The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1867-01-02
REBELS SHOULD BE EXCLUDED
FROM OFFICE.
Disastrous Consequences of the Presi-
dents Policy, -.s


At the session of the Southern Re
publican Association, held at theil
rooms in Washington on the 18th ot
Dec, 1866, the following resolutions and
memorial were adopted as the sense Of
this association
MEMORIAL .....
To the Senate and House Of Represen-
tatipes ofhe United States in Con
grsss assembled: e Faa
Humbly complaining to your honor
able bodies, your memoralists,o ,on behalf
of the members OF the organization
known as the Southern Republican
Association" respectfully present the
accompanying resolutions, and ask that
they may be given careful considera-
tion, and action adopted in accordance
with them Your memorialists will can
didly confess that they do not claim to
represent the sentiments of a majority
of those who have hitherto been enti-
tied to vote at the elections in what
are known as the "non-reconstructed
States" but they do claim to. speak in
the name and behalf of those who stood
by the national cause through the dark
est days of the rebellion, of those who
still regard the preservation of the I'm
Ion as OF paramount importance. Our
views can best be expressed by brief
narrative of facts:
For thirty years prior to 1860 there
was In the Southern States a constant
~ increasing and growing party, known
lndltferently as Nullifers, States-rights
men, Disunionists, aud Secessionists.-
They held the doctrine that the United
states was not nation, a government,
nor Union, but compact, an agency,
or mere association of independent SOW
erelgn States that there was no ma
tlonal citizens or people, but that para
mount allegiance was due to the States !:
That as through the agency of conven-
tlons the Union had been formed. so
through the same form it might be dis
solved. These pernicious doctrines.
lending to anarchy and the distraction
OF social order, assumed Threatening
forms In the notification movements Of
1881 and 1882, upon the slavery issues
OF 1850, the territorial and African
siave-trade issues of later period. and
nnaily eliminated in the reasonable
conspiracy of 1860.
We fully appreciate the value of the
maxim that error of opinion NAV be
Tolerated while reasonis left free to com
Dat 1t )" but when the question of the
perpetuatlon of human slavery became
the all-engrossing error of the day rea-
son was not left free to combat the
most revolving dogmas, even tbouUb
they threatened the life of the nation
II the political creed was propaoated in
the name OF slavery. Liberty Of sneech
and OF the press were no longer toIer-
ated the mails were closed against in
teralcted documents, and every consti-
Gutional guarantee in favor of liberty
was dlsregarded. Those whose teach.
lngs all tended to disunion and who
VINO scarcely concealed their purpose.
adreltiy managed to get the entire con.
troll of the State governments. to send
lew but extreme men to Congress, and
through Cabinet officers selected from
he same school to fill almost every
Federal Office in the South with mel,
Who.at heart had NO regard for Their
constitutional oaths, and who did not
recognize the Constitution which they
we're sworn to support as the supreme
law OF the land. The possession ofal.