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

basing members of Congress on qualified |
voters, but he looks forward to the period
when the States will establish what is called
impartial suffrage.
The proposed amendment also provides
that certain persons who had taken an oath
to support the Constitution of the United
States, and afterwards engaged in the rebell-
ion, shall not hold any Office, civil or militia
nv, under the United States, or under any
State, unless the Congress by vote Of two
thirds shall remove such disability.
What sound objection can there be to
this2 IF it be said that it is harsh and de-.
grading in its nature, reply that President
johnson has already gone much further in
making treason odious than this provision
goes. Heexcluded from his amnesty procla-
nation not less than twenty-five thousand
persons. He not only deprived them, at his
mere will and pleasure, of the right to hold
office, but of the right to vote; and he held
them, as he holds some OF them to-day, not only
as non-voters, but liable at any moment to
the pains and penalties of treason. This
proposed amendment deprives no man Of
his right of suffrage. 1t simply says to the
fomenters and leaders of the rebellion Your
lives and property are spared; you are per
mitted to vote, as heretofore; you will not
be molested in your ordinary rights as citi-
IN occunv the chief places over the heads of
those whom YOUR conduct has ruined. You
may come into the congregation, and receive
the benefit of the exercises, but you can not
he PRIESTS or elders at this time. Your hands
are still red with the blood of your brethren,
whom We slew while thew were struggling to
save the Ark of the Covenant. and the fires
of resentment and pride are still smonldering
in vour hearts But even were this not 80
# is not reasonable or seemIv that the des
trovers of the peace and hanniness of the
country should at once become the conserva-
tors of that peace and the promoters of that
happiness. Stand aside for the present AS
Won have lost position by YOUR bad conduct
81 Won shall regain it only by your GOOD con,
duct We will not Judge YOU harsbly. but
nunish Won. We simply put YOU on your
GOOD behavior for the future; and if you re-
Sent and do well. and manifest a sincere pur-
pose to become loyal, Union-loving citizens,
it will afford us much pleasure to remove the
disability. and allow you to hold Office
What could be more reasonable or generous
But we are told by those who are thus ex-
Guided that the object is to punish and de-
grade them. Ii this be true, it Furnishes and
degrades Union men also. It puts under
ban nearly all the leading Union men
of the State Our opponents are candid for
once They admit that II is punishment
to be excluded from office. and thew have
been so lone in Office that thev feel idepra-
dedn when thew are cast ont These verv
leaders punished our people for four long
wears. They tithed them, they impressed
them. they conscribed them. forcing even the
yearline bows from their weeping mothers
into camp. and into the fire of battle. be-
fore their bones had hardened -tbey hound
ed down our best citizens as traitors. and
shot and hanged them. because they loved
the Union and the flag; they plundered, ex-
hausted. impoverished, and ruined this peo-
pie ;-and yet now complain, after having
inflicted all these wrongs on their country,
that they are about to be punished, because
they are not to be allowed to monopolize for
all time all the offices and honors
I regard this provision as generous and
merciful in its Character. 1t seems to me
| if these politicians thus excluded really loved
their country, they would sacrifice themselves
temporarily for the good of their country
If they really desired the restoration of the
Union, or if they only had becoming modesty
and self-respect, they would not stand in the
way, but would come forward like patriots
and men and beg to be overlooked or forgot
ten until the great work was accomplished
They would say, our country first, our coun-
try last, our country all the time. The
issue is, the Union of the States with these
persons temporarily out of office or contin-
ned diSunion, discomfort, and probable civil
war, with these persons in Office. That
man is no patriot, but is supremely self.
ish, who would retain his hold on Office
when he knows he is doing so at the expense
Of the unity, harmony, and prosperity of his
country.
The remaining section of the proposed
amendment provides that the national debt
shall never be questioned. and that the rebel
! debt shall he held ILLEGAL and Void Here
also we have the Concurrence and on.
dorsement of the President reneatedlv made
known in the most emnhatic manner
The President s;mniv enabled tbe neon,e
If the rebeII;ons States IN ORGANIZE new opv.
emments II was his wish That these Gov.
ernments sbonld he in all resnects minis
tatahIv IovaINtbot tbov sbonld bons M COO
tional;sm or secess;on;sm n about them m i bnt
should he ,lving sources Of national nrinc;.
nles and sentiments II was his DESIRE also
20 p concrs;vn .nd crown;nn sv;dence Of such
I~,raIt,, ans s',ah not;nnai;tu IS sant;,, s
tSo. X. a n,er,bors chosen 70 GoucreSs shoniS
he nar.onD s ,uh" no,,Id ,nto tho fest 10Th
am sa.;st;ed that if tbese States had I'D done
what was roo,n;rsd of them with alacr;tv and
nresentatiyes who to a man could have ia.
PASooutaei'CS WIN, w q Ahesn, SooANA nav 20