Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1867-03-15
The Situation.


The difficulties and dangers which envi-
ron the people of the Southern States are
matters for deepest anxiety and earnest
thought of every good citizen difficulties
and dangers which cannot be avoided by in-
action and which demand prompt and care
full consideration as much from their immi-
nence as from their terrors. Yesterday We
endeayored to explain as clearly as we could
the various features of the law which Con,
gress has set up for our government. 1t is
useless here to enter our protest against
this act of tyranny. Tho President has
done SO for us, and it has ayailed us naught.
Even had he not, the people of North Car
DINA, from the memorable Doth day ol
May, 1775, to the date of the passage ol
the Reconstruction Bill, by their heroism.
their virtue, their intelligence, their love
of order and peace, their present DISPOSE
Hon and conduct, and their devotion to,
and their suffering for, republican govern
nnent, have indelibly stamped upon history
thei. honorable protest against the means
ased for their humiliation and denial Of
the truth of the facts recited as q iustifica
ton for the action of Congress.
Wecould, in behalf of North Carolina, put
forward many feeling appeals to those who
have respect for people who only eclipsed
their heroism and devotion to principle in
their successful revolution of 1776 by their
conduct in the unsuccessful one of 1861,
ixy q
poverty and helplessness, but such appeals
have already been made III vain. In the
pitiless throng which thus preys upon herr
and in the exercise of illegal power, wrests
the last vestige of sovereignty and Of lib
erty, the blush of shame mantles the cheek
of the helpless, but proud old mother to
see among the most relentless of her per-
secutors, her beloved daughter, Tennessee;
but affection welcomes the sad truth that
she too has been compelled to pass under
the yoke, and those who direct her conduct
are not the true representatives Of her peo-
pie.
The time has now gone by for useless
upbraiding, on-account of past conduct or
unnecessary speculations of future results.
If the passage of the Military Bill did not
satisfy us of the realities of our situation,
the election just held in Alexandria, Va, is
evidence of the stubborn fact. The ques-
ton which is uppermost in the minds of
all and first ON the lips of most is, "What
is to be done ?" Always opposed to unne-
cessary haste III matters of Importance, we
shall ask now that our people may have time
for reflection in this, the most important
era of their lives, amidst the crisis of events
woe than any to which people were ever
subjected. When the President OF the
United States shall have made known how
he CONSTITUTES the powers granted, and how
they are to be executed, and when put in
force, it will be time enough to come to
some conclusion; in fact, every previous
determination on our part may be unWise.
In the trying ordeal through which we
must inevitably pass, we must not, in caring
for our posterity, forget our ancestry. The
past has claims upon us no less sacred than
those of the future, and what North Caro-
lima does to-day, may reflect honor or
shame upon her history, which we must
hand down to our children. What may be
forced upon us by the strong arm of power
can in no wise degrade us SO long as our
conduct does not merit the degradation
before or after the punishment is inflicted.
The passions of the day, and possibly the
purposes of the occasion, will eventually
pass away, and all we can now hope for
North Carolina and the South is, that when
the hour for retrospect, and probably
for regret comes, they may have nothing
charged against them i'll Times faithful
ledger.