The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1867-12-11

value and who are indifferent as to It's re-
suits, it will only serve as means OF placing
power in the hands OF the unprncipled and
ambitious. and must eventuate in the COM
plete destruction of that liberty of which 1t
should be the most powerful conservator.
have therefore heretofore urged upon your
attention the great danger to be appre
hended from an untimely extension OF the
elective franchise to any new class IN our
country, especially when the large majority
of that class, in welding the power thus
placed in their hands, cannot he expected
correctly to comprehend the duties andre
sponsibiIities which pertain to suffrage
Yesterday, as it were, four millions OF per
sons were held in condition of slavery that
had existed for generations to-day they are
freemen, and are assumed by law to be citi-
zens. 1t cannot be presumed, from their
previous condition of servitude, that, as
class, they are as well informed as to the ma
ture of our government as the intelligent
foreigner who makes our land the home OF
| his choice. In the case of the latter, neither
a residence of five years. and..thc knowledge
of our institutions which it gives, nor attach
ment to the principles of the Constitution,
are the only conditions upon which he can
be admitted to citizenship. He must prove,
in addition, good moral character. and
thus give reasonable ground OF. the Delief
that he will he faithful to the obligations
which he assumes as a citizen OF the Repub;-,
lie. Where a people-the source OF all POI
| litical power-speak, by their suifrages,
through the instrumentality of the ballot
box. it must be carefully guarded against the
control of those who are corrupt in prlncl-
pie and enemies of free institutions, for 1t
can only become to our political and social
system safe conductor of healthy popular
sentiment when kept free from demoralizing
influences. Controlled. through fraud and
usurpation, by the designing, anarchy and
despotism must inevitably follow In the
hands of the patriotic and worthy, our gov
eminent will be preserved upon the princi-
| pies of the Constitution inherited from our
fathers 1t follows, therefore, that in adj
hitting to the ballot-box new class OF vo-
tiers not qualified for the exercise of the cleo
| tive franchise, we weaken our system OF gov
eminent, instead of adding to its strength
and durability. yield to no one in at
tachment to that rule of general suffrage
which distinguishes our policy as nation.
But there is limit, wisely observed hither-
to- which makes the ballot privilege and
| trust, and which requires OF some Glasses
! time suitable for probation and PREPARATION
| To give it unfortunately to a new class,
! wholly unprepared, by previous habits and
opportunities, to perform the trust which it
demands, to degrade it, finally to destroy its
| power for it may be safely assumed that no
| political truth is better established than that
such indiscriminate and all embracing ex-
tension of popular suffrage must end at last
in its overthrow and destruction"
repeat the expression of my willingness
to join in any plan within the scope of our
constitutional authority which promises to
better the condition of the negroes in the
South, by encouraging them to industry, en-
Tightening their minds, improving their
| morals, and giving protection to all their
J Just rights as freedmen. But the transfer of
| our political inheritance to them would in
| my opinion, be an abandonment of duty
! we owe alike to the memory of our fathers
| and the rights of our children.
The plan of putting the Southern States
wholly, and the general government partial
! ly, into the hands of negroes is proposed at
time peculiarly unpropitious. The foun-
| dations of society have been broken up by
civil war. Industry must be reorganized,
| justice re- established, public credit main
| tained and order brought out of confusion.
| To accomplish these ends would require all
| the wisdom and virtue of the great men who
formed our institutions originally. Iconfi
IDENTIFY believe that their descendants will be
equal to the arduous task before them, but
it is worse than madness to expect that ne
groes will perform it for U.S. Certainly we
ought not to ask their assistance until we
despair ofour own competency.
The great difference between the two "a
ces in physical, mental, and moral charac-
teristics will prevent all amalgamation or fu-
sion of them together in one homogeneous
mass. If the inferior obtains the ascendancy
over the other; it will govern with reference
only to its own interests for it will recog-
nize no common interest-and create such a
tyranny as this continent has never yet wit
messed. Already the negroes are influenced
by promises of confiscation and plumber
They are taught to regard as any enemy
every white man who has any respect for the
rights of his own race. Ii this continues, it
must become worse and worse, until all CT
will be subverted, all industry cease, and
the fertile fields of the South grow up into
wilderness. Of all the dangers which our
nation has ye encountered, none are equal
to those which must result from the success
of the effort now making to Africanize that
half of our country.
l would not put considerations of money
in competition with justice and right. But
the expenses incident to reconstruction
under the system adopted by Congress ag-
gravate what regard as the intrinsic wrong
of the measure itself 1t has cost uncounted
millions already, and if persisted it will add
largely to the weight of taxation, already
too oppressive to be borne without Just
complaint, and may finally reduce the
Treasury of the nation to a condition of
bankruptcy. We must not delude ourselves.
1t will require strong standing army, and
probably more than two hundred millions of
dollars per annum, to maintain the suprema-
cy OF negro governments after they are
established. The sum thus thrown away
would, if properly used, form II sinking fund
large enough to pay the whole national debt
in less than fifteen years. 1t Is in vain to
hope that negroes will maintain their as
cendancy themselves. Without military
power they are wholly incapable of holding
In subsection the white people Of the South.
submit to the Judgment of Congress
whether the public credit may not be in
juriously affected by a system of measure
like this With our debt, and vast private
interests which are complicated with it, we
cannot be too cautious of policy which
might, by possibility. impair the confidence
of the world in our Government That con-
fidence can only be retained by carefully
intoxicating the principles of justice and
honor on the popular mind, and by the
most scrupulous fidelity to all our engage
ments Of every sort. Any serious breach of