Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1866-05-03
THE WILMINGTON JOURNAL.
WILMINGTON, N. c., APRIL %, 1866.
Congress and the Southern States.

Congress and Southern States.
The nropositions about to be submitted by the
Reconstruction Committee, already published
and which were received by telegraph, should
thew turn out to be correctly reported, shut the
doors of reconstruction and reunion for the pre-
sent, and compel us to turn from the Congress Of
the United States to the people they assume to rep
resent. The propositions reported are in such
close keeping with the legislation which has char
acterized the present Congress, and the intima'
lions thrown out by the members of the Recon
struction Committee, that we can hardly expect
better or more honorable terms
The propositions proposed rs consideration,
precedent to our readmission, are: LIST. The Con
stitution of the United States must be SO amended
as hereafter no State shall make any discrimina-
ton in its laws or Constitution on account of color
Cd July 4th, 1876, negroes must have the right to
vote. 3d. Representation between 1866 and 1878,
provided negroes are allowed to vote Upon these
conditions the Southern States to be allowed
representation, if their representatives take
the test oath.
1t is hardly necessary to say, that II such be the
terms upon which the States are to be re-admitted,
they will not and cannot be accepted if the poor
privilege is permitted to us to accept or reject
what we viii and will not do, as choice in these
matters seem lot to concern the Legislative authori
ties. We must form a part of the United States
either as equal States dependencies, and which
it is to be- is a matter for the decision of the
Government.
President Johnson's patriotic and copciliatory
course made groundless the fears, expressed by
President Lincoln, that the South would not send
Representatives to Congress, but to-day she is in
no better condition than if she had not sent them.
The ardor and enthusiasm of the Southern people
have been greatly cooled by the manner in which
it has been received by the fanatics, who now con-
troll Congress. We feel that since sincere and
honest efforts to submit to all the requisites for
re-admission, and our compliance withall the tests
of loyalty, have only brought calumny upon US,
and have been responded to by offers, the accept
ance of which would be dishonorable, that it is
impossible for us to satisfy the unreasonable de-
mands of the party now in power, and in utter
hopelessness and dependency begin to subside
into a passiveness in regard to the efforts now
being made for the restoration of the Union.
Our earnest endeavors for the promotion of
peace and union between the sections have been
met with rebuff at the hands of Congress. Our
desire to restore the prosperity of theEcountry
cheerfulness and alacrity with which accepted
the terms prescribed for our admission have been
construed into unseemly fear and greedy desire
for place. and have been responded to by renewed
demands. Our quiet and ready acceptance has
served only to whet their luminosity and exactions
until now, they seem determined to limit re-
admission to such States shall agree not to dis
eriminate between the whites and blacks; or, i'll
legislative enactments to break down all distinc-
tons, social and political, on account of color.
From this dark and unsatisfactory ipicture, we
gladly turn. We look to the President and the
proper influence of the righteousness and justice
of his policy upon the people. And we do not
think we fatter ourselves in admitting we see some
hope in referring the great issue between the
President and the Radicals--an issue upon which
not only our own welfare so much depends, but
upon which rests the best interests of the entire
country-to this final and supreme tribunal The
great conservative gains shown by the elections in
New Hampshire and Connecticut .haye been fol-
lowed by much more promising results in the local
elections in Indiana Illinois and Ohio.
We should not despond, but strengthen the
hands of the President not only by cheerful COM
pliance with laws, but by firm and determined
assertion OF our rights. While we have much to
fear and justly, from noncompliance with our
lawful duties, we have nothing to hope from a
trucking fear and servile surrender of civil and
political rights, which the President declares we
are entitled to. Let us then appeal from the dis
honorable terms proposed byCongress, to the peo
pie of the North, and that this appeal may be re-
sponded to favorably, let us show by conduct
that we are not only loyal and DESTROYS of restor
ing friendly relations and building up the perma
nent prosperity of the country but that our pride
and honor, without which we would be undeser-
wing the blessings to be enjoyed from a restored
Union have not departed from us.
Relief the South.
no in ~; 10 ~,