The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1866-11-27
GOV. WORTH'S MESSAGE.

North Carolina:
GENTLEMEN The attention Of this "hote
nation is DOW specially directed to the anomalous
condition of our national affairs 1t seems H.
therefore that our. conside ration should be PIT
m2~ily directed to the restoration OF naeonai
order and harmony. Although We are now de- |
MED any legislative participation IN the conduct
of thescoGernrnent Of the United States, We
should not be -istless as to passing events, nor
unmindful Of the benefits to be derived from an
occasiooal review of the past. More than eigh-
teen months ago bloody sectional war was
closed by the total evertArow of the weaker, by
the stronger section. Its declared object, on
the one side, to break up the Union-on
the other to preserve it. 1t ended as might
have been expected. The commanders OF the
Southern armies, after the South was completely
exhausted, as to every thing which constitutes
strength iI var, and after exhibitions OF Talor
in the field which astonished the world, surren-
dered on the stipulation of immunity TO the sur
rendering forces Aras had established the
supremacy of the Union. Not a guerilla party
in the South remained und,r arms. The whole
people of the South whether they had favored
the inception of the war or sympathlzed with
their section after it began or not, gave every
evidence they could give of their submission to
the result of the conflict and their willingness
TO obey the Constitution and laws Of the United
States. What was then in the way OF an I'M
mediate restoration of the Union7 The ma
chinery of government In the Southern states
vas 10 the hands of those who had given their
adhesion to the rebellion. This was state of
things not contemplated by the Constitution OF
the United States. Precedent furnished no
guidance 10 alserieg the machinery of the rebel
iious State governments so as to work In har-
mony with the national government. The
President, who owed his elevated position to his
reputation for craftsmanship, aud the consistent
devotion of his life to the preservation of tie
Union held that he ought not to recognize the
officers of the State who had given their adhe
sion to the rebellion, even SO far as to make
them the instruments of reorganization; that
whne the States existed, and the Union had
been preserved, there were, in these States, no
legislative, judicial or executive officers, law
fully constituted. To enable these States to re-
form their Constitutions and the machinery OF
their governments, he granted amnesty to the
people who had favored tie rebellion,-wi
certain exeeptions,-on the condition of their
renewing allegiance to the United States by
taking an cath to support the Constitutlon,-
reservipg the right to grant pardons, upon special
petitions, to such individuals Of the excepted
classes as he might deem deserving of them
lie appointed Provisional Governors, under
whose orders elections were held for delegates to
State Conventions, those only being allowed to
vote at such elections, to whom general or special
pardons had been granted The great body of
the people complied with the conditions, and
voted at such elections When our Convention
assembled, it was understood that the President,
and the people of the dominant States, expected
OF Us three amendments of our Constitution, as
essential to harmonious Union, aud permanent
reconciliation, to wit: the remuneration of the
doctrine of secession; the abolition of slavery;
and the reputation of the debt contracted in
the prosecution of the rebellion; and the ratih-
cation by the Legislature, thereafter to assem-
BILE, of an amendment to the Constitution of the
United States, proposed during the war, abo
ishing slavery throughout the United States
From all we could learn from the press, the
avOwals of representative men of the North, and
all the sources of information, We entertained
no doubt that these views of the President were
approved by the great body of those who elect
ed him. Many of our people deemed some of
these terms hard aud in urous to the we'll be-
ing of the State; but regarding them as the con-
ditions to restored amity, prescribed ty our con-
querors, they accepted with remarkable
unanimity, and have since been observed with
strict fidelity. One of them reduced from af1u-
ence to proverty large number of our people,
in nowise responsible for this sectional war
We accepted them, because We thought these
terms were required by the victors from the
vnnquished, all that was required Of US as
pseliminaries to the restoration of concord be-
tween the late beliigerents. We elected Sena-
tors and Representatives to Congress, with all
the qualifications prescribed 10 the Constitution.
We were not ignorant that Congress, during the
war; had prescribed oath Of Office commonly
known as the "test OATH which very few, if
any of our people who had remained citizens of
the State, during the war, could conscentiously
take We regarded this act as unconstitutional
Article 6, Section 3, of the Constitution of the
United States, provides that Senators and Rep
resen:atiyes and other officers "shall be bound
by oath or affirmation, to support the Constitu-
ton of the United States" If Congress have
the power to add to this oath such further oath
as it may deem expedient, it is manifest that
any party, having temporary ascendancy in
Congress, can prescribe an oath which will ex-
elude from Congress all who do not agree in
sentiment with the dominant party. This prin-
ciple would destroy the very basis of our ma
tional government 1t was never intended that
party having Temporary ascendancy, should
have authority TO make its ascendaucy perpetual
&C believed, from the resolutions of Congress
passed during the war; and the manifest require
nents OF enlightened policy, that the North was
willing to restore friendly relations with the
South, and nobody could expect any cordiality
to be restored, while this statute was held to be
in force, We expected it to be repealed, or to
be declared unconstitutional and void by the
Supreme Court of the United States, in which
tribunal, fortunately for the cause of civil lib
city, partnership has as yet made but slight in-
roads. We believed that the constitutional
anards, and the virtue and Intelligence of the