The Daily Phoenix

COLUMBIA
Sunday Morning, June 30, 1867

What may be Expected.

We are no admirers of Ex-Governor Joe Brown, of Georgia, so far as his political antecedents go. But, at the present time, we think he has taken the right position in counseling prudence and general conformity to the reconstruction Acts of Congress. He says, in a recent letter, that when the Southern States are readmitted into the Union, he expects to affiliate with whatever progressive national party that shows the greatest inclination to stand by principles and deal justly by us—a party with the most power to aid in restoring prosperity to the South and to the whole country. The war, as he says, has forever settled the old issues upon which the country was divided, and, therefore, we ought, in making future selections, to be governed by none of the predilections or prejudices of the past.

Of the importance of the Southern people acting under the reconstruction Acts, and the deplorable consequences that would ensue, should the Southern States refuse to adopt its terms and provisions, he says very forcibly:

"Should the people reject a convention, when Congress again meets, it will do one of two things, saying nothing for the present about confiscation. It will either disfranchise all who vote against a convention or all who voluntarily engaged in the rebellion. What would then follow? The commanding general would be directed to make another enrollment of the freedmen and the few white men not disfranchised, and the question of reconstruction would be referred back to them. They would accept promptly, and form a constitution for the State and elect State officers and members of Congress, and upon that organization the State would be admitted into Congress by her representatives." The present proposition leaves probably eight to nine-tenths of the white men still voters. The next will not probably leave the ballot in the hands of more than one or two-tenths of the white men of the State.

And that this would be the result of non-action, no sensible man can doubt for a moment. Already we have the indication of the spirit and temper of Congress in the call for a July session, in consequence of the Attorney-General's opinion; and it is not at all unlikely that, if a quorum be present next Wednesday, the first act will be to abolish the existing provisional State Governments, and make the generals commanding the districts supreme, not only as executive agents of Congress, but as law-makers. The President will be entirely stripped of the power of interference, so far as Congress can effect that object, and the South will have no branch of the General Government to shield or protect her.

This is a gloomy contemplation. Let us hope that it may not be realized, and that the people of the South will show to the world that manhood and true moral courage which, instead of despairing, only prompts to greater efforts to throw off the incubus of adversity, with strong arms and willing hearts.