Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1866-07-12

Thirst for Office.
| The Yankees through Stevens and Sumner have
formally announced that Southern men unfit
for political associates for themselves and the first
highest duty of Southern selfrespect is to accept
this decision Just, because true. 1t is the med
icine our people need to cure them of an unmanly
seeking after political honors-dLeaphts AcGttd'ch
| We concur fully in the above. Truer words
were never spoken, or at a time when they were
more needed. We regret it (; but it is neverthe-
less true, that too many Southern men have mani
tested an unmanly seeking after political honors
and to attain Them, to-day, willing to sacrifice
the present and future welfare, and the honor and
the reputation of their country at the bidding of
| the Radicals. It is a crying shame for Southern
men so eagerly to seek even political association
with set of men who regard them criminals
Common decency as well as common selfrespect
| to say nothing of interest, would dictate that
| dignifed course was the true and proper one for
| us under the circumstances. We are unskilled in
the arts of cringing and fawning and sycophancy,
| and whenever we attempt to play the part, we are
sure to be Missed from the STAGE especially by an
| audience of such amateurs and cOnnOisen'S as our
| Radical brethren make up We only know how
to play the part of plain honest, straight forward
men, and we can appear to advantage in no other
character.
The Mayfower did not land at the South, but
it was at Plymouth, the villain and other skilful
players commenced exhibiting their parts which,
they and their descendants have kept up to this
day. Plymouth Rock is the rock upon which the
Union split.
We can make nothing by cringing to the Radl-
Gals. We have already done enough, and said
enough many of us too much let us then aban-
don the unmanly seeking after political honors,
pursue an independent course and preserve a dig
nifed silence until right and reason once more
prevail and such terms presented as are be-
coming for a free people to offer, and for free
people to accept.
The Philadelphia Convention.
few days since in publishing the call for a
Convention of the conservative men of the coun-
try, to be held in Philadelphia on the fourteenth
of August we noticed it editorially, and whilepro
testing against some of the dogmas contained in
it, we recommended an earnest participation on
the part of the South, in the proceedings of the
body. We construed the call to be an earnest APP
peal to all the friends of the President and those
who approved of his policy of reconstruction, to
unite in spirit of harmony and union, in order
to Illustrate if possible the designs of the Radi-
GALS We desired to see the President strengthen
ed and the Radicals rebuked by the convocation
from all parts of the United States of the truly
conservative men. We thought then, and still
think, much of the moral strength of the move
ment is lost if the national character of the Con-
vention is destroyed by the failure of a favorable
response on the part of the South There is a
grandeur and force in the spectacle Of truly Ma
tional Convention again assembling and acting in
perfect harmony and accord, and will do much in
dispelling the prejudice existing in the minds
of the people of the North against those of the
South.
It would seem, if the Northern Journals which
appear to be the exponants of the friends of the
Convention, are correct in their Interpretation Of
the call, that Southern men who have been in
armed hostility to the Government, or who have
sustained those who have been, are not invited |
and will not be admitted delegates to the Conven
ton. If thisbe so, then the South has butlttle in
terest in the proposed movement, beyond a warm
sympathy with it's ultimate objects. If the lead
ers of the Convention movement propose to re-
gard as loyal only those who will swear that
they have never aided sympathized with the
South in her late struggle, then the call is not ad
dressed to ninety nine one-hundredths of the
people of this section.
On this point, we were in hopes that the Demo
cratic address would have been explicit. We de-
sire to know who is included in what the National
LateHiQencer designates as ''men whose loyalty is
unquestioned and unquestionable. Who are to
be the judges of loyalty? Are such men as Ho]-
den, Dick and Settle to represent North Carolina,
for they claim to be the only loyal men in this
State ? Are we to be confined in our selections to
The insignificant few who were hostile to the Con-
ederacy, OR worse, to those who, since it's down
all, for purposes of self advancement, or through
he influence of cowardly fears, have pretended to
have been so ? In this event we are frank to say
our people will have nothing to do with it.
We desire most heartily the restoration of the
Union and the admission of the Southern repre-
zentatives and participation in the Government,
Ind so far this is the object of the Convention
We most fully endorse it, but it, in securing South
representatives in Congress- it is to be couple
with the ability willingness of the representa-
ives to take the test oath-if either our own or
our representatives loyalty is to be tried by the
present test oath or any other which may be de-
'ined-then we ask not to be represented either in
The Convention or in Congress. Such represen-
alton would not only be worthless, but false Ger
ainly no representation is to he preferred to mis-
representation. 4
We cannot, therefore, endorse fully the call IN
il we are advised distinctly and plainly the whole
Intention of those inaugurating the movement
L the conservatives of the North have not yet
buried their prejudices and restrict their call to
hose among us who do not comprise 1.-THE of
our population and much less proportion of the @
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