any way by restoring to these men thc huge estates upon which they had grown so insolent. These men have cost the country an expenditure of money that would have more than suffleod'to buy up all their possessions. Their course since the return of peace is proof conclusive that they are not to bo trusted or believed any longer, and that they are bent on doing as much mischief as may be within their reach. What they are capable of, I we may see in the terrible war they waged for four long and bloody years, and iu the countless lives lost by their means. The same paper, which, it will be seen, is a rabid advocate for confisca? tion, saj-s: However Republicans may disagree respecting Mr. Stevens' confiscation bill, there is one point in it upon which they ought all to be able to agree. We allude to the first section, wherein it is provided that the public lands of thc ten rebellious States shall be confiscated. This is a mat? ter that has hitherto escaped the attention of all our public men except Mr. Stevens, and we don ht not that many who read his speech will feel surprised that no one'has anticip?t cal him iu this capital method of making the (hilf Statespay us, to some ex? tent, for tito injuries they indicted upon us during the war. In the case of Texas, to which ho calls especial attention, there should be no delay whatever in availing ourselves ol' \ho opportunity to confiscate the remain? der of that public domain which she reserved to herself ut thc time of her annexation ns a guarantee for the payment ol' her debt -that very debt that was subsequently forced upon us as a national burden by thc compro? mise 01 1850. Ol' all tlie States concerned iu thc late rebellion, Texas escaped with the least punishment. All the at ! tempts made to carry the war blt' j her territory proved abortive, and the long and desperate struggles iu the South-west were mainly sus fained upon resources derived fron: j her. The contraband trade wit) j Europe through Mexico was carrier on by her. The droves of beeves I upon which the rebel armies fed wert furnished by her. And at the dosi of tho war, after all the rebel annie elsewhere hud surrendered, t he Texai rebellion was still intact. These peo pie, having felt little or nothing o the horrors of the war, have re I mained incorrigibly disloyal and de i fiant, and although we have al recognized that some punish men j ought to be used to bring them b ! their senses, none that was fcasibli could be thought of. It was asserted by those who pro fess to know, that Texas bas profit ci by the war to such an extent that he population is now double what it wa in the year LS<>?). Thither have gow the very worst rebels from otho States, and especially from Missouri Tennessee and Arkansas. Tlie State had a large, loyal popula tion when the war broke out, espe cially among the Germans of Westeu Texas, but a frightful reign of terro was established t?> crush out Union ism, and numberless patriotic citizen fell victims to it. It would, therefore, be nothin? more than righi, that wo should pun ish this State for her treason, by cou fiscating her public l inds, and th more so because then these land would be opened to actual settler free of cost, under the operations o the homestead law, which canno otherwise be the case. By tho sup plement to that law, enacted by th last Congress, all the public land owned by the National Governrnen in the Gulf States were thrown ope: to actual settlers under the Act. It i now proper to resume possession c all lands held by rebel States, i order to extend to all such the sam provision, so that \ve may encourage the increase of that independent class of small landholders which has been made the crying need of the aristo? cracy-ridden South. Mr. Stevens estimates the amount of lands that will Tail into the hands of the National Government by this provisionat200,001),OOO acres, an item decidedly worth considering in these times, and sufficient to enable us to create a great element in the South antagonistic to the plantation aristo? cracy. We cannot refrain from ex? pressing our regret that this first section of the pending hill cannot he made into a separate Act, and passed at once upon its own merits. --? -o o 3?.e-;ict ion? A Richmond gentleman of great integrity and intelligence, who has recently visited the North, assures the T? MPH, of that city, that tlie in? dications of a healthy rc-actiouary sentiment are already manifest among the business men and poli? ticians of thc North, and that this re? actionary fee?iug accepts the Sher? man hillas a finality, and is unani? mous in condemnation at any at? tempts looking to confiscation. The Tim ns adds: There is still so much uncharitable? ness at the North towards the South, that the masses indorse the declara? tions of Sherman and Wade, that this is the last attempt at reconstruction .which will be made. They profess, almost to a man, to deprecate and de? nounce the confiscation measures of Sumner and Butler, and say that, with the enforcement of the Sherman Dill, and the admission of the South? ern States under its provisions, there will be au cud forever of all agitation of the slavery question. Our inform? ant, whose ability as a financier en? titles his opinions to great weight, believes that capital will, at no dis? tant day, How into Virginia and the other Statc\s in great abundance. He was astonished and gratified beyond measure at thc improved temper of thc more influential and respectable men of the North, and believes that, by wise and judicious action, the re? action against the radical party will ultimately set in with great force. Just now, however, all parties, except thc destructkmists, profess to regard the Sherman Act as "a finality.