The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1866-04-07

| we PUBLISH GO-uty III Iuii olo PiONie'
nation of the President declaring that
the instruction is at an end and that
| henceforth it is settled, as the sovereign
and important resolution of the national
unity" that no State has gone out of,
or separated itself from, or can go out
of, or separate itself from the federal
Union. 1t legitimately follows that
civil law has been restored in the States,
and that the States are entitled to be
represented in the common Congress
whenever they shall present acceptable
members to that body. The President
does not undertake to judge of the cleo
tons, character, or qualification of men,
bers, but leaves that exclusively to the
Congress.
The President does not, in so many
words, restore the writ of habedS corpus,
but this, it seems to us, results inevita-
bly, from the whole tenor and logic of
the proclamation. "Standing armies,
military occupation, martial law, and
military tribunals" all fall, as it seems
to us, before this important document.
The President, it will be observed,
regards the people of the Southern
States as "well and loyalty disposed,'
and as ocquiescing" in the result of
the war. He does not say they are
Enthusiastically loyal" or "devoted to
the Union" or attached to the federal
government. 1t is true the people are
disposed to be loyal. They were so be-
fore the rebellion, but they were deceiv
ed and misled by designing politicians.
They would be loyal now but for the
same politicians and their latter-day al
lies. If these politicians were silenced,
or made to know their places, and if the
great body of the people could be reach
ed and addressed only by unmistaka-
bly, loyal - men, the most marked i'm
provement would soon be visible, and
the day would not be distant when the
old attachment to the Union would re-
yive. and would manifest itself as in for
mer times. The President has repeated
ly said that no man should be appoint
ed or elected to office in the Southern
States who is not Thoroughly loyal. In
deed, he has gone so far as to say that
all persons appointed or elected should
be such as "have never faltered in their
allegiance to the government" He has
not changed this opinion. He is willing
to pardon the great body of those who
fomented the rebellion, and who insist
ed on fighting it out to the bitter end,
and to restore to them the protection of
the civil law; but he is infeXibly OPP
posed to their taking leading part
either in Congress or in the affairs of
the States at home. He thinks that be-
fore they are received into the church,
they should bring forth fruits meet
for repentance"
This proclamation is the finishing
step in the work of restoration, so far as
the President is concerned HIS duty
has been ably and faithfully discharged.
1t has been discharged according to the
Constitution, and in the true spirit of
our republican forms. 1t now remains
for the Congress to act. What that
action will be no one can foresee. The
probability is that Tennessee will be ad-
mitted at an early day; and that, by
concurrent resolution, the two Houses
will declare that whenever the other
States shall comply with certain condi-
tions with respect to loyalty, their mem
bers also will he admitted to their seats.
We do not apprehend, however, that
Congress will attempt to dictate to the
States on the subject of negro suffrage