The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1866-10-04
The Political Situation.

The election for members OF Con-
cressand State officers takes place to-day
in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and sew
eral other Northern States. If, In these
elections. the friends of President d Ohm
sons policy do not gain enough mem
bers of Congress to prevent what Is
called the Radical party from having
two-thirds in the next Congress and
overriding the Presidents vetoes, we
NAV expect trouble in the country, and
probably anarchy and war, unless the
difficulty can be averted by the South
ern States accepting what is known as
the Howard amendment, and thus get
ting their Representatives and Senator'S
in their seats. After the result OF these
elections are known, the Southern pco-
pie can decide as to the course they
ought to pursue.
Parties at the North are divided into
three classes. 1st, the friends of Presi-
dent Johnson's policy, which is to adj
nit into Congress Immediately South
ern representatives who can take the
test oath. I'd, the moderate Republic
cans who contend that the South shall
adopt the proposed Howard amend
ment to the Constitution OF the United
States before her Representative are
admitted. Sd, the Radicals, headed by
such men as Thaddeus Stevens, who IA
vor abolishing the present Southern
State Governments, putting us back
under Provisional Governors, and com
peliing us to re-organize and per-
NIT the negroes to vote, and also
to pay the whole expense of the late
war or have all our property confis-
Gated.
At the last session of Congress a law
was passed providing that as soon as
any of the Southern States adopt the
Howard amendment, they shall be enti-
tied to representation in Congress. The
provisions of this amendment are as fol-
lows:
l. That all persons born or natural
lied in the United States are citizens
thereof and OF the States i'll which they
reside, and on Il footing of equality in
regard to their civil rights.
,. That the enumeration Of the peo-
pie for representation i'll Congress shall
be abridged in proportion 10 the abridge-
ment of the right of suffrage in any
State on account of race or color. THE
question as to whether the negro shall
vote is left with each State, but if the
negro is not allowed to vote, the repre-
sentation in Congress for such State
shall be based on white population or
actual voters.
3. Every man who ever took an oath
(os an officer Of the Federal or Stare
gouernn'ents) to support the Constitu-
ton of the United States, and who al.
forwards aided the South in the late
war shall not be eligible to any Office,
unless relieved Of such disability by
two-thirds vote of Congress. Such per-
sons are not deprived Of their vote, but
Of the privilege of holding offices unless
Congress relieves them or repeats the
law. This clause does not prescribe
lawyers, for, although they took an oath
to support the Constitution of the United
States. They are not officers.
4. That the national war debt shall |
debts and obligations shall be utterly
5. That Congress shall have power
to enforce the provisions Of this article.
We have tried to state the provisions
of this amendment so that the people
may understand them, for we feel as
power in the next Congress tLev had in
er we will adopt the amendment, or run
the risk of living Mr. Stevens plan Of
provisional government, cOntiscation,
&c, forced upon us.
We fear that the day is not far dis /
tant when the Southern people must .
make their choice. We have all along .
commended for the Presidents policy be
cause we think it more just and fair
Al III IL
fails to obtain power sufficient to enforce .
his scheme, the. question is what ought .
we, as a people, to. do? 1t will remain .
for our people to decide, for what will .
be the fate of one will be the fate Of ALL /
For our own part we cap say that .
rather than have our State governments +
negro suffrage forced upon us,
the property of our people confiscated
or deprecated on by squads of soldiers,
and the women and children starved to
death or rendered houseless and home
less, we would prefer the adoption OF
the proposed amendment. We are as
deeply interested in the welfare of the
as any man, our heart is
with the South, and here in North Car
Dina we expect to live and die.
La view of the uncertain condition of
pubHc affairs, and the dlfhcultlCS which
threaten us, we advise that no candidate
for the Legislature pledge himself to
any particular course, but that he be
free to act as the exigencies Of the times
may demand after the Legislature as
sembles. Let us send good men to the
Legislature, but we resectfully suggest
that it would be the best policy for
them to go unpledged. Above all, let
us be cautious and prudent, and pre-
serve peace among ourselyes.-M Char
tOtte Denzocrat.
The following important dispatch is from