The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1866-11-07
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RALEIGH, N. G., WEDNESDAY,,


cess of the Radicals in West Virginia. 1t
would gladly hail a similar victory in North
Carolina, produced by similar agency-the
disfranchisement of our best citizens.-Sen-
tinel.
The Standard maintains unfinchingly the
celebrated declaration of Andrew johnson,
that if there be but five thousand loyal men
in a State they are entitled to govern and
control it. We know the fact that Andrew
johnson still adheres to this declaration. He
has not retracted or even qualified it, and be
repeated it to the writer Of this with much
emphasis in July last.
1t is not true that the I" best citizens" are
disfranchised in West Virginia. The worst
citizens are distranchised, and the best only
are allowed to vote. No man is good cit
-izen who does not submit unconditionally to
the national authority. The Editors of the
Sentinel, and those for whom they speak, are
our worst citizens They are still rebellious
They still hate the Union They are not yet
fit to govern. They need to be governed
The safety, repose, and prosperity of the
country require that they should be govern
ed until such time as they give unmistakable
evidence that they regret the part they took
in the rebellion, and that they are sincerely
submissive and loyal to the national author
ity. Our :" best citizens" /" socially, personally,
and politically, are the unconditional Union
men. If they are to be kept under ban,
and regarded as outcasts on account of their
Union principles, then we say to the North
ern people, spread pail over the graves of
your three hundred thousand dead, destroy
your national securities of three thousand mil
lions of dollars make bonfire of your flag
and of al your archives, and blot the proud
name of the United States from the roll of
nations. There are but two parties in the
United States-the party for and the party
against the Union. There can be no middle
ground. He who is not openly and unmis-
takably for the Union is against it, and is a
public enemy.
The following is the clause in the Consti.
tuition of West Virginia restricting suffrage
" No person who, since the first day of June
1861 has given or shall give voluntary aid or as
sstance to the rebellion against the United
States, shall be citizen of this State, or be al
lowed to vote at any election held therein, unless
he has volunteered into the military or naval ser
vice of the United States, and has been or shall be
honorably discharged therefrom."
This was ratified by the people of Wes,
Virginia by the following vote: Ratification
23,157, Rejection 15,021.
Previously to the formation of the State O.
West Virginia the Confederate Congress pas
sed the following law:
Be il enacted That any citizen holding Office
under the government of the United States afte
the 3lst July, 1861 shall be forever banshed frou
the State, and be declared an alien enemy; ant
that any citizen of Virginia hereafter under
taking to represent the State of Virginia in tn
Congress OF the United States, SHALL in addition
to the above penalties, be considered guilty O
treason, and his property be liable to confisca
tion."
Ifthe Confederacy had succeeded, Uniol
men in the South would have been shot o.
hanged, their property would have been con
fiscated, and the miserable remnant woult
have been driven out with jeers and curses t.
their Yankee friends. The despotism owe
body and mind which would have prevaile,
in all these States, would have been the mos
rigid and cruel that ever disgraced any civi
lized people. We thank Heaven that tn
stupendous edifce, conceived in fraud an
sin, and based on the blood and tears of S
many ofour people who were forced to al
in its erection, fell to the ground and wa
"trodden under foot of men,"
We" GLADLY hail" all victories won by tru
Unionists. And we trust the day is not dis
tant when true Unionist will every wher
have control of public affairs, and whe
traitors will be forced into back seats, wher
they can reflect upon and repent of thei
crimes, and where they will be powerless t
distract, afflict, and scourge the once fire
people of North Carolina.