The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1866-08-25
Jri- klp taudard
The Philadelphia Convention.
RALEIGH. II. {

Ine Fh1ld0eIpn1a C0nVentlOns
1t would seem that nothing will satisfy
the maleontent secession papers of the South
but the unconditional submission of the
Northern people to such demands as they
may make upon them. These papers are
vexed with the proceedings of the Philadel-
phia Convention. They barely tolerate that
body, though it was given out when it was
called, that it was to be body against the
radicals, and therefore in their favor. They
will take nothing less than recognition of
the righteousness of the rebellion, and
tender respect for the exploded theory of
State rights, until such time as they can
gain sufficient strength to re- assert those
rights, whether in the council chamber on
the field of battle The Richmond Enquirer
for example, still maintains the doctrine of
secession, and prides itself upon the fact
that it sees nothing to regret in the rebellious
action of the Southern States; and the last
Charlotte Times has the following in relation
to the principles put forth by the Philadel-
phia Convention:
president johnson seems pleased with
the proceedings, The meeting will undoubt-
eddy strengthen him, and may result in the re-
turning to Washington members of Congress
who will be more regardtul ofthe Constitu-
ton and the indisputable rights of the
States. But will even that great boon com
pensate for the humiliation of having to
know that the prominent men of the South
had to vote for drgmaS such as declared
that the Federal Government only waged
defensive war for the preservation of the
national life-that it was carried on cOnsti-
tutionally-and that the South was fighting
inc re ba 6oSt of hat
government Now,we ask, is that PROPOSE
ton true If So what becomes of the boosted
patriotism and set-devotion of our noble
dead2 If that proposition is true, then was
Lincoln and his myrnitlons fully justified in
devastating the South and DISCRIMINATING US
if it were necessary to the restoration of the
national authority. Then were we rebels
| and if caught with arms in our hands were
not entitled to be treated as prisoners of war
! but as traitors, and should have been hung.
These dogmas put forth in Mr. Raymond's
address, if true, deprive our struggle OF all
its grandeur. and sublime devotion to right
and Justice, and dwindles us down to a willy
set of conspirators who were through dis
appointed ambition and desperate circum-
stances, like Catalina endeavoring to over
throw the government, for selfshness and |
personal promotion. Nor will any amount |
of success justify the writing of such an cpl |
taph over the tomb of the Southern dead, |
and over the conduct and character of the |
living heroes who did and dared to make the
q" lost cause" successful"
Who went to Philadelphia from this State,
and silently subscribed to these dogmas p
Not the despised "straitest Sect Unionists,
but such war men as Howard, Graham,
Manly, and Barringer. We know of no
"straitest Sect man who proposes to cast
odium on the noble Southern dead" We
know of no Northern Union man who pro-
poses to do it. We look upon the leaders in
the rebellion, so-called, as criminals-we
mean such men Davis, Slidell, Rhett,
Wigfali, Phelan, Toombs, Pryor, Clay, Banks
dale and Bcnjamin-for they knew better,
and sinned with their eyes wide open; but
those who fought on the Southern side were
either misguided or conscripted, and but for
their valor and endurance, which saved the
honor of the South, every thing would have
been lost. We have no harsh epithets for these
men. The Northern people have no harsh
epithets for them. They were rebels, and so
was George Washington until he got to be a
successful revolutionist. But we do not call |
them rebels by way of rejecting on Them !
and we call no man traitor, except in self |
defence, when we are denounced a traitor |
to the so-called Confederacy. 1t might be |
expected that radical" Convention would
speak of Southern soldiers as rebels, and of
those public men who led in the rebellion
as traitors but we agree with the Times that
it is strange thing to see Messrs Graham,
Barringer, Howard, and Manly taking this
view and speaking thus, in an Address and
in Platform of Principles, which were
maturely weighed and considered before they
were sent forth to the country.