The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1866-10-17
'Restorra,tioi,n,

from an able New York paper called The
NatiOr,n on the subject Of restoration.
Much is already being said as to whether
the Southern States will be able to return to
the Union by merely adopting the Howard
amendment Our object is to keep our
readers posted, and not further to discuss
the proposed amendment. Our own views
are well known, but nothing we could say
or do would change the course of events
We expect to stand in our lot at the end
of the days" of the rebellion, and do the
best we can in any condition in which we
may find ourselves. We shall neither aban-
don North Carolina nor paRder for popular
ity to the passing passions of the hour. We
were for the shortest road to peace during
the war, and we are now for the shortest and
straightest road right back to the Union:
1.-THE TERMS OF REooNsTRUcTIoN.-
an animated controversy has sprung up on
the question whether the faith of the Repub-
lican party is pledged to restore the South
ern States to their former privileges, in case
they adopt the constitutional amendment.
| The question was hardly thought worth ar
| guing by the so-called Conservative press
until very recently; but it now bids fair to
become the most important question of the
| day There is no longer any doubt that the
! terms of reconstruction will be dictated by
| the Republican party, and that Mr.. johnson
| is henceforth mere cipher, if, indeed, his
value to his allies is not better represented
| by negative quantity-not merely ad-
ding nothing, but actually diminishing their
| strength. The rats who were tempted by
the prospect of Office to desert what they
supposed to be a sinking ship are rushing
back in droves with ludicrous panic. No
| politician doubts the result outside of the
| State of New York, and scarcely any sensi-
| BILE johnson man pretends to believe that
this State will resist the general current.
Under these circumstances it is matter
| of the highest importance to know what is
the policy of the triumphant party; for if it
| is pledged to admit the Southern States up
on their adoption of the new amendment, it
| is quite possible, not to say probable, that
those States will yield. Indeed, if Mr. John
son should advise them to do SO, there can
| be little doubt that they would promptly
| comply and thus reconstruction would be
close at hand Mr.. Johnson's notorious OBJ
| stinacy may prevent this result from taking
| place; but he will have had a terrible lesson
before Congress meets again, and may be
wiser than he is now.
On the one hand, the New York State
Convention and the National Committee
have pledged the party to receive any State
| adopting the amendment On the other
hand, several distinguished Congressman
have declared their intention to insist upon
more stringent terms. The Reconstruction
Committee reported a bill guaranteeing adj
mission to the rebel States upon the final
adoption of the amendment; but this bill
was lost in the House, every Democratic
| member voting against it, together with all
the very conservative and very radical Re-
| publicans
1t thus appears that there is no authorize
tive pledge for the admission of any State
on its adoption of the constitutional amend
ment: yet it is not difficult to see that the
Republican party is substantially committed
to certain policy in respect to this matter,
and that the South has now, as it has often
had before, an opportunity to choose its
own destiny. If enough Southern States
ratify the amendment before next January
to make its final passage secure, and do this
in spirit manifesting good faith, we be-
| lieve that they will certainly be restored to
their places in Congress. We believe that
the same result would probably attend such
ratification at any time before next Febru-
| ary; but if the South should remain obsti-
nate up to that time, we judge that its sub
sequent submission would not avail it. Ger
tainly we should hold Congress to be album
dainty justified in refusing to wait after the
month of January for the action of the
South
Our reasons for this belief are easily stated
The Republican party is generally fighting
its battles upon the basis of the amendment,
and on the assumption that it contains the
terms OF reconstruction. Certainly no State
Convention and no national committee have
authority to bind the whole party to any
particular course of action; but as matter
OF fact, sufficient number of candidates for
Congress are committing themselves to this
| policy to make it certain that it will be car
ried out, if the South is shrewd enough to
present the question in practical FORM
We do not see how the majority of Congress
can well refuse to admit any of Mr.. John
sons States upon the adoption of the amend
ment by the requisite number of States, in
Guiding, of course, the particular State ask
ing for admission. Id
But when it is broadly asserted, as it is by
some journals which affect peculiar knowl-
edge of the popular will Though they have
shown in the past an ignorance of it almost
ludicrous, considerhg their pretensions,) that
the party is pledged Internationally to the
admission of every State ratifying the amend
ment, we deny it. Congress is under no OBJ
legation whatever to admit any rebel State
until the ratification of the amendment is
secure. 1t may waive this condition, as it
did in favor of Tennessee. but it is in no way
bound to do so in favor of South Carolina.
This, however, is unlikely to be practical
| question. The amendment will probably be
ratified either by all the revolted States, or
by none, except possibly North Carolina. 2
The more important question is, How
long is Congress bound to keep the offer Of
admission open upon these terms2 In order
to determine this, it is necessary to consider
all the circumstances. Clearly there is no
sort of obligation resting upon Congress to
keep it's offer open for an indefinite period.
It has the same right to retract its PROPOSE
lions before their acceptance upon the other
side which any private person has in an or
binary business transaction We suppose
that the offer of Congress ought to be left
open until the Southern legislatures Gas those
| illegal and unlawful assemblies are BY
| courtesy termed have had an opportunity
to accept it. South Carolina and Texas
have had this opportunity, but have thrown
4 it away. Most of the other Southern legis-
latures will not meet until January. II
! seems thereforp for that o., .,,; l,,,1l