The daily phoenix. (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, July 30, 1867, Image 2
COLUMBIA.
S?Tuesday Morning, July 30, 1867.
That Re-act Ion-Will lt Cornel
There are few of our readers who
do not know, by reputation, at least,
tho ability with which the New York
Journal of Commerce is conducted,
and has been conducted for years.
In a recent able article, that journal
predicts tbero either will bo a groat
re-action in this country, or an ad?
vance in the revolutionary legislation
now going on; for it very justly says,
?wo have not yet reached a.. abiding
place, whero the country can rest.
It holds that the men who are re?
sponsible for the hazardous experi?
ment now making must finish their
work, or they will be ignominiously
hurled from power, and. crushed in
the undoing of that which they at?
tempted. They understand this, and
here hes the danger; and the Journal
adds, that it is really difficult to de?
termine the strength of the hold
which the revolution bas on the pub?
lic mind, and it remains to be seen
how much further tho country will
go with them without fear of re-ac?
tion.
It is plain that tho 'right which
they claim-to do whatever they de?
termine shall bo done, without re?
straint or limit-cannot be perma
aent, and can only bo adopted as a
means to an end; and when this is
reached, who shall guard tho actors
themselves from the spirit which
?hey havo invoked? In tho out?
working of this principle, the Journal
says, is tho grand hope of those who
look for an early restoration of tho
supremacy of tho Constitution, for
when thoso who have substituted
their own will for tho fundamental
. law aro brought to face the exercise
of this authority by nuother hand,
their eyes will bo opened to tho error
they have committed, nud they will
be tho first to clamor for present
freedom and future safety in a resto?
ration of the checks they despised in
tho wantonness of their power.
This may be, and probably is, all
true, but what incalculable mischief,
uotonly to tho South, but to tho
wholo country, may bo done in the
meantime. The Journal does not look
for what many apprehend-a series of
wrongs and cruelties towards thoso
whose legal rights are held in abey?
ance-but nevertheless, it truly says
that, if tho re action anticipated does
not come, the organic changes in our
system still to bo made will leave no
ve?tige of theinstitutionsoncodeenied
so essential to tho very existenco of
tho republic.
We do not know, and tho wisest
men in the country do not know, the
courso of procedure to be adopted in
this crisis of our country's fate. The
people of our own State, and of the
other Southern States, have but littlo
choico of action, further than to do
all thoy can towards reconstruction.
With tho people of the Northern
States, it ia different-they can, by
their expressed opinion, in mass meet?
ings or in conventions, sway public
opinion to such au extent as to pro?
duce a re-action in national legisla?
tion; but the re-action must hist com?
mence with the people themselves,
whoso voice will bo all-potent and
powerful in bringing us pence and
restoration.
-? ? ? ?
The Winston (X. C.) Sentinel states
that the body of a negro who hud
boen missing for several days lias
been found in the river. Tho head
was completely severed from the
trunk. Suspicion was attached to
his wife, who was arrested and con?
fessed hor complicity with two whito
mon in tho murder. One of the
white men had promised to many
her as soon as her husband was out
of tho way, and with the assistance
of tho white mon she cut off lier hus?
band's head.
IVorli I Work!!
"In the sweat of thy face shalt
thoa eat bread," was the decree of
his Creator, in sending man adrift
upon the world, and every effort to
thwart this decree on the part of mau,
has almost universally resulted disas?
trously to the raco of Adam. In this
degenerate-so-called civilized-age,
tho rebellion to this decree is most
prominent. "Work" is esteemed dis?
honorable to tho position of a gentle?
man, especially that which apper?
tains to tilling tho soil. Young men
will seek employment behind tho
counters of dry-goods sellers or
grocery stores, or even behind those
of bar-rooms, rather than go behind
tho plow, qr take up tho spado or
the hoe, to cultivate the lauds, which
in this country at the present time
cry aloud for laborers.
Tho Now York Tribune, in au arti?
cle urging tho idle young men in tho
Northern towns and cities to go to
tho West as farmers, whero a compe?
tency is sure to follow industry, says:
"From many, the reply is, 'O yes;
this is very fine; but I was not brought
up to work, or if I had been, I nm
not going to be a clod-hopper. ' Wo
will tell you another secret. Within
ten years, a great change has taken
place regarding labor. The majority
of mechanics make more money than
the majority of prof e ?ional men ; and
common laborers gee more money
1 than clerks. In ten years more, the
difference will bo still greater. Wo
look to seo labor rise to tho dignity
of the professions, when, perhaps,
as much will be paid for splitting a
hundred rails as for preaching a ser?
