The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1866-01-31
s. RALEIGH N O, WEDNESDAY JANUARY; 81 1866
States, and therefore an alien enemy, was
nominated for Vice President By those
nominations that policy was sustained by the

States, and therefore an alien enemy, was
nominated for Vice President. By those
nominations that policy was sustained by the
The election came on That policy and the
Administration which proclaimed it, and the
convention which endorsed it, were sustained
by the people of the United States. = .al3
Next to the great work of crushing the
military power of the rebellion, this policy
of reconstruction was dearer to Mr. Lincoln
and more cherished by him than any other.
No sooner had the burden OF his soul been,
lifted, no sooner had he seen the surrender
of the great army of the rebellion, than in
the fullness and gladness Of his soul he made
haste to give to the people his views upon
the next great theme, reconstruction. lhaye
just read them in your hearing. 9i as. +
The Senator from Massachusetts may de
nouncethem as puerile and wanting in states
manship.o But there they are, and there they
will remain forever, the farewell address OF
Abraham Lincoln to the people of the United
States upon this subject of reconstruction.
& That Mr.. johnson, upon whom the Office
of President fell by the death of Ar. Lincoln,
should substantially pursue the policy begun
by his predecessor, was, therefore, not only
necessity. How could he do otherwise r.
Suddenly, in moment, as in the twinkling
of an eye, the load is thrown from Mr.. Lin
coins shoulders upon him; his great respon-
sibility and his duty, and why not his cher
ished policy9 He was surrounded by the
same Cabinet. Who would expect them to
advise any other policy
That policy has been fully entered upon,
and in some States the work really done. =
Mr.. johnson had himself long been engaged
in that work, in aiding Mr.. Lincoln to real
ize it In Tennessee. Besides, the Convention
at Baltimore had sustained it. The great
Union party, which reelected Mr. Lincoln as
President and made Mr.. johnson Vice Prcsi-
dent, had endorsed it and sustained it trium-
phantly at the election.
Mr. johnson could not abandon it without
reversing the policy of Mr.. Lincoln's admin
istration That policy was advised by every
member of his Cabinet, including, as have
stated, among other names, the very distin-
guished names of Mr.. Seward, Mr.. Stanton,
and Mr. Welles, still members of the Cabinet,
and of Mr.. Chase, the Chief Justice who,
just from the bedside of the dying President,
administered to Mr.. johnson the oath of his
| high office. How could he recall that last
speech and look upon the dead body of his
predecessor; how could he look in the faces
of the Chief Justice, as lie swore him into
Office, and of those men in the Cabinet, all of
whom had approved every part and parcel
of that policy, and upon whom alone he could
then rely for counsel and support in the most
trying and difficult crisis through which any
man was ever called to pass; how, repeat,
could he look upon all those surroundings,
and then deliberately abandon the cherished
policy of Mr. Lincoln's administration, tram
pie upon the advice of the old members of
his Cabinet, as well as OF the Chief Justice
himself; abandon his well-known convictions
of duty; falsify his own rec,rd, and betray
the great Union party which nominated and
elected him, in the contingency which had
happened, to be the President of the United
| States? Had.h done so, the whole country
| would have cried out against him, and with
reason. In and out of Congress, men might
then have denounced him for betraying the
| public confidence and especially for betray-
ing the party which elected him. His Cabi-
net would have demonstrated against it,
The last great speech of Mr.. Lincoln, like a
voice from his grave, ian angel trumpet
| tongued,' would plead against it. And, more
than all, the President would, in my judg-
ment have been what Mr. johnson was never
| known to be. false to his own convictions OF
duty. ID a7sla3 l
Iput aside, therefore, as not worthy of con-
s;dcration the suggestions sometimes made
that Mr.. johnson 6y adhering to this policy
of reconstruction, is ready to betray the
Union cause. or the great measures of the
Tnion nartv. -, -,
Having TINS stated the question. and
shown the grounds occupied by Mr.. Lincoln,
and that Mr johnson is substantially pursu-
inc his policy. return to the main question
and will state, as briefly as can, the grounds
upon which stand, and give my support to
what call the Lincoln-J Johnson policy of re-
construction Isl
Where are those eleven States, and what i
their situation9
And first. where are they2 ~
In this Union, under the Constitution, ol
not9 That they once were in this Union al
concede. If they have gone out from thi.
Union it must have been by one or more o.
three ways: aost5
First. by the way of peaceful secession, BY
voting and resolving themselves out s or,
Second bv s,ccessfnI revolut;on bv ;obt
;nr tbe;r wav ont 70 a senarate ;ndeSen
ins S Wy 01'' " " ff"-'sS - -
I'M, NIL u, tbov bone boen ,,nt ont Inv act q
rannro., '-S' 'DS>'
Ti;a, 50 ~. ,d o,,or h. !. boor ony otbe,
ne.o - no, amI s - stateJ tban ono q
,nnyo &c Hose tbree p - :, 'll7l
'nes g., ~ - n,on of tbo son+b bove ma;nt.,;net
that the iirst t way was always open to them