*' NEW LEADERS. -The Richmond Times lias the following thoughts upon the changed political condition of the Southern people: In the present crisis of thc fate of the Southern people, the old political leaders who were famous in the days before the deluge of civil war, have made no efforts to guide or direct the currents of popular thought. Accus? tomed to the old order of things, when measures of public importance were almost of as slc^w growth as the century plant, they have not been aide to act with the promptness and decision which are requisite amid the whirling eddies of a revolution. They cannot comprehend how the people eau be moved without the cumbrous old machinery of caucusses, stump speeches, party wire-pulling' and ela? borate discussions of first principles. The new order of things which is emerging from the chaos and debris of the war fills them with speechless amazement, and they wisely make no effort ti? regain the influence which they once possessed with the masses. But, as nature is said to "abhor a vacuum," and as the times demand that the Southern people should have leaders to guide and direct them, we find all classes among us instinctively turning for advice and counsel to those great commanders who, for years, by the display of the highest talents and most admirable judgment, sustained the cause of the Confede? racy against the most overwhelming odds. Whatever Southern men, less distinguished for military talents, may say about the "maintenance of tho honor of the South,*' all feel that our honor is perfectly safe in tlie keeping of distinguished heroes like Lee, Johnston, Hampton and other scarcely less renowned commanders. --- HARMONY.- -The following from liie Richmond Times will apply to this State as well as Virginia: We notice with great pleasure, as the time draws near when the peo? ple of Virginia will be called upon to act with harmony and vigor, for the preservation of all those rights which make life endurable, that, the public journals of Virginia are becoming more and more harmonious and united in their advocacy of a wise and most judicious line of policy. This is as it should be. In the presence of a great danger, nothing could have been more unfortunate than a divided, discordant" and wrangling press. Thoroughly im? pressed with this belief, we hove en? deavored most carefully to abstain from ali petty controversies with those who have differed with us as to the means of obtaining an end desired by all good men. It is estimated that the late flood lias damaged Last Tennessee over ."$2,000,001). Over 200 persons were washed out of their homes in Knox? ville. Tho damage to farming inter? ests is very heavy. Many of the farmers lost their houses, barn0, grain and stock. I Talk from tlie New York Herald. I On "tho manifest policy and mani? fest destiny" of the South, the New ? York Herald writes one of its peculiar articles, from winch we extract the subjoined paragraphs: Ou the new Southern tripod of "Liberty, Equality and Fraternity," j there was, the other day, a most im : pressive initial meeting of whites (?ind l)lacks. at Columbia, South Ca? rolina, at which Gen. Wade Hamp? ton -the very pink of thc chivalry of thai. Southern Confederacy which j was set up on thc corner-stone of i negro slavery-stood between two ! black men, expounding tlie new idea I and tin1 new epoch ol' equal rights. ! We published yes! -rday a special re I port of un interesting m iss meeting j of whites and blaeks, held the day I before, ni Charleston, at which Judge j Moore (white) presided, and E. J. ! Adams (colored) neted as secretary. The object of tins meeting was "io I form an association to bo known as the Union Republican party of South j Carolina," while that at Columbia was to initiate a movement for a new and independent Southern party, (unbracing a political fusion of the land owning whites and the laboring blauks, upon the broad ground of common interest, political andsocial, local and national. Thus South Carolina, the pioneer and prime mover in the late rebellion, very properly takes the lead in this work of submission to the issues of a war of her making, and in this im? portant business of re-organization of parties upon the new ideas, facts and established principles of this new era in our national history. Four years of the bayonet have hurried us j through a radical and sweeping revo? lution of ;i hundred ycart, of peace. Excepting the revolutionary conse? quences of that terrible French con? vulsion which first startled the world in 1780, there is nothing in thc on? ward inarch of any nation to com? pare with the revolution inaugurated iu the United States with the seces? sion of South Carolina, in December, 18(10. That Act was limited to a dozen lines, declaring the Union dis? solved and South Carolina an iude pendent sovereignty; but it decrece the slaughter of six hundred thou sand men. the emancipation fron chattel slavery of four millions of th? African race, and, with their eleva tion to citizenship and civil and poli ti eal equality, the blotting out of al t he political excrescences and accesso ries of slavery, au?! till its legal une soidal atrocities. The new departure thus devolving upon the Southern States is a chang, from the world before to the work after the deluge. The delays o restoration resulting from Presiden Johnson's policy have, in this view served a good purpose in gradual!; preparing the Southern mind for tin great change. From the movement of leading Southern politicians ii different places remote from cac] other, all tending in the same dirri: tion, it is evident that they have bee: watching thc course of events an preparing for tho ultimatum that ha ! come upon them, while hoping fe better tilings. They now know whn they have to do, and in following th example of Wade Hampton they hav their future in their own hands. B meet ing promptly and fairly tlie cor ditions of Congress, and by harmon izing in good faith with the blacks the ruling white class of the Sont may take the game of reeonstructio ont of the hands of Secretary Stanto and tho Northern radicals, and bnil up the i iw.u.; dominant party of th South upon the balance of powc held by the blacks. This may L done in season