The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1866-01-31

Our neighbor of the Sentinel chars es that
the G straitest sect'' of this State-thatis, the
original and consistent Union men-'' in i'm
itation of the ultra radicals, desire all the of
fees, and are illiberal towards the masses of
the Southern people"
Nothing could be more unfounded than
the above charge 1t was distinctly under
stood, as soon as Provisional Governors were
appointed for the insurgent States, that jus
tice and sound policy required that the
s.straitest sect" should take the lead in reor-
ganizing the States and in representing the
States in Congress. We say this was dis
tinctly and universally understood. 1t was
in accordance with the wishes and instruc
tions of the President, and 1T appeared to be
heartily subscribed to at the time by the Ed
itor of the Sentinel, by Gov. Worth, and by
the great body of those who voted for the
latter in November last. 1t was but just that
those of our citizens who had believed and
predicted that the policy of the war men
would ruin the country, should be called, af-
ter that ruin had come to pass, to take charge
of public affairs and to repair the ruin as
far as it could be done; and it was sound
policy that they should do this, for the rea-
son that they have more of the sympathies
and confidence of the Northern people than
any class among us, and it was, therefore,
foreseen that only through them could the
States be restored to their full privileges in
the Union The straitest sect" undertook
this work in all charity and kindness to-
wards the original secessionists and war men,
for the good, not of their own class particu
larry, but for the benefit and well being of
all. This is the extent of their desire for
office. So far as illiberality towards the
masses of the Southern people" is concerned,
this charge is equally without foundation
The great body of the people, including insur-
gent leaders who deserved heavy punish
ment, have been treated by the President
and by those in authority under him, with
the most extraordinary clemency and liber-
atty; No man has lost his estate--no man
has been executed. On the contrary, the great
body of the insurgents have, been freely par
3 doned, and many, if not all of the leaders
have been admitted to the right of suffrage
But this liberality has been abused, and
the result is to-day, that by inlammatory APP
peals and various devices to influence the
public mind, the war men who were once
Union men, and the original secessionists, are
practically in power in every Southern State.
If Gov. Worth, the Editor Of the Sentinel,
!. and their associates, whether original seces-
sionists or latter-day war men, had kept faith
with the President and the straitest sect, !"
and if the policy referred to had been strictly
carried out, the Southern States would have
1 been by this time fully in the Union, enjoy
ing equal privileges with New York and
/ Ohio, and we should have been in no danger
from what are called radical measures. But
the g desire for Office and artipathy to a
Union man of the 9 straitest sect because he
had once been Democrat, were too strong
for love Of country or for plighted faith and
the result is before us. The State is still out
oof the Union, and when she will get in z.
{ one can foresee. sis aein as@i1aRsi