mon. Every age differs; but iu every
age, work is tho key tr) Success. "
Tho Tribune is right; but whether
tho progress of tho great chango to
which it refers, as to tho dignity of
labor, enfo- d ns it has been, for
many years, >y thc energetic appeals
and logical arguments of the press,
will produco the natural result, re?
mains to .JC seen. In the South, it
would appear there is 6ome slight im?
provement in this respect, yet it is so
very slight as scarcely to deserve note
or comment. Her people, thrown on
their own resources, tberr-rands de?
spoiled, their labor"demoralized, and
they themselves steeped in poverty,
have not, notwithstanding ali this
pressure, gone to work with that ear?
nestness and alacrity which their
situation demands. There are still
too many drones, and oven after
making allowauce for tho sad reverses
which have come over their former
social condition as a people, either
through utter prostration of energy,
or what we fear to be the greater hin?
drance-false pride-the work of re?
cuperation proceeds but slowly.
Wo may talk about military rule,
Congressional usurpations, unconsti?
tutional legislation, aud descant upon
theses theme (eloquently, as we may
think,) from sun-rise to sun-down,
yet wo do not find, in nay of the po?
litical movements, or in tho laws en?
acted by Congress, any principle or
any enactment that prohibits any
man from going to work in tho field,
manufactory or work-shop. "Wo
won't register," "wo won't vote,"
"we will not bo accessory to our own
degradation," "honor forbids it,"
and all that sort of flippant political
gab, sounds very patriotic to some
ears, and especially to the spouters
themselves; but tho species of pa?
triotism that tho South now requires
is that of tho willing and working
hands of her sons, in every depart?
ment of industry, to raise !:^r from
her poverty and misfortunes. As the
Tribune says above, every agc may
differ, but in every ago work is the
key to success.
One of Brownlow's judges fined a
"loyal" man live cents for trying to
shoot a "rebel," giving the excellent
legal reason that tho rebels had tried
to gain their independence in tho
field and had failed, and that now
they could not be allowed to avail
themselves of the courts to prosecute
Union men.
bettor from Colonel On ld.
The following letter has boen pub?
lished from Colonel Robert Ould,
late Confederate commissioner of
exchange of prisoners of war, to Hon.
Charles A. Eldridge, sustaining the
statement of the latter, lately made
in the House of Representatives,
controverted by General Butler, rela?
tive to the offer of tho Confederates
to return sick and wounded Federal
soldiers without equivalent. The let?
ter says:
I have seen your remarks as pub
lished. They aro substautially cor?
rect. Every word that I said to you
in Richmond is not only true, but
eau bo proved by Federal officers. I
did offer in August to deliver the
Federal sick and wounded, without
requiring equivalents, and urged tho
necessity of haste in sending for
them, as the mortality was terrible.
I did offer to deliver from ten to
fifteen thousand at Savannah without
delay. Although this offer was made
in August, transportation was not
sent for them until December, and
during the interval tho mortality was
perhaps at its greatest height. If I
had not made the offer, why did the
Federal authorities send transporta?
tion to Savannah for ten or fifteen
thousand men? If I mnde the offer,
based only on equivalents, why did
tho same transportation carry down
for delivery only 3,000 men?
Butler says tho offer was made in
the fall, (according to tho newspaper
report.) and that 7,000 were de?
livered. The offer was made in Au?
gust, ami they wero sent for in
December. I then delivered more
than 13,000, and would have gone
to 15,000 if tho Federal transpor
ution had been sufficient. My in?
structions to my agents were to de?
liver 15,000 sick and wounded, and
if that number of that class were not
on hand, to make up tho number by
well nicD- The offer was made by
me in pursuance of instructions from
the Confederate Secretary of War. I
was ready to keep up the arrange?
ment until every sick and wounded
mau had been returned. The 3,000
men sent to Savannah by the Federals
were in as wretched condition as any
detachment of prisoners ever sent
from a Confederate prison. All these
things are susceptible of proof, and
I am much mistaken if I cannot
prove them by Federal authori?
ty. J am quite sure that Genera!
Mulford will sustain every allega?
tion hero made. General Butler's
correspondence is all on one side,
as I was instructed nt the dato of hii
letters to hold no correspondence
with him. I corresponded with Mul
ford or General Hitchcock. Yours
truly, _ R. OULD.
Thc President'! Duty.
