The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1867-10-08
Gbe Bsstern gemufrat.
CHARLOTTE, N. c.
THE SUBJECT OF CoNFIsCATIoE.

IL
The Raleigh Standard is the recognized or
Gan of what is considered the extreme haoicai
Republican party of North Carolina, ana 'neie-
fore we publish the following article from inc
Standard for the purpose of letting our reaoef'
see what Gov. Holden's views are on the SUBJECT
Of con6scation. and also see bis e1planation OF
the action Of the late Republican Convention az
RALEIGH. Our object is to give our readers cor
root Inflammation and let them understand the
ouestious discussed By the two parties In this
State.
II will be seen that the Standard makes an
extract from the Newbern Republican and then
remarks on the subject mentioned, not at all
fayoring confscation 3:
"Wheu the late Republican Convention at Raleigh
is charged with having approved Of conhscatlon De-
cause certain resolutions Introduced BY the com
mittee were voted down, there is more pointed
answer to make to the absolute falsity OF sucn
an accusation, than by reference to the uncohol-
tonal endorsement on the part of said body OF the
policy and measures of Congress."-NeuLern Re
publican.
Our friend of the Republican is certainly cor
rect in this view There is no confscation in
the reconstruction measures. Indeed, the only
way to avoid coDisca.ion by the enforcement OF
the law of 1862 on that subject, is to carry out
those measures 10 good faith, and thus restore
tie State to the Union. There is no confsca
ton 10 any State platform of the Republican
party of the Northern, Eastern, or Western
States. There is 30 confscation in any docu
ment issued to the people by the Republican
members of Congress, by the standing Com
nittee in Washingto which acts for the Con-
gress Leading Republicans of both races have
spoken in various parts Of this State, under the
auspices Of the national Republican party, and
not one of them has advocated confscation. 1t
is true, Mr. Senator Wilson very properly de-
clared that if any landholGer or employer should
discharge tenant or employee for voting his
sentiments at the polls, then and in that case
the estate of such person should be confscated,
but he did not 60 beyond this Wherefore,
then, this cry about coni>cation? Because the
Convention did not expressly denounee it?
There were many things it did not specifically
or expressly take ground for or against. If 1t
had set out 10 full all it's views in detail on every
question, the platform would have filled all the
columns of the Standard. But the progress of
this discussion, which has been forced upon US,
renders it our duty to speak with more PLAIN
ness than heretofore. There was a Committee
on Platform and Resolutions consisting OF John
Pool, Byron Latin, + II Brink, r Thomas,
w Hood, James Sinclair, ID Il Goodloe, JAS
Ii Harris, Henderson Adams, Wyatt OUTLAW,
CT Cowles, j + Schenck, G l. Harris, John A
Dula, II p Dick and A Ii Galloway. This was
an able Committee. Its report is understood
to have been made unanimously. Was the re-
port defended? Were any reasons urged by
the members of the Ccmuttee with one or two
exceptions,) or by the Chairman of the Com
mittee, why the entire report should be adopted!
No. 1t is not surprising, therefore, that that
part of the report which supposed to need
defence, and was not defended, was voted down
We bold that those gentlemen who are now
protesting against the action of the Convention
declaring they will not submit to its organiza
ton, aud will not "serve" the party on the
basis laid down in March and September, owed
it to the Convention aud to their own coDvic-
lions and purposes to speak out in the Conven
ton, first for the report as an entirety; and
then, being minded to pursue the course they
have, it was due TO candor and good faith be-
tween Republicans that then aud there they
should have said so.
But the Republican party is not worthy of
confidence, il is said because, refusing to go
beyond the reconstruction measures, it declared
for con6scation BY negative it took positive
action. We leave it to every candid person to
say what it is worth.
We now state, in reply, that the only person
of hi Oh official consideration who is on record
in this State for confscation, is President John
son, the idol and leader of the so called Con
servatives of this State. In his proclamation
of the 10Th May, 1865, appointing the writer
Of this Provisional Governor OF this State, he
ordered
THAT the District Judge for the Judicial District
in which North Carolina is included, proceed to
hold Courts within said State, in accordance with
the provisions of The act of Congress- The Attor-
ney General will instruct the proper officers libel
and bring 10 Judgment, confscalion and sale all
property subject to confscation, and enforce the
administration of justice within said State in all
matters within The cognizance and jurisdiction Of
the Federal Courts"
BY the act OF 1862, which is still in force, two
thirds of all the property in this State was and
IS liable 10 contiscation and sale. Was this or
der Of the President enforced! No. Did the
Provisional Governor urge its en- forcementa No.
Did he not, on the contrary, do all he could 70
restore to the former owners the forfeited prop
erty of corporations He did. Did he not la
Dor. most earnestly and anxiously, to restore the
State under the Presidents plan, and mean-w lille
did he not avert confiscation, thus ordered by
the Presidents He did. Did he not, when tie
Presidents plan failed, urge the acceptance of
the Howard amendment. though it excluded him
from office! He did The Howard amendment
having been rejected, does he not now, for the
sake of the Union, from his regard for the great
body of the people, and to avert confscation
most earnestly urge his fellow-ctizens TO accept
the present reconstruction measures, though I'M
der them persons formerly his slaves can vote
and he can not! He does And vet he is de-
nounced by the so-called Conservatives as a con-
hscationist, as tyrant, as "mean white man."
as an enemy to his State, as a demagogue who
would sacrifice every thing to his own interests /.