to secure the re-ai mission into Congress of all til excluded States next winter, whie will give tin-ni ample time to play deliberate part in the approachin Preside l?ial election. In this connection we hold to tl: j idea that the ticket of Grant and Li i is the ticket for the projected new ii ; pendent party of the South, becaut j it will operate to fuse Unionists au ? rebels, whites and blacks, ''all undi the same political banner. Grant ac Cameron would be an excelle] ticket for thc North: for Cameron : the field of politics is as hard to be as Grant, in the strategy and tactil ; of wa \ [f Grant stands as the viet? over linekne**, Sidney Johnsto: j Beauregard, Pemberton, Bragg, J< ! Johnston, Lee, &c, Cameron h also beaten a host of opposing leader including Forney, Governor Curtii and "Old Thad. Stevens.'' In ai eveut, the next Presidential conto lies open to the South, and in tl werk ol' reconstruction the Southe] planters and their white allies arom t hem rna;,, if I hey will, in the names Grant and Lee, build up a Southe1 politic ,1 balance of power on tl black vote-solid, self-sustaining ai enduing. --4^^-? G. i. Lee is our modal. We ha' said, di the while, that every defer j ed S : thorner ought to act like Ge ; iji ?. But who can do it? Not ol j in a thousand. \ye have chafed ti j much; wc have not been sufficient poht.e. We must learn to be, mo discreet. Wo place ourselves great disadvantage, when wc do n hold our tongues and command o tempers. -Danville Times. The projectors of a flying machii j iu California expect to make the tr I across the continent in twenty-fo j hours. SHOW POSTERS, HANDBILLS, ?i-e. Our supply of type and facilities <?. press-work enable us to tum out fron; the Phoenix office the most attractive styles of posters, band-bills, &c.. at short notice, and in the most sati factory manner. SONS OF TEMPERANCE.- By refej euee to our advertising columns, it will be .-cen that au effort is to b, made to re-establish a division oi Un? honored and much-needed society We hope and believe that the eflbr' will lie successful. .Toi: PIUNTING.-The Job Ollie ... the PJtO'ni.c is as complete as any ::. the. South. It is furnished with rn fonts of type of all description ; and of the most .modern styles. .Ml work executed promptly, willi taste ?? : ski'd, and at reasonable raie-. THE CIRCUS.- The performance bj Mike Lipman's troupe, last night, gave general satisfaction. Such* ba toute and bare-back feats wc have seldom witnessed, while the evolu? tions on movable and stationary bare, by bipeds and quadrupeds, were truh wonderful. Wc commend this exhi bition to our friends in the country, with the assurance that those win attend will get their money's worth and more. LEGISLATERES PA VINO THEM? SELVES.-The Legislatures of Wis? consin, Tennessee and Kentucky have passed laws requiring the per diem of their own members to be paid in gold or its equivalent. The Legislature o^ South Carolina were content to take greenbacks, but left thc people a de? preciated currency, in the "bills re? ceivable" they had created; and not only so, but afterwards refused t< take them when they brought any produce to market. CARDS! CARDS!-Show cards, busi? ness cards, visiting and wedding cards, executed at the Phonix Job Office, in the neatest styles of thc art. Cards of all sizes constantly on hand, and all orders from town or country promptly atteuded to. ANSWEKS TO CORRESPONDENTS.--Th following answers to correspondont from a cotemporary arc of universa': interest-in a horn: "Orphan.-Tf your mother's first cousin's brother-in-law married yen family physician's aunt, the family physician's last patient's eldest daugh? ter's intended husband should inherit the propertv. See Coke on Gas I Works. "Kate. -The remark of ymir hus ! baud was cruel, that 'he had rathe: j lose his wife than his diamond pin;' : but you must remember that a wife can be had for the asking, while j diamond cannot.'' ! j C r nc CLAUS ! CIRCULARS! -Commei j cial and other circulars, in the various j forms -note, letter and commercial j post-neatly printed in our Jo! Office, and all work of this descrij tion finished in the best style of print j ing, and at moderate prices. i NEWADVEIITISEKENTS.-Attentii n .?<?... j eil t.. the following advertisement*, whici; aro published this morning for il"- 5r?t j Unie: i W. C. Beatty Sons of Teni;.. ram . ? Meeting of Acacia Lodge. ! Pr ccedin gs of Public Meeting. .J. s, McMahon-Closing of Ollie? j THE SITUATION.-The Charlotte N I C.) T:mes publishes a letter from ar. influential citizen of that State fn : ; which we ext i act : You are aware what my views and principles were, but 1 believe now that it is our highest duty to surren? der our opinions-as we surrendered our armies -upon the terms of the conqueror. It is manifestly the last resort that is left us, and if is there? fore madness to rush upon the ' thick j bossies" of irresistible power, witt j sullen indifference to consequence s which we cannot control or avert. The country needs repose, and :t is obvious that the true interests of the North and the South require that our action in accepting the situation should be prompt. The role of the irrepressible conflict must uov be played out, and it is best, for t his and coming generations that wc should act wisely, calmly and submissively to tho stern logic of events. Though I am proscribed, I would urge the a-; ceptance of dir terms noir offered. I was opposed to the Howard amendment, but it was then believed I that tlie amendment was left to the option ot thc States. In that, we were mistaken. Thc States can never again exist as separate centres of au? thority and power, and how much soever wo may have been attached te the time-honored principles of tho Southern States and statesmen, thero is now no alternative but to surrender them all-as cheerfully and graeefully as wo may, and try, in good faith and with earnest purpose, tho new line of duty to the Constitution and the country.