The National Intelligencer has t
long and ably written article on "Th<
Crisis," from which we extract t)n
following paragraph:
"What, then, is thc President'!
duty? Ho has solemnly sworn tc
execute faithfully tho office of Presi
dent of tho United States, and to th<
best of his ability preserve, proteo
and defend the Constitution. Then
are fourteen volumes of statutes o
the United States. He is bound t<
execute every one of them when oe
casion calls. But if enactments exis
which forbid him to execute thei
provisions, by direction or by impli
cation, it is impossible that they cai
be laws, and if not laws, thej' cunno
repeal, modify, hinder, obstruct o
embarrass laws, much less constitu
fions, State or Federal. If enact
ments purporting to be in force ii
the United States as lawsof tho lund
yet which caunot be, because no
executable by the only executiv
which can execute a law, are put int
practical operation by persons pre
tending to bo their executives, am
the operations of those persons con
travene or hinder in any degree otho
laws really in force, nobody can pre
tend to doubt what the case is, whn
tho President's duty is, and what an
tho consequences of any hesitatioi
or faltering on his part. When sue]
a collision between tho laws and th
unwarranted authority of insurgents
or revolutionists, (or, what are th
same things, executive officers, no
agents of the only executive,) ac
tually arises, bo the abstract merit
of the controversy what they may
and be the motives of tho partie
good or evil, it is certain that publi
order is brought to the fearful ex
tremity of a dependence for the tim<
on the courage, prudence and fidelit;
of ono man-the general Magistrat'
of the Union."
Registration In Atlant?.
Mr. Swinton, correspondent of the
New York Ttwies, gi- es a graphic
picture of a scene around the "regis?
tration board" in Atlanta. He says:
Meantime, however, the work of
registration is going on throughout
the Whole State, and to-day I had an
opportunity of seeing the process in
practical operation at tho Atlanta
Court House. Tho board is com?
posed of two white mou aud ono
black, and during my stay I saw se?
veral scores of both races made into
voters. After several white meu had
been sworn individually, a batch of
seveu blacks was called np, and Pom?
pey, Cn?snr and Crassus were made
citizens in the lump. It was a curi?
ous spectacle, aud one calculated to
stir many reflections. Standing iu a
row, they listened very attentively to
the rending of the oath, some bend?
ing forward and other's with hand to
the ear, tho better to catch each word.
The reader threw in for their benefit
a running exgesis of tho oath, caus?
ing them to guffaw by a droll look
when ho recited that part of it which
makes them swear that they had
never held "executive or judicial
office in any State." while, when he
came to read the prohibition against
registering by those who had been
disfranchised for felony, and ex?
plained "felony" hythe gloss, "such
as cow-stcaling," they were so struck
by the drollery of the interpretation
that their bodies bent and swayed in
uncontrollable merriment. Through?
out all tho recital, their countenances
showed a desperate mental effort to
keep their "holt" of tho menning,
and during the reading of the maiu
body of the oath, the effort was mea?
surably successful; but when the re?
gistering officer carno to where tho
formula speaks of "au Act supple?
mentary to nu Act," tho poor felldws
became perfectly flabbergasted; like
Twemlow, they found their intellects
giving way under the severe strain,
and they lapsed into mero outer
darkness and collapse. When I after?
wards talked with them, on tho conrt
house steps, I could not find oue who
had the. faintest idea of the meaning
or purpose of tho thing, and the
brightest of them all only knew that
it was something-ho knew uot what
-that was "debes forde country."
WHAT WE MIST Do.-Pollard's
Southern Opinion says:
We tell the people of the South,
aud especially of Virginia, that they
canuot help themselves by plunging
into fits of melancholy and despond?
ency. That pluok which hurls de?
fiance in tho face of misfortune and
despair is what we now need, and
what will save us. It will not do to
listen to those whoso acts and voices
proclaim a belief that God mid justice
have abandoned us forever. Wo aro
unworthy of our ancestry-unworthy
of that grand old Anglo-Saxon blood,
whose laws, languages, customs and
traditions live imperishable in Eng?
land to-day, despite tho efforts of
William the Conqueror and his Nor?
mans to crush them-wo repeat, wo
are unworthy of that sturdy island
race if we succumb in baso and igno?
ble weakness to tho cohorts of mis?
fortune, though ten-fold greater than
they are.
The same sun shines over us now
that shed his rays upon our joyous
land iu the days of our prosperity.
Not a star is missing from tho glitter?
ing dome of henveu. Tho bosom of
our beloved Virginia, although scar?
red aud rugged with tho tracks of de?
solating war, is still as rich as ever
iu all the elements of wealth and
greatness. The physical and material
world in which we move is unchanged.
