The Daily Phoenix

COLUMBIA.
Sunday Morning, November 5, 1865.

Progress of Conciliation.

President Johnson has been prompt and liberal in the exercise of the pardoning power towards leading public men, civil and military, in this State, and his course is doubtless appreciated by all. The preliminary work of conciliation is progressing well, and we hope the reconstruction policy, at first inaugurated by the sagacious Chief Magistrate of the Union, will not be impeded, either by any error on his part, or by any unwise action or legislation on the part of the people or law-makers of the Southern States. It should be the earnest desire of all to bring up the Union to the ancient landmarks, and although the past, with all its sufferings, with all its losses, with all its direful consequences, cannot be effaced from the mind, yet as patriots, as good citizens of the Republic, it becomes our duty to make the best of the present, and to work diligently, earnestly and faithfully to make the future, in a national point of view, glorious and prosperous. And in this great work, we feel well assured there will be no people more active or energetic than those of the Southern States. South Carolina has, thus far, since the President established her provisional Government, performed her whole duty in the great work of reconstruction. Although desolated by the ravages of war, her beautiful capital almost destroyed, her other towns more or less damaged, her agricultural interests injured and crippled to a fearful extent, her people in Convention assembled have done all that in them lay to aid the President in the work of restoration. They have repealed the ordinance of secession; have affirmed the abolition of slavery within her limits now and forever; they have popularized the State Government; and now the members of her Legislature have elected to the highest office--to the most honorable position in the councils of the nation--the gentleman whom President Johnson himself selected to guide the State in her return to the Union. It is true, the very large vote cast for General Wade Hampton, for Governor, might seem to militate against the position we assume for the people of this State, yet, when we consider Gen. Hampton's vast popularity, his past career, the virtue and purity of his private life and character, no one need be surprised at this manifestation of the high estimation in which he is held by his fellow-citizens. He is one of nature's noblemen--sans peur et sans reproche. Moreover, his sincerity, his patriotism, loyalty and devotion to the future prosperity of his country, has recently been manifested, in the admirable letter he published, when he was besieged with letters and applications to lead and found a colony of Southerners in Brazil. He urged upon the applicants to stay at home, and go to work to aid in restoring their country to her former greatness and prosperity. There is no truer patriot in the land than Wade Hampton. The high compliment, therefore, which his fellow-citizens have recently paid to him, is no evidence of their disloyalty to the Government or opposition to the Administration.

There is a Latin maxim which, being rendered, reads: "To consult the welfare of the people is the first great law," or, in other words, the main end of every Government should be the well being of the people, the establishment of order and security, and the diffusion of social happiness. To secure this end, we believe President Johnson is laboring in good faith and with honesty of purpose. The desire of every true patriot is that he may be successful, and the man or party at the South who would place an obstacle in the way, assumes a responsibility not at all consistent with sound judgment or true patriotism. It is true, that we regret that his views as to the ultimate payment of the Confederate States debts, as given in the despatch to Governor Holden, published yesterday, are at variance with our own and that of many other good and loyal citizens; nevertheless, we have still unshaken faith in the wisdom of his general policy towards the South. In his liberating policy, after having released Messrs. Stephens, Reagan, Trenholm and Campbell, we trust that the President will continue, independent of the censure or jeers of his enemies or political opponents. We hope that this policy will be pursued until the prison doors of every political captive shall be opened, until the great work of conciliation be perfected, by the promulgation of an amnesty that will embrace all within its generous provisions.