Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1867-02-15

TT HAS been the wish and the pracIIce VI
this paper to refrain from political discus
sions among ourselves, because we felt sat-
.i.fed that the State needed quiet, and that
the enerpies both of thought and action
should be directed to material interests. 1t
shall continue our purpose, as rule, to fol-
low the course we have heretofore adopted
until a proper time shall have arrived when
politicalmatters may with profit be brought
tn nublic attention. We make this explain
alton. as we do not feel. like permitting to
pass unmarked the last bill brought before
Congress for the government of the South
ern States.
The Geographic report, while meagre' Is
sufficiently clear for our comprehension OF
the enormity of what is proposed and pur-
nosed by the Radicals. The preamble to
the bill sets out with declaring the nullity
of our present governments. Upon what
basis this is assumed we do not know, nor
do we suppose that it is at all material to
the present Congress whether there be any
grounds for legislation on any subject, SO
long as it has an object to attain, whether
that be to destroy free government, to line
its pockets with il-gotten gain, or to crafty
a mean spirit of oppression, and cowardly
malice.
The States of the South have been recog-
nized in too many ways for the past two
wears. or since the revolution ended, for
any to assume, at this late.day, that they had
lost individual sovereignty over all interior
and domestic arrangements respectively
The efficiency with which the State author
tiles have conducted the affairs ofeach I'M
der such trying circumstances, is best de-
monstrated by the great satisfaction and
contentedness exhibited by overwhelming
maiorities in each commonwealth. 1.-The
necessity for new ones for the protection
of the rights of loyalists, rests only IN the
Imagination of the ignorant, or more pro-
badly in the interested motives of those who
may or expect to fatten upon offices created
by the new order of things, as devised by
Stevens, Butler, Ashley and the other mon
stcrs who thirst for our blood, and covet the
little that they have left of worldly wealth
TO the afflicted South. There has been
nothing in North Carolina, since the cessa-
ton of hostilities in April, 80, to justify
the assertion, much less the belief, that
every man, be his political creed what IL
NAV, has not received full and equal pro-
lection from the State authorities, and that
he has not enjoyed the fullest freedom IN
the prosecution of his business of what
ever character. If, because we prefer one
of our own people, and an honest man
for any office in the State government, or
because we refuse to disgrace ourselves
and dishonor our heroic dead, it be consld-
cred dangerous to trust us with the man.
agement of our own concerns, then are we
gully of disloyalty; but if faithful and
manly discharge of every obligation at any
time assumed, strict adherence to the laws
and practice of justice, and fixed deter
mination to remain true to those princi-
pies, can have weight in deciding upon
truth, the people of North Carolina have
affixed the seal of falsehood upon the fore
head of her defamers, and will stamp with
infamy her base and ungrateful sons, who,
having nursed from her generous breast,
would now fling her, crushed with misfor-
tune and grief, into the loathsome embrace
of villainy.
The plan proposed destroys everything
Like law, and places in the hands of an I'M
scrupulous soldiery the property, liberty
and life of every human being whose destl-
ny may compel him to dwell in this region,
which may then be called accursed. A
swarm of harpies will attach themselves to
every petty satrap, who may and will be
invested with these supreme and tyrannical
powers. There may be some men who would
exercise the powers granted with wisdom,
but where there is no liberty there can be no
Justice and however well individuals might
strive to discharge duties, such as they
would be called upon to do, the most igno
rant can see that, from the necessity of
things, state of paralytic terror would
soon spread over this devoted land. At
every precinct would be an inquisitorial
hall, in every county star chamber, on
every hill gibbet.
We cannot believe that the people of the
Northern States desire this state of things,
but we are convinced that their leaders do.
To the latter, we are satisfied that no ap-
peall from us would effect anything. To
the people of the North we simply say.
once we were brothers, you drove us into
war, and we fought you like men, like pa
triots you overpowered us, and we would
now be as brave men and true patriots to
our common country; but you cannot
make us, and we will never become your
slaves.
Regulators"
The outrages so frequently perpetrated