Columbia democrat and star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1867, 1866-12-26
The North Carolina "Recon-
r. struction Movement.

to suit their purposes, and it has been pre-
ssnted 10 the House by Mr.. Stevens. The
plan proposes a convention of loyal citizens
of the district formerly composing the State
of North Carolina, to assemble at Raleigh,
for the purpose ofinitiating this government
al movement. In the election of delegates
in that convention all male resident citizens
of the State of the age of twenty-one years
shall be allowed to vote, without distictionof
race or color, who can read or write, or may
own in fee real estate of the assessed value
of one hundred dollars or more, provided
they can take the following oath or affrma-
ton:
do solemnly swear on tie Holy Evan
gelist of the Almighty God Tor affirm as the
case may be) that on the 4th day of March,
| 1863, and at all times thereafter, | would
willingly have complied with the require
! ments of the proclamation Of the President
of the United States, issued on the Sth day
of December, 1868, had safe opportunity
| of doing so been offered tome. That on the
said 4th day of March, 1864, and at all time
thereafter, was opposed to the continuance
of the rebellion and to the establishment of
the so-called Coafederate government and
voluntarily gave no aid or encouragement
thereto, but earnestly desired the success
Of the Union, and the suppression OF all
armed resistance to the government OF the
United States. and that / viii henceforth
faithfully support the Constitution of the
United States and the Union of the States
Hereunder.
The elections are to be conducted by Off
GERS appointed by the United States Mar
shall for ''the District of North Carolina, 4"
and any person thus appointed is to be pun
ished with fine and imprisonment if he ne
glects or refuses to act. The bill also pro-
vides that the present State government Of
North Carolina shall cease SO soon as Con-
gress shall recognize the new organization,
and thatit shall be the dutyof the President
of the Uuited Statesso to dispose and employ
the military and naval forces of the United
States, from time to time, and in such
places, as to enforce the prompt and efficient
execution of the provisions of this act, and
to preserve peace, order, and obedience to
the laws of the United States in the said
district formerly comprising the State OF
North Carolina.
These are the main provisions of bill
intended to destroy a sovereign State of this
Union, and erect upon its ruins an organi-
zation to further the interested purposes Of
a sectional political party. The State of
North Carolina has at this time State gov
ernment as legal constitutional, and legiti-
mate as that enjoyed by the people Of Penn
sylvana When North Carolina commenced
restoring the State to its full and proper
constitutional relations with the Federal
Government, she laid the foundations deep
and permanent. Her people distinctly re-
pudiated and abandoned the right Of seces-
sion, the language of the Convention being
that the ordinance of secession is now and
at all times ''hath been null and void -
Mr. Lincoln, in his letter to Mr. Stanley,
spoke Of the State Of North Corolina as a
State, and expressed desire to see her
represented in Congress at an early date
Since that time the Constitution Of the State
has been remodelled, members of the Sen
ate and House of Representatives. have been
elected Governor chosen and installed !;
Courts opened, and all the machinery of a
State government put in full and compiete
operation. The people of North Carolina,
the repositories of all power in a republican
form of government, having thus indicated
their desire to continue as State of the
Union, under the Constitution and the laws
passed in obedience to thatinstrument, their
decision is final. 1t can only be nullifed and
madeinoperativeby usurped power, support
ed by force
One feature in this revolutionary move
ment in North Carolina is deserving of no
tice The few men in that State acting as
the tools of Sumner and Stevens in the new
State plot, do not pretend that any of their
rights have been interfered with. They do
not allege that the majority of the people
are deprived of power By an usurping mi
nority, as is the case in the nation at this
time. They nowhere declare that the bal-
lot has been taken out of their possession,
or that the ballot box has been closed against
them. None of these things are alleged
On the contrary an acknowledged minority
of the people of State petition Congress
to break up State organization, and so re-
orgnize it as to place the few in power and
keep them there. More than this, the sama
minority ask Congress to fix, change and
determine the repositories of political pow
er in State to load the elective franchise
with oaths intended, not to consolidate the
Union of the States under the Constitution,
but to bind the majority as captives to a sec
tional organization, and this the Radicals
propose to do by the bill offered inthe House
by fIr. Stevens
pg- The excellencies of The Bride Of
Llewellyn' are many and great. We regard
L a