The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1866-09-22


us as subject provinces, but they wish to live
with us as equals in the Union That ITnior,
stretches out its mighty arms to embrace ne
For one, am anxious to return to it. Iro
gard it, in the language of WASHINGTON 90
the primary object of patriotic desire" In
it, know we shall be safe. 1t will be -
US all, as in the past, copious fountain Of
lnnumerable blessings. Out of it, can 500
nothing in the future bnt discord, anarcbI
military rule, poverty, ignorance, and wretcT''
edness. am, therefore, in the fullest and
strongest sense, Union man. DiscardinO
all other platforms, I stand on the platfnrT9o
of WASHINGTON. I know we can not err o.
long as we follow his precepts, and look t~
his illustrious example for light to guide ou,
footsteps. What would he say, if, apprecia-
ting the passions which divide us. he conId
look down npon US from his blest aboJa
He would say to the North, " giye.n and -
the South "hold not back He wonId ton
us that what the sword had settled should he
confirmed by the tongue and the pen, Ho
would tell us that the Union, which he toiieJ
and suffered to establish, was the paramount
good that every thing else should be sacr;'
feed, if necessary, to its restoration and nras-
ervation that the passions and resentment0
engendered by the war should perish with
the war; and that nothing should prevent the
immediate restoration of the Union and the
Fellow-citizens, there are certain State iS-
sues, just now engaging the attention of the
people, in relation to which I will submit
few observations.
regret, on several accounts, the rejection
of the new State Constitution. It was NOT
all that desired, but it was in many respects
an excellent Constitution and decided i'm
provement upon the old one. One of the
ablest and most loyal bodies that ever as
sembled in the State, gave to this instrument
the most patient consideration. Among
other things, it struck the last fetter from the
human conscience, by granting to our Jewish
tetlow-cltlzens the right to hold office; it
provided for expediting justice, thus main,
tanning the peace of society; it dealt de-
served blow at the right of secession, by sub
shutting an oath to support the Consttu-
ton of the State not incompatible with the
national Constitution, for the oath of prima-
ry allegiance to the State in the old Consti-
tuition it provided for Lieutenant Gov
ernor by the people, to take the place of the
Governor in the event of his death or disa-
bility; it abolished, or greatly modified the
Objectionable landed qualification for mem
bers of the Senate and House of Commons:
and 1t established the white basis for the
House of Commons. IF this Constitution
was rejected upon the ground that it was
too liberal or too radical, I take it for grant
ed, from some knowledge of our people, that
the next Constitution will be still more lib
eral and radical. Our people will not be
satisfied until the white basis is established
for both branches of the Legislature; and it
may be that they viii require the entire alb
clifton of the property qualification, and the
election of many officers by the people now
chosen by the Legislature.
The Convention exhibited wise forethought
i'll embodying in separate ordinances its re-
pudiation of secession and the rebel debt,
the abolition of slavery, and the provision
allowing colored persons to be heard in our
Courts as witnesses; for, from the spirit
manifested at the late voting for and against
the Constitution, it is more than probable
that these ordinances, if they had been in
corporated in the Constitution, would have
rendered it much more Objectionable than it
was to those who voted against it. As it is,
these ordinances exist for the present. They
may be abrogated, however, by any future
Convention that may be called.
Our people are Impoverished and deep
ly in debt. Previously to the rebel
lion the estimated value of all the proper
ty of the State was not less than four hun
dred millions in specie; it is more than
probable that the estimated value at present
would not reach one hundred Millions
The State debt, with the interest recently
added to it, cannot be much less than eigh-
teen millions. It is Improbable, at pres
ent, to redeem the principal of this debt 1t
is impracticable, at present, to discharge old
individual debts. The State is not ITSELF in
any sense, in the present condition of things
We shall have no capital from distance, no
no payment of claims held by
our people against the federal government
for property taken or destroyed during the
adequate or reliable means to stimu-
late enterprise and industry, and no solid
foundation for business of any kind, until
the State is restored to the Union, I know
it is said the abolition of slavery was PROV
Dental act; or, if not, that our slaves were
forcibly taken from US, and that, under either
view, we have been released from our obliga-
ton to pay our debts. I do not concur in
this view. Slavery was abolished by the
unwise action of the Southern States. That
first gun at Fort Sumter, fired by Southern
men, who had previously I" fired the South
ern heart'' for rebellion, was the death-knell
of slavery. It was our own act, and we can
not take advantage of our own wrong. We
should bear in mind, in considering this sub
ject, that if either party is to blame it is not
the creditor, but the debtor. The debtor has
had, or may now have the benefit of what
to another. The events through
which we have passed have eonvulsed, and
to a great extent, have changed society
They have Impoverished our people. But
lawful obligations. These events constitute
good reason for indulgence and forbearance
in the collection of debts, but the debts re-
main, and must be paid. plead only for
indulgence and forbearance. We may honest
ly say we can not, but we cannot honestly
say we will not pay our debts. An honest
never loses the respect or the con-
fidence of the wise and good; but en- indi-
vidual or State that says, it is my hand
and seal, but will not pay" proclaims for
himself and his State that there is no virtue
in moral obligation. North Carolina will
live always. Centuries hence. her name, and,
trust, her fame will be known among the
nations. States prosper and flourish, and are
in proportion as they adhere to
the eternal principles of justice. Whatso-
ever we may do now, in this respect, will be
known and scrutinized by those who are to
come after us !; and if our descendants shall
be of the noble stamp of our CASTOR and
Macon, they will blush for their ancestors if
they deliberately repudiate their just obliga-
tons.
But, we are losing golden moments
Interest is being added to principal, thus
augmenting our own burdens and the burdens