The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1866-09-26

because it isinseparaI,v oef on
with their own. They do not U ~. CONNECTED
us as subject provinces, but they w;s, 10 hold
with us as equals in the Union. T T,sa toliye
stretches out its mighty arms tn an m'I Union
For one, lam anxious to return enorace U.s.
gard it, in the language of WASN'T, UN. In.
'4e primary object Of patriotic desi r y as
II, l know we shall be safe. It will In
US all, as in thepast, copious fonm. ceto
lnnumerabie blessings. Out of it Ta "a Of
notning IN the future bnt discord an Oan See
military RUE, poverty, ignorance and ehy,
edness l am, therefore, in the fnI,s wretch,
strongest sense, a Union man D;a eS' and
oil other Platforms stand on tho r1aIlns
OF WASHINGTON. l know we can pa p'aliom
long as we follow his precepts and ITs ers
his illustrious example for light to e, ,ook to
footsteps. What would he saw If s .m our
ting the passions which divide ne IIpprecia.
look down npon US from his blest ah SOald
lie would say to the North, Give n1 as9
the South "hold not back" He won Sla to
US that what the sword had settled sbo' n 'el
confirmed by the tongue and the nen o oe
would tell us that the Union, which no ne
and suffered to establish, was the param 'oled
good that every thing else should be ssoai
nced, II necessary, to its restoration and nsi
erVatlon that the passions and resentp pres
engendered by the war should perish ml,
the war; and that nothing should nrevan, s,a
immediate restoration of the Union on ns Tue
harmony of its various parts. u me
Fellow-citizens, there are certain st,.o.
sues, just now engaging the attention of ~ ~ :
people, In relation to which will spbm; .s
few observations. N'n'i9a
regret, on several accounts. the re;ec..
OF the new State Constitution. II was noa
all that desired but it was in manv rasna ,"'
an excellent Constitution, and a decidsd =.
provement upon the old one One If nv, ~.
ablest and most loyal bodies that ev W. 'ue
sembled in the State, gave to this instrnns u.s.
the most patient consideration Amn eu1
other things, it struck the last fettcr frnm olss
human conscience, by granting to our LEVINE iie
fellow-citizens the right to. hold ofIc ,"'; y
provided for expediting justice thus m1;r "
tanning the peace of society; it dealt ' Ss
served blow at the right Of secession bv .us
shutting an oath to support the Const; aU
ton OF the State not INCOMPATIBLE With ~,
national Constitution, for the oath of nr;r VIC
ry allegiance to the State in the old Cona.;
tuition; it provided for a Lieutenant, G"r
ernor by the people, to take the place of tlo
Governor IN the event of his death or dies; nS'
bility it abolished, or greatly modifisI SO.
Objectionable landed Qualification for mo ~"
Ders OF the Senate and House of Commons.
and 1t established the white basis for the
House OF Commons. If this Constitution
was rejected upon the ground that # was
TOO llberat or too radical, take it for erant-
ed, from some knowledge of our peoDle that
the next Constitution will be still mors Hh
eral and radical. Our people will not be
satisfied until the white basis is established
for both branches of the Legislature: and it
may be that they win require the entire alb
clifton OF the property qualification, and the
election of many officers BY the people now
chosen by the Legislature.
The Convention exhibited wise forethought
III embodying in separate ordinances its re-
pudation OF secession and the rebel debt,
the abolition Of slavery, and the provision
allowing colored persons.to be heard in our
Courts as witnesses; for, from the spirit
manifested at the late voting for and against
the Constitution, it is more than probable
[ that these ordinances, if they had been in
cOrporated in the Constitution, would have
rendered it much more Objectionable than it
was to those who voted against it. As it is,
these ordinances exist for the present. They
may be abrogated, however, by any future
Convention that may be called.
| Our people are impoverished and deep.
| ~ in debt. Previously to the rebel
lion the estimated value of all the proper
/ ty of the State was not less than four hun
dred millions in specie; it is more than
probable that the estimated value at present
| would not reach one hundred Millions
The State debt, with the interest recently
added to it, cannot be much less than eigh.
teen millions It is impracticable, at pres
ent, to redeem the principal of this debt.
is impraeticable, at present, to discharge old
individual debts The State is not itself, in
any sense, in the present condition of things
We shall have no capital from distance, nc
emigration, no payment of claims held by
our people against the federal government
for property taken OF destroyed during TIL
war-no adequate or reliable means to stinlu
late enterprise and industry, and no sole
foundation for business of any kind, unit
the State is restored to the Union, ! know
it is said the abolition Of slavery was proyi
dental act; or, if not, that cur slaves wer
forcibly taken from US, and that, under eithe
view, we have been released from our obliga
ton to pay our debts. do not concur il
this view. Slavery was abolished by tn
unwise action of the Southern States Tha
first gun at Fort Sumter, fired by Southen
men, who had previously fred the South
ern heart" for rebellion, was the death-knel
of slavery. 1t was our own act, and we can
not take advantage of our own wrong. w
should bear in mind, in considering this sub
ject, that if either party is to blame it is no
the creditor, but the debtor. The debtor ha
had, or may now have the benefit of wha
belonged to another. The events throug
which we have passed have eonvulsed, an
to great extent, have changed society,"
They have impoverished our people. Blu
they have not, therefore, released US from on
lawful obligations These events constitut
/ good reason for indulgence and forbearanc
in the collection of debts, but the debts n
main, and must be paid plead only fo
indulgence and forbearance We may honest
! ly say we can not, but we cannot honestl
say we will not pay our debts. Anrhoncs
bankrupt never loses the respect or the cor
6dence of the wise and good; but en- ind
vidual or State that says, iii is my han
and seal, but / will not pay" proclaims fo
! himself and his State that there is no virtu
in moral obligation. North Carolina wi
live always. Centuries hence. her name, and
I trust, her fame will be known among til
nations. States prosper and flourish, and al
respected, in proportion as they adhere t
the eternal principles of justice. Whatst
ever we may do now, in this respect, VIII
known and scrutinized by those who are
come after US and if our descendants sha
be Of the noble stamp of our Castor an
Macon, they will blush for their ancestors
they deliberately repudiate their just oblig'
tions