The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1866-12-05
The Observation-Disclosures.

The Amendment---Re-Org
We are surprised at the want of knowl-
edge Of Southern affairs exhibited by some
of the most enlightened of our Northern ex-
changes We have been an attentive reader,
ever since the rebellion was suppressed, of
the Albany Euening Journal, the New York
Tribune, the New York Times, the New York
Herald, the Washington Chronicle, the Wash
ington Intelligencer, and many other North
ern journals; and while they are all able,
learned and entertaining, none of them seem
to have comprehended the situation fully,
with the exception of the Chronicle and Her.
aid. A late number of the Eceaing journal
says:
"But the Constitutional amendment is not
only just and magnanimous; it is also the
most feasible way to effect the very end of
impartial suffrage. 1t presents constant in
ducement to the extension of suffrage itself,
by those most Immediately interested.
We therefore protest against its abandon
ment, even for the sake ofimpartial suffrage
And we protest the more earnestly because
of the condition coupled with it. We are
not only required to yield the amendment,
but to absolve all the leading Rebels from
their sins, and to admit them to an equal
participation in the Government To this
We do not believe the loyal people will con-
sent. The people demand their political
punishment, at least, and they demand the
amendment, in all its integrity. If, in addi-
ton thereto, impartial suffrage can be secur-
adj so much the better.
But it is said the South will never consent.
Possibly but if she will not, it is simply be-
cause the spirit of rebellion has never been
subdued, and if that be so. then certainly she
is not entitled to be restored to the position
ofequality with her loyal sisters. If she will
not consent to the ultimatum of the North,
then let her stay out. If she likes it, we need
not complain. But she must bear in mind
that while she stays out, she cannot shirk
her responsibilities. She must be governed
If she is obstinate, then her existing illegal
governments must be set aside, and she must
be governed by loyal administrations. This
the nation has the right to demand, but will
waive it if the Congressional plan of recon-
structiOn is adopted. Thus the amendment
itself is in the nature of q compromise. Let
us not fritter it away for an abstraction"
The Journal has been swinging round"
by degrees for several months past, and it
would now he entirely right, if it would dis
miss from its mind all idea that the govern
ing class in the Southern States will accept
any plan, whether rendered by the President
or Congress. No plan has been or will be
rendered that will not exclude "leading
rebels from an equal participation in the gov
eminent" The leading rebels" as they
are called, will accept no plan that excludes
them; and therefore, all hope that existing
Southern organizations will concur in meas
ures necessary to restore the Southern States
to the Union, is at an end. There is nothing
left, according to this view, which is the
true one, but to re-organize the Southern
States. We tell the Journal that the spirit
of the rebellion has never been subdued."-
1t was thought, in 1866, that it had been,
but the President was deceived, and his Pro-
visional Governors were deceived. The
South is still not only obstinate" but her
leaders are determined never to return to the
Union unless they can do so on their own
terms. We hear the same tones from these
leaders we heard during the rebellion. They
| declare that the object of the Republican
party is to degrade and ruin them, and that,
if they must go down under the iron heel of
Radical power, they will do so like men, with
hands grasping "the Constitution as it is,
and the Union as it ;" and that if they
are to be dishonored and degraded, the Rad
icals must not expect them to take any part
in fixing dishonor and degradation upon
themselves. They stigmatize as submission
lists and Smean whites" all Southern men
who are suspected even of sympathizing with
the Republicans or Radicals; and an uncon-
ditional Unionist they regard as one who has
lost all affection for the South, and who is
ready to join hands with her enemies in de-
grading and destroying her. They uttered
the same tones during the rebellion. They
declared that subjugation would be the most
horrible of all things. They urged the peo-
pie to fight to prevent NEGRO equality as
they urged them to secede to prevent it and
the great bugbear now is, "negro equality
1t is the touchstone of every public measure
Meanwhile the Unionists of the South are
tied hand and foot. The State governments
with all the corporations, are against them
When they urge the Importance of accepting
the proposed amendment, and thus restoring
the Union. they are met with the cry of ne
gro equality" When they inculcate spirit
of nationality they are denounced as Radi
Gals, which is considered an appenatioI
quite as offensive as abolitionist or black re
publican used to be. When they urge
proper spirit of submission to an offended
yet indulgent government, they are held VI
as submissionists and unworthy sons of tn
South.
We observe that Chief Justice Chase. 70
whose opinions we have much respect ha
recently declared that the proposed consti
tutional amendment is one of the most gen
erous and magnanimous propositions eve
submitted to people who have been in re
belhen. We concur with the Chief Justic
} in this. But the Presidents plan was eve
more generous and magnanimous than Il,