The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1866-05-19

We have asked repeatedly who the uncon
ditional Union men are; but the StanClart
has never advised us on this point. AR
they those who favor Thad Stevens accurset
schemes, and oppose the President? Or arr
they the fec sneaks and skulks that remain
ed among us during the war, and who car
now take the infamous test oath? 1t thu
former, we trust to God that Gov Wortl
may never appoint any of them to office Il
| the latter, we doubt very much, whether he
could find a single .one who possesses the
responsibility of the thief who has paid the
penalty of violated law at the whipping
post. We do not believe there is a single
man in the State, of any intelligence, hon
esty, and responsibility, who remained South
during the war. that can take the test oath
without perjuring himself. We know some
of the most thoroughly consistent Union
men during the war that refuse to take the
oath for office or the emOluments of office
Now if the Standard means those who can
take the test oath, we tell him the number is
exceedingly small, and that these few are,
not only utterly incompetent, but are also
unworthy of any official position of trust
and honor. We know many negroes that
we would prefer to see in office to such men.
salisbury Banner.
We will tell the Banner what we mean by
an unconditional Union man, and we trust
that paper will do us the justice to copy it.
We are in favor of the Presidents plan of
restoration. We regard the President, the
Congress, and the Supreme Court as the
three great coordinate departments of the
government. We are for the government
We desire to see the Union fully restored
We want this done on the best terms that
can be obtained for North Carolina; but if
we cannot get our own terms we will submit
to such as may be imposed by the govern
ment, as represented by the three coordinate
branches referred to, before we will remain
out of the Union indefinitely. We prefer the
Union on any terms to anarchy, renewed
civil war, military rule, and ultimate Mexi-
canization. During the rebellion We were
for peace ON the best terms we could get; and
now we are for the Union ON the best
terms we can get This is what we mean by
the expression referred to. We believe with
dictate to the government what its policy
shall be towards US. sour part is that of
silence and hope"
We know that these views are exceedingly
unpopular at this time, but we want no pop
ularity if it is to be obtained only by aban-
doning what is just, loyal, and right
1t does not follow, because we hold these
views, that we are insensible to the harsh
treatment to which, in some respects our
people are subjected. We believe the col
lection of federal taxes should be suspended
by Congress until the States are restored
We do not think that the production of cot
ton should be further burthened by taxation
We deprecate all abuses in the Freedmen's
Bureau, and every unnecessary assumption
of military power. We believe the States
are entitled to be represented in Congress
when they present members elect whose
loyalty" in the language of President John
son, "cannot be questioned under any ex-
listing constitutional or legal test" and whose
State governments are in the hands of loyal
men. We also hold that no further amend
ments to the Constitution should be made
until the recently insurgent States are repre-
sented in the Congress. But it does not
follow that we should denounce and abuse
the Congress as an usurping rump concern"
or that we should abuse the Northern peo-
them-or that we should attempt to infiame
the minds of the people against the govern
ment. Such course result only in evil
We admit that the great body of the
Union men of this State cannot take the test
oath as it now stands, and that in some of
its provisions it is hard even on Union men.
We hope to see this oath modified, and we
faa no offa
oath is not objected to by President John
son, and it is one of the laws of the land |
AS such it is entitled to the respect of every
citizen. To call it infamous saw that
those citizens who can take it are sneaks |
and skulks and thieves, and meaner than
hold it up thus to the country,
cannot fail still further to infame the South
ern mind against the government, and to
call down on our impoverished people still
further privations and sufferings. No man
who is loyal at heart will speak thus of one
of the laws of the United States
The result of all this will be, if continued,
to paralyze the federal government in this
State and to bring its authority into absolute
contempt. We shudder to contemplate what
would then follow. If our people are wise,
and if they would escape utter destruction
in the end, no matter what they may feel to
be their grievances at this time, and no mat.
ter how much they may resent the action of
the Congress towards the recently insurgent
States, they will promptly and sternly dis
such sentiments as are expressed
by the Banner, the Fayetteville Neaos, the
Raleigh Sentinel, the Wilson North Caro-
zinian, and other papers of that stamp.
ETNA LIFE INSURANCE CoMPANY.-We
invite attention to the advertisement of this
Company in our paper to-day. We have
no druht of tba ability, of tb;e Co,s>-..L.