The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1866-08-07
The Rebel Debt.


We make the following extract from let
ter written from Caswell County, by return
ed Confederate soldier:
AT our last County Court they did an
act, i'll the payment of claim which think
is unconstitutional and wrong. There was
a gentleman by the name of VIM. H. Holder
ness, who was the agent in this County to
gather up the 1.-THE for the Confederate army.
He went around and did his duty in having
his sub-agents all over our County, and
through them collected up the supplies
W ell. the County also authorised him through
his agents to collect for the County use some
bacon &c. Mr.. Holderness went to Court in
Confederate times and was allowed three
thousand dollars for his services by the same
Court, but we all went up soon after. He
now comes forward and lays in his claim and
the County Court pays him the sum of one
hundred dollars. Now, sir, is that right /?
Shall we, who went to the wars and
fought for those men, still be borne down by
taxes Is there no help for us ? Under the
same government that Mr.. Holderness was
riding around in his sulky, with his umbrella
over him, to keep the sun off was tramping
10 the double quick under Gen. r. E. Lee, an6
then to come home here and work to pay
him. No by the eternal God, we will not
pay such men our money Wewill see to it,
take the law in our own hands and drive the
County Court out of our midst. We say it
is a shame upon the Court for paying Hol-
oierness the money"
The complaint made by our correspondent
will soon become general. Let the general
government take its hands of, and admit
these States as they are, and we shall at once
hear that the Convention repudiated the
rebel debt unCler duress, and provision will
be made to scale and pay it. 1t will be de-
clared that the honor of North Carolina de-
mands that it be paid!
1t will also be assumed that slavery was
abolished under duress. The leading war
men of the State, who are to-day as unsub-
dued us they were when Lee was in the sad
die, hold, with Judge Ruffin, that the Con-
vention had no authority to hind our people
and on this ground they have most probably
rejected the new Constitution, because 1T does
not count three negroes IN the Commons basis
against 1ioe aohite men. They adhere to the
old Constitution, and reject the new, because
the old instrument is pro-slavery In its char
acter, and thus secUr>s controlling power in
the Legislature to the secession oligarchs.
There is no hope for liked and stable gov
ernment or for loyal men, save in the strong
arm of the national government. A large
majority of the returned Confederate SOL
diers want repose and good government, and
IL due submission to the national authority;
but this is prevented by secession demago-
CUES, who have already inflamed our people
more against the radicals" than they were in
famedin 1860 against the "black Republi
cans" These demagogues never reason with
the people, and never tell them the truth, but
rely on appeals to prejudice and passion,
which, unfortunately, owing to the demorali-
cation caused by the war and the want of
information among the people, have most
injurious effect on the popular mind.