Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1866-10-04
THE WILMINGTON JOURNAL.
WILMINGTON, N. c.,
FRIDAY. OCTOBER s. 1866.
National Troubles.

National Troubles.
Tt must be apparent to the minds OF ever.
one that il is the determination of the rad
ical party to prevent, if possible, the set
Element of our National difficulties upo1
any basis tending to peace and harmony
They prefer war and discord !; they car'
more for the success of their party than TO
the interests of the country, and are will
ing to go to any extreme to perpetuate thei
power In all of their public meetings
recently held at various points at the North
there has been a spirit of malevolence, ano
of the most intense hatred exhibited to
ward the Southern people, entirely unwar
ranted and unprovoked by any action on oul
part. Wendell Phillips threatens US with the
block and the axe that hideous abortion
Brownlow of Tennessee, shouts for the
torch and turpentine +; the Beast of Massa
chusetts, demands the gibbet and the rope
and Thad. Stevens, with the smile of hye'
ma, consigns us all to the penitentiary OF
hell. We are threatened with war, In
comparison with which our recent struggle
will appear but child's play, and all the ap'
pliances that ingenuity can conceive, OF
malice invent, are brought to bear upon
the minds of the Northern people, to urge
them on to this carnival of blood.
What has the South done since the ter
mination of hostilities to cause this state OF
feeling on their part towards us? We &C
cepted the terms proposed with the most
perfect good faith, promptly ratified every
demand made upon us, have rigidly adj
hered to all the conditions imposed, and
have faithfully observed the obligations OF
the oath we took. In fact, our submission
has been abject to the national authority.
We venture the assertion that, within the
limits of the late Confederacy, there is no
feeling but that of universal desire
for peace. Not single warlike ripple
disturbs the calm that prevails, our
people are hard at work endeavoring to
bring order out of chaos, to build up their
ruined homes, to provide, if possible, even
by the sweat of their brows, a means OF
support for those dependent upon them,
and all they ask is to be let alone. They
have had miseries enough to almost make
them wish to course God and die" is it
generous, is it magnanimous, is it in keeping
with the character of people claiming to
be educated and refined, thus to traduce a
fallen foe and to excite the worst passions
of the multitude against him
The intention of the leaders of the radi-
cal party to place the South in position
antagonistic to the government, is evident,
and has an apt illustration in the we'll known
fable of Esop, and would be amusing,
were it not for the vindictive spirit exhibit
ted. The idea of charging upon us the
desire to inaugurate another civil war, is
simply absurd. We have not the dispo-
sition, even if we had the means or the
ability, to carry it into effect, and if
the minds of the majority at the
North were not poisoned by the lead
ers of the republican party, they could
not for moment entertain such suspi-
cion. We have done all that people could
do to convince the most sceptical of our
sincerity we are anxious for peace and
quietness have no disposition for any fur
Their strife and bloodshed, and are deter
mined to discharge our duty as good citi-
zens of q common country and entitled to
equal protection under it's laws.
If there is to be no peace if the future is
to be but continuation of the miseries of
the past, the radical party will alone be re-
sponsible. We can bear it with fortitude
whatever fate may be in store for us ; can
submit with dignity to any suffering that
may be imposed upon US ; can make every
sacrifice, except to compromise our honor.
That we will never surrender, for it is all
that makes life valuable. We will cling to
it at al, hazards-will cling to it like the
shipwrecked mariner to the solitary plank
that bears him up, amidst the wild waste of
waters around him-the last and only life
buoy left him in the terrible disaster which
has befallen him.