Tho wheel of time still revolves-let
us wisely and prudently seo to it that
we sink not so deep from apathy, in?
difference and despair, that no future
revolution of thc wheel shall bring
us up. Let our people keep their
heads and hearts in good repair. Let
not corroding cares and bitter memo?
ries unman the people of tho South,
or it will bo said they deserved all
tho calamities which developed them.
MORE MISSIONARIES.-The Wash?
ington correspondent of tho New
York Times says, in that paper of
Friday:
Fifteen agents have been sent South
during tho past week by the Republi?
can Congressional Executive Commit?
tee, for the purpose of making.speech?
es and assisting in ?he organization of
the Union party in that section.
They have boen sent chiefly to tho
Carolinas and Mississippi. Fundi
have also been sent to the several
State Committees in tho South.
Xiooal T.tems.
CHOICE ?FBUIT.-Dr. Heinitsh will
please accept our thunk s for a basket
of very large and ripe peaches-in
fact, tho finest wo have seen this sea?
son. Ono of them, taken in connec?
tion with a bottle of the Doctor's
celebrated Queen's Delight, will, we
have no doubt, effect a complete cure
of a number of complaints that flesh
is heir to.
Lusus NATURE.-A twenty-headed
monster of tho cabbage tribe has
made its appearance; tho heads being
as large as a twelve-pound shot, which
has frightened Mr. Brown's eight
headed fellow out of town. "This
monster of such hideous mien, to
be appreciated must be seen," at
Fisher it Heinitsh's. It is from
a Columbia garden, and exhibits the
fertility and productiveness of our
soil.
APPROPRIATE TRIBUTE.-The eu?
gine **E. G. Palmer," which convey?
ed tho passenger train, yesterday
afternoon, up to Charlotte, was beau?
tifully and appropriately decorated
in mourning habiliments, tho "tend?
er" and every available space being
draped with black and ornamented
with white rosettes. This suggestion
was fi om tho master machinist, and
whenever the "E. G. Palmer" stopped
at tho stations on the r te, the peo?
ple could appreciate the high respect
and esteem in which the first Presi?
dent is held by all the officers and
employees of the Charlotte Railroad
Company.
POST OFFICE Houns.-The office i.s
open from 8 a. m. until Z% p. m..
and from 0 until 7 p. m. Thc North?
ern mail closes at o*.J p. m., and all
other mails close at S p. m.
Jon PR?STINO.-The Job Office of
thc Phoenix is as complete as any in
the South. It is furnished with new
fonts of type of all descriptions and
of the most modern styles. All work
executed promptly, with taste and
skill, and at reasonable rates.
NEW ADVEKTISKHKNTS.-Attention is call?
ed to the following advertisements, which
aro published this morning for tho first
time:
D. C. Pcixotto A Son-Auction Sale.
Walter C. Fisher-Building to Bent.
J. Ketchum. jr., A- Co.-Sewing Machines
W. J. Armstrong-Appointments.
Copeland ft Bearden-Bacon, Corn. etc.
Mcoting of King's Mountain Iron Co.
A fine lot of Desirable Goods have just
been opened by Mr. B. C. Shiver, who still
adheres to his popular principle of good
articles for little money. Bead his adver?
tisement, and then examino tho goods.
SELF-ACTING SWITCH.-The Savan?
nah N'eus and Herald notices a valua?
ble invention, of great importance to
railroads, made by Mr. J. P. White,
a mechanic of that city. It is a self
acting railroad switch, of which that
paper says:
The invention, for which ho has
secured a patent, was conceived and
perfected by him while guarding a
railroad during the war. The main
feature of tho switch is, that the en?
gineer ba3 in his own hands tho ma?
chinery by which he can switch the
train from tho main to tho outside
track, while the train is in motion.
It is adjusted by levers attached to
the locomotive, in front of tho for?
ward wheels, and so arranged as to
bo easily managed while the cars are
in full motion. Theso levers, coming
in contact with others attached'to the
switch itself, produces tho desired
change immediately. Caro, however,
must bo taken that the lover opposite
tho desired course is used. Vs soon
as tho switch is moved from one side
to tho other, it locks by means of
levers, and remains so until another
change is effected.
-. -? 0- --
THE COLORED POPOTIATION OF NEW
YORK.-The number of colored peo?
ple in New York city, rvhich, seven?
teen years ago, was 1(5,000, is now
only 10,000. Two papers are pub?
lished by colored persons. One
claims to bo a professional poet, and
thirteen posses.! a fortune abovo $?0,
000. There aro seven colored school*,
and thirty-two mixed marriages, viz:
of a white person with a colored one.