The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1865-06-24

/ unity OF government which coneti-
tutes US one people should be more
dear tous than ever en- account of the
suherings through which we have pass
ed lathe language of Washington,
at IS Of infinite moment that Won
should properly estimate the immense
yalueof your national Union to your
collective and individual happiness
that you should cherish a cordial, hsb.
itual and immoyable attachment 70 it;
aocnstoming yourselves to think sndto
I speak OF It as the palladium OF your POI
liiical safety and prosperity; watching
Tor lts preservation with jeslous anxies
tyi discoutenanciug whichever may sug-
Z gest even a sufpiciou that it can,in any
event be abandoned; and Indignantly
I frowning upon the first dawn ng of ev-
! cry atlsnIpt TO sliepste one portion Of
4 your country from the rest, or to enfee-
bic The sacred ties which now link to-
gether the various parts
To the colored people Of the State
would say, You are now free Provi-
dence has Nilled that theaFery means
adopted 10 render your servitude per,
petual should be His instruments for
releasing you from boDdsge Il now
remains for you, aided as y0R will be
by the superior Intelligence Of the white
rsce, and cheered by the sympathiss of
all good people, to decide whether the
freedom thus suddenly bestowed upon
you VIII be q blessing to you or a source
Of Injury. Your race has been depress-
ed by your condition of slavery, and
by the legislation OF your former mae
ters, for two hundred years. 1t is not
TO be expected that you can eompre-
bend and appreciate, as they should be
comprehended and appreciated By
sell governing people, the wise provis-
ions and limitations of constitutions
and laws: or that you can now have
that knowledge Of public affairs which
is necessary to qualify you to discharge
all the duties Of the citizen No peo-
pie has ever yet bounded at once into
the full enjoyment of the right of self
government But you are free, in COM
mon with all our people, and You have
the same right, regulated by law, that
others have. to enter upon the pursuit
of prosperity al d happiness. You
should henceforth sacredly observe the
marriage relation, and you should pro
vide for ycuf offspring. You can now
not only learn TO read yourselves, az
some of you have been able to do here
tofore, but you can instruct others, and
procure instruction. from others for
yourselves and your children, without
fear of punishment But TO be pros
porous and happy you must labor, not
merely when you feel ike il, or for
seanty support, but industriously and
steadily, with a view to making and
laying up something for yourselves and
your families If you are idle you will
become vicious and worthless; if vicious
and worthless you will have no friends,
and viii at last perish " In the sweat
Of thy face shalt thou eat bread all the
days of thy life" The same Provi-
dence that has bestowed free dom upon
you has told you that diligence IN busi-
meas is required of all His creatures;
and you cannot expect that your race
viii escape ultimate extinction If YOU
wilfully violate or disregard this, one of
His great commands. Freedom does
not mean that one may do as he
pleases, but that every one may, by
| industry, frugality and temperance,
improve his condition and enjoy the
fruits Of his own labors, so long as he
obeys the lava | have no preiudice
against You. On the contrary, while i
am a white man, and while my lot Is
with my own color, yet | sympathizc
with you as the weaker race; and l
cannot forget that during the rebellion
many Of you fought for the preservation
ha In = ~, -
who remained at home IN the then
slavehOiding States were, for the most
part docile and faithful, and made no
attempt by force Of arms 10 gain even
your own freedom. / will see to IL, IS
far as / can, that you have your liberty,
TINT you are protected IN your property
and persons, and that you are paid
your wages. But, on the other hand,
will set my face against those Of you
who are Idle and dissipated, and prompt
punishment will be inflicted TOR any
breach Of the peace or violation of law.
In fine, L will be your friend as long as
you are true to yourselves and obsdieut
20 the laws, ana as long as you shall
labor no matter how feebly, ii honestly
and earnestly, TO improve your condi-
ton 1t is my duty, as far as ] may, 20
render the Government "a terror to
evil doors, and praise to them that do
well and this l will endeayor 10 do
in relation to the whole people Of the
State OF North Carolina, without fear.
favor, or affection, reward, or the hope
of reward
And now, with charity for all, with
malice toward none" enter upon the
discharge of the duties assigned me by
the President, earnestly and solemnly
invoking the good people of the State
to aid nein the work OF reconsuucting
the government and in restoring the
State 10 the protection, benefits ana
blessings Of the Union.
Done at our city Of Raleigh, the l2hl
day OF June, ia the year Of our LORD
one thousand eight hundred and sixty
five, and in the eighty-ninth year of
American independence.
WMuAN ". HoLDgN,
Provisional Governor.
By the Governor:
Jos. w. HoLDEy, Private Secretary.