The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1866-10-17
JFrom DR.. DEEMS paper, the N. Y. Waterman ]
THE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT.

From DIR. DEEMS paper, the N. Y. Watchmanl
THE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT.
The country must be reconstructed. Every
interest of the present and the future de-
mands this. The man who would captlous-
lv or from any sinisterreason- as OF ambition,
nride of opinion, malice, or greed or gain, or
any other selfish ground set himself In OPP
nosition to anv practicable measure suggest
ed by friend or foe, and involvingno humll-
iation to any section of the country, and IN
yadino no guarantee of the Constitution, Isl
man Who. whatever NAV be his intellectual
ability is untitled by passion to be saIe
and friendly adviser to any portion Oh our
people. oe,oooo
the President of the United States mas one
policy and the Congress has another Inc
: high position of the Chief Executive. ms
ability and long political experience, MS ma
tiyity in the South, and his selection by the
North, entitle him his views and plans to the
profound respect of all the people: The Con
gress, the supreme legislature OF this con1ed-
Grafton of commonwealth, coordinate
branch of the general government, and the
only acknowledged law-maklng power OF the
Republic has also claims upon the respect
full attention of every citizen. Now, 1t has
come to pass that the President has one pol
lev of reconstruction and the Congress an
other and our public misfortune is that the
chief legislative and the chief executive
branches of our government are so far apart,
and are separated by chasm which unfor-
tunately has been daily widened and deep
ened by passion, that there appears to be no
probability that they will ever be able to
agree upon policy which shall be practical
BILE and just.
For our own part, we are free to say that
we regard both President and Congress as
worthy of consideration quite unfortunately
to the good of the country, and that we can
have no partisan feeling against either. We
are for the country-the whole country. We
have freely expressed any disapprobation we
have felt for the conduct of either OF the po
itical beligerents. But now the question of
the common veal is upon us, and we must
shortly have some decision of this controver-
sy, or have the country flung back into the
vortex ofwar and revolution.
This morning we endeavor to put far from
us all influence of prejudice and all sway OF
passion, and sit down to the study of the
situation as calmly as we may and as serious
ly as the solemn issues demand.
A Southerner by birth, education, interest,
and an undying love for the people who are
nearest and dearest to our hearts, love
which we have demonstrated by the sacriti-
ces we have shared with our stricken compa-
triots,we believe, as an American whose coun-
try now is this whole wide land, that what
ever will promote the prosperity of the South
will advance the interests of every part of
the United States 1t is no sectional ques-
ton, then, which we PROFOUND, when we SOL
EMMY ask, What is best for the South under
existing circumstances
To that question we propose to strive to
find an answer
If President Johnson's policy were practi-
cable, that would probably still be best for
the South, and would most certainly have
been best ifadopted promptly and at first
But is it practicable +? We say nothing now
as to what We think mistakes upon the part
of the President in the beginning. For, if
his theory be correct, as he .believedit, all his
movements in the erection of provisional
governments were incorrect But this line
ofremark we shall not pursue at present, and
only mention it to show what embarrass-
ments he created in advance for the policy
which he subsequently inaugurated. LsH
inlpracticable ? That is the question.
The people of the South are to remember
that they are the conquered. The victors
have the situation. The South must seek to
find what terms she can obtain. She is not
In position to dictate nav, she is hardly
in position to make demand of rights
But, oyerpowered and bitterly disappointed,
If she can calmly and wisely study theper-
picking problem in the case, she may reach
solution not incompatible with the dignity
conferred upon her by her splendid but I'M
successful battles for constitutional liberty
IN the late unhappy war, in which we hon
estly believe she was far more sinned against
than Stunning
Now, if the Southern States, for the tenn
porary qualification of feeling of partisan
ship, or OF that freedom which they enjoyed,
Shall place themselves in position which
shall exclude them from all tine benefits of
the government, that will obviously be I'M
wise. But ii, on the other hand, they make
concessions that are humiliating and uncon-
stitutional, the present gain will be vastly.
oyerbalanced by the future loss. This is the
trying position of the South, and demands
wisdom, calmness and fortitude
There seems to be no hope for the Presi-
dents policy. Congress will probably be in
dorsed by the North and strengthened. A
week or two ago we gave statement OF the
Presidents views and their logical consequent
ces In the broadcast and boldest language we
could. They involve denial of the legitima-
I, cy OF the present Congress. Can the President
an practice go to this length, seeing that he
has SO repeatedly acknowledged its. legiti-
mate existence by addressing his messages
to the body and signing the bills it has pass
Z edif Suppose he should have collision
with Congress, would the South gain there
Z by I! The whole question would be thrown
again into the uncertain motions of war.
q SHAT the Southern States alopt the constitu-
taasatao'sat amendment This is the most i'm
portant question Of the day-a question in
whose solution every citizen of the South
VIII have an interest. That it may be care
!. Iully studied We reproduce it:
JOINT RESOLUTION PROPOSING AN AMEND
a. MENT TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNI
is TED STATES.
Z. BE it enacted by the Senate and Houas NJ
Representatives Of the United lssqtes Of 4rer;-
can Congress assembled 1two-thirds of both
Houses concurring) That the following ar.
tlcle be proposed to the Legislatures of the
several STATES as an amendment to the Con-
sntgtlon Of the United States, which, when
rauned by three-fourths of said Legislatures
"a shall be valid as part of the CONSTITUTION
namely ~ -
ARTICLE XIV-SEcT1oN 1 Al, nerson,
born or naturalized in the United States anG
subject to the Jurisdiction thereof are citizen,
OF the United States and of the State where
in they reside. No State shall make or rem an
$