The weekly North-Carolina standard., 1866-05-30
Gov. Worth-The Test Oath.

Gov, Worth-The Test Oath.
The true test of Unionism is, was the per-
son in favor of peace before the close of the
rebellion9 Peace implied Union 1t i'm
piled restoration, for there could be no Union
without restoration.
Gov. Worth says, in his late message, that
every one of the members elect to Congress
from this State "labored to preserve the
Union till hostilities had actually commenc-
ed" But how many of them labored to
preserve liberty and were anxious for peace
on the basis of restored Union, during the
progress of the war9 Not half of the
number A majority of them became Davis
men long before the war closed, and they
were for fighting it out, and could fight it
out. to the utter ruin of this State, when
they had every reason to know that success
on their part was impossible.
The Union people of this State want no
such men to represent them in Congress-
They do not want the authors of their ruin,
who are equally guilty with Mr.. Davis, to
speak for them in loyal, national, patriotic
Congress. But Gov. Worth does. He goes
so far as to declare that Gov. Graham and
Mr.. Turner, whom the President has thus far
refused to pardon, are as loyal as the Presi-
dent himself! This is not only ridicu-
lousy untrue. but it is an insult to the Pres
ident, and through him to every loyal man
in the country. Whether the insult was in
territorial we do not know, but there it is, in
black and white Gov. Worth tells Presi-
dent johnson that unpardoned rebels" are
as loyal as he isl
But the Governor assails the test oath
which is law of the land, and says:
''If no member can be received from the
States lately in rebellion, without taking the
Congressional test oath, it will amount to
practical disfranchisement."
Here is loyal Governor, who flies right
in the face of the national government, and
tells that government that, in defiance of the
Constitution, it is deliberately disfranchising
sovereign States; and that he, this loyal
Governor, does not recognize or. regard one
of the laws of Congress. And what is more
he sets himself up against the President
whom he Processes to support, for the Presi-
dent and Mr.. Seward have declared, over
and over again, that the States must send
members who can take this oath. And not
only this, but the President has repeatedly
declared and nOao holds, that if there be but
five thousand loyal men in a State to them
must be confded the work of restoration.
Gov. Worth differs in these vital matters
with the President He processes to be a
friend to the President, but refuses to carry
out his plan. He says he is loyal, and would
have the world believe that he is anxious to
restore the Union; but he declares in his
message, over his own name that the Union
cannot be restored, and ought not to be re-
stored in the way in which Congress and the
President expect it to be done
No wonder we have disloyal newspapers,
and bitter resentments, and outspoken trea-
son, and hatred to the flag, when our Gov
ernor takes such position and utters such
language.
We know the fact that the President ex-
poets and intends that those who were not
Tor peace before the close of the rebellion,
shall take back seats in the work of restora-
ton. He has been trifed with long enough,
lie has no use either for original secessionists
and latter-day war men, or for their instru-
ments, like Gov. Worth. The fact that they
submitted only because they were forced to
do so, does not fit them for the great work OF
restoration. The criminal submits to a whip
ping because he cannot help himself, but
that does not make him an honest man. He
may become so, but we would not trust him
while his back was snlarting from the lash,
1t is so with the work of restoration. The
President is suffering greatly, and growing
weaker every day in the Northern States
from the belief that his policy is reviving
and building up the seeessionists of the
South. Such is not his purpose, nor is it the
legitimate result of his policy. Those pub.
lie men in the South who are thus pervert
ing his policy, are among the worst enemies
he has, He has borne with them until hi.
patience is threadbare. H6 is Determined
mat loyal men only shall be entrusted scith tn
'cork Of restoratioa In due time he will act
1t IS stated that Lieut. Gen. Grants pay
under the law eetahlis sh;nn tho full ranU n