The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1866-03-03
[Esom the Cincinnsti EnqaiftT.l
THE TEST OF LOYALTY.


The Richmond Enquirer having inquir-
ed of the New York Tribune, What con-
ssitntes loyal American journal r. WN
answered as follows, 80
"A thoroughly loyal American journal q
one which holds that, in the pending recok
strustion or restoration Of the Southern
States, Aat portion Of their people rho s<ere
roR Tie Union Ia oaT lGe straggle shall b
accorded all EQUAL rights and privileges srifk
tie DortioR teho aCere AGAINST It, aud fosg0
for Its opeytkYoC and destruction"
This indicates that, in the opinion q
the leading organ of the party in powet
in the United States, the test Of Ioyalty
resides solely in matters relating 70 the
reconstruction of the Union, or the resto-
ration of the Southern States. Whatever
may be the opinions Of the journal upon
other subjects, if it is right upon this, IL
is loyal; if wrong, disleyal.
1t is evident, in the first place that,
according to this authority, gus ~ Of
loyalty and disloyalty have nothing 70 %
with laws as1r 49, eti08. A maa may
disobey the Consultation and Violate tbs
law; public journal may exhort to dis.
obedience of the one and violation Of the
other, and yet their loyalty incur no sua-
picion. So man or journal may OBJ
servo, or urge upon the others the obserT-
ance of law and Constitution, aud yet Be
held guilty of disloyal proclivities. This
is made apparent by the fact that neither
the Constitution nor the law contains any
thing upon the subject of reconstruction
fTha~n ,arfxs
upon these points, but not legal or ccnsti-
tutional ones: consequently, the standard
of loyalty, in the contemplation Of the
Tribune, is one which its own party haa
constructed.
To translate the reply of the Tribune
into plain terms, its notions of loyalty are
as follows: He who is In favor Of en1s
ploying the force which the General Cor
ernment may WELD to fix and continue ths
political power of tho eonth, for National
and local purposes, in the hands of the
negroes and Unionist whites, by the en-
frapchisement of the former, isa)oyal; he
who Is not, is disloyal. A journal which
advocates the former is truly patriotic !
one which does not ia tFsasopable. In
other words. to be loyal is to be in favor
of negro suffrage in the South. This Is
what the Tribune means but We proceed
to show wherein it is pncandid, in sugs
gesting an untruth which, perhaps, il
wants the courage to utter:
| Speaking of the Southern States, the
phrase g that portion Of their people schs
1cere FOR the Union IN our late struggle," /"
does not truly describe the negro popula-
Ition. The attachment of the negroes to
the Union is thing purely imaginary.
They know nothing about the Union and
teare nothing about it. Our political ter.
lminology never had, and has not now. 10
their minds, any meaning; or if it has, il
Iis gofRS.su RBs utterly fansjfal and distorted. Ac-
| FROM Ioyalists, thsir notion of political
. liberty is free ratiens sent to them by the
f President and nothing to do; and it i
5 mot probable that their notion Of the
! Union, if it has any fxadRess. is par.
: ticle more rational. Unless it means food
D or drink, or clothing, or quarters. OF iasi,
. ness, they have neither anxiety or curl
osify on the subject, and in their sensuous
S natures, sluggish even in respect to theil
f material wants, there is no place to build
!. the idea of a political abstraction
s The negroes neither of the North nol
q of the South testified their love Of the
Union by fighting for it. They knew
9 nothing OF the causes Of tho war, and cared
j, nothing, Not one in thousand Of then
+ had any thing which resembled a correo
$ notion-upon any standard Of bellef-o
n the character of the events which hat
drought on secession, or Of the isspes in
e Iyolyed in the conflict Almost WithoN
a an exception, they who went TO the wa
# went under some sort OF compulson
v Sometimes threats were used, sometime
y force, sometimes priyation; and fire,
l. Iagency was thing absolutely Hnknowa
d In the South, white soldiers drove th'
ofI negroes into the Federal ranks at tn
=, point of the bayonet, and drove thei
i wives and children iate the wilderness y
l. perish by the same process of gentle com
etl pulsion. In thousands of cases they re
ir mained loyal to their masters until dEiFs'
If from them by force and in no one cas-
did they manifest their love of liberty an,
the Unioa by taking their cause into thei
tOW0 01UQSs Hat U1&ugH Va tAAC I'LL 49, ssse
people of the North, with the editor Q
a the New York Tribune IN the front rank
N who were hoping and praying for insuz
5, rections, and so far as was in their powe
IS kindling them whose eyes were plous
n IL turned every evening in . soather'
"a direction, in the hope TO discover the glim
s mer of the flames Of dwellings burned 3.
ls insurgent negroes inspired BY love Of hh
y erty, noble spirit of Independence, an
lg an irreprcssible longing to demonstrat
m their dignity as men and their purity .
ne patriots, were destined to be disappointed
b The editor of the Tribune ought to \
d. member this, and when be talks Of Tia
portion of the Southern people who wei
ss for Us, in our late struggle" !" fsel 500
beflittle sense of shame under the though
o. that there are fey people Of the Unite
y States whose memories ara nat eptlrei
3. obliterated, and who can see through b
oflimpudent and heartless humbuggery.