The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1866-08-28
For the Stan ard.

-. MRssRs EpIroRs Conceiying that the
real condition of political matters in North
Carolina re perfectl Y nderstood by the out
| side world, any extended remarks upon that
subject arc useless / do not on this occasion
assume to speak for the great body OF our
people. I speak only of what believe Is
the sentiment of every real loyal man in the
state. I do not hesitate then to say that it
is the earnest desire of every such one to see
the State restored to her federal relations as
soon as it is practicable. They have waited
with patience to see this object contaminated,
but, alas |. have waited in vain. They be-
lieve the Presidents plan of restoration will,
if put into practical operation, accomplish
every thing desired to sustain them in their
peaceful relations Socially and politically, az
citizens of a common government.
They are confident that if the civil gov
eminent of North Carolina had been placed
under the control Of their Provisional Gov
ernor that she would now occupy the same
position as Tennessee
His defeat has delayed her return and
raised barrier which can only be removed
by allowing Enthusiastically loyal" Union men,
to take their rightful position in the work
of restoration. To achieve certain political
ends, the partizans of the old federal policy
of the government have been placed in power
in this State, as instruments in the hands of
the rebel leaders. They teign support to the
Presidents policy to deceive, whilst they
seek time, to gain from the masses strength
to overthrow it at the end of his present
term. Ii they succeed they will no longer
disguise their object, but will openly declare
their policy of disowning the claims of
Union Misunderstanding to favor those only
who participated in the rebellion-resuscita-
ton of tie State rebel debt and its concomi-
tant interests. In view of these things it is
hifrhly ynn6iapt that tho 70 fbo
federal Constitution should be practically
adopted in this, as it has been done in the
State of Tennessee. This would at once
silence the clamors of the rebel leaders for
place and position, and protect Union men
from their assaults, scorn and contempt, So
cially and politically; and enable loyalists to
take into hand the work of restoration and
complete it agreeably to the requirements of
the government.
A course like this am aware would create
t1uttering amongst the rebels, and they
would raise the cry of usurpation and all
that sort of thing. But what of that2 The
Government has dictated its terms, it will
not degrade itself by allowing the rebel
leaders to trample those terms under foot
and raise themselves to the highest political
positions within the State or federal govern
ment.
If So then treason is light and loyalty is
wrong. l do not believe the President and
Congress will ever submit to any dictation
from men who labored with all the power with
in their control to destroy the government of
our fathers. The work of the Philadelphia
Convention will be to effect pacitication of
things, so as to re-inState the leaders of the
rebellion to all the power of the government.
Let this be done, and loyalists in the South
will be stigmatised as traitors and their
children after them. S. F.