The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1866-04-19

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4 war of four years, with alterations
success and defeat, the Southern State
were overwhelmed by the nation.
forces. At the end of this period the
were greatly reduced in every respec &.
They were at the mercy of the COVER
ment. They were incapable of furth'
resistance, even if disposed to offer i
But they submitted. President JOIN
son devised and put in operation hi
just, benefcent, and constitutional pla
of restoration He made certain col
cessions to the conquered States, and
required Of them the performance
certain duties. These duties were, first
to abolish slavery; secondly, to ignore
the rebel debt +; thirdly, to declare their
acts of secession null and void and as
incident to these, though he did not in
so many words require it, he expected
them to place the freedmen on the same
footing with the whites in all their nat
ural rights, such as, for instance, tho
giving of testimony and the holding @
property; and he took it for granted
that members would be elected to Con-
gress who could take the test oath.
Every thing which was absolutely
required of the States has been done.
Some of them have neglected to place
the freedmen on the same footing with
the whites as to their natural rights
but the civil rights bill recently passed
over the veto has done that, and there
is no longer ground for complaint on
that score. So far as the election O.
members who can take the oath is con-
cerned, the action of the people 0.
the Statesis still open to objection. But
with these exceptions, the Presidents
plan has been carried out. Every great
principle laid down by the President in
the name of the Republic, has been
subscribed to by the Southern people;
and they now ask the Congress to re-
store them fully to their former rela-
tions to the government, or tell them
plainly why they are not restored, and
what they must do to accomplish this
desirable result. They feel that the
suspense in which they are held by the
Congress is unjust to them, not to say
cruel. They are most anxious to re-
build their ruined fortunes, but the want
of confidence which this state of sus-
pense creates is in their way. They
feel that they can count on nothing in
the future with that degree of conf
dence which is so necessary as slim
illus to enterprise and industry. They
are taxed, and yet they are deprived of
the full benefits of the government. a
large majority of even the Union men
are debarred from office on account of
the stringent character of the test oath.
We advise our people to be patient---to
stand by the President, and to look to
the Congress with respect and conf
dence; but we appeal to that body in
the most earnest terms to act in relation
to the Southern States. We do not say
we do not care what that body may do,
for we do care, and we desire the best
but no matter what is in the mind of
the majority of Congress in relation to
these conquered States, let 1T be finally
h7aoacn, SO that we can accommodate
ourselves to it. Almost any thing would
be better than this suspense. Exhaus-
ted by four years war, and rendered
torpid by the doubtful, not to say dam
gerous condition in which we are placed.
we are not surprised that our people are
losing all heart, and looking for only
evil in the future.
We are not disposed at this time to
indulge in language of censure about
any one. We have had already too
much elimination and recrimination.
We admit there is much among the
Southern people to complain of, but we
hold that the majority in Congress is
not blameless. To continue this sus-
pense will only aggravate every exist
ing evil. Let Congress act. The Pres
ident has completed his work, and the
Southern States are now in the hands of
Congress. We do not look to the men,
bers of that body as enemies, but as
friends. We do not ask them to perform
the work which is before them in hasty
or careless manner, but it does seem to
us that sufficient time has elapsed for
that body to know what it intends to do.
We believe that if the Presidents
plan had been fully carried out in spirit
as well as in letter, the States would
have been restored ere this. But regrets
are vain for what is past. Let us i'm
prove the present, and do better in the
future. 1t will be idle for us to resist
the demands of the Congress. If our
people should be dissatisfied, as they
most probably will be, with what that
body may lay down as its ultimatum, it
might as well be accepted, for an APP
peal to the Northern people would not