The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1867-07-31

The Hon. Dan'l. K. GoodlOe was invited to
be present and address the meeting, but was
prevented from doing so on account of official
business. l herewith enclose copy of his
admirable letter, which hope you will find
room for in the Standard
This large crowd dispersed late in the eve
ming without one instance of disorder
Yours truly, fsg
JAS. H. FooTE, ssc'y.
Warrenton, July %, 1867.
RALEIGH July nth, 1867.
My DEAR SIR II learn from you, and also
from our friend William Cawthorn, that l am
expected to be present at the meeting on
Saturday. very much regret that the pres
sure of my official engagements will deprive
me of that pleasure. At the recent term
of the Circuit Court, Judgment was rendered
in nearly one hundred and fifty cases; and
it being my duty as Marshal to see that the
executions are served, find my attention
drawn to nearly every corner of the State, in
rapid succession, lest something may go
wrong. have at the same time to make
out my semi-annual returns, and to edit the
Register ; so, between these various and
pressing Duties you can imagine that have
very little leisure. 1t happens that 1 am
compelled to leave here in the morning, in
order to be ready for the boat on the Black
water on Friday and should feel that
had committed a serious breach of duty if
were to stop in Warrenton. have thus
frankly stated In detail my reasons for declin-
ing to be present on the occasion, and hope
they will be satisfactory. In few weeks 1
shall be relieved from the pressure on my
time, when propose to return to Warrenton
to spend some weeks. In the mean time I
shall address the people from week to week,
through the columns of the Register, so that
there will be no installing my position.
have at great personal inconvenience, and
with no hope of making money, undertaken
to edit the paper, in order to spread before
the public the principles and views of public
policy which I feel to be of vital importance,
and indeed essential to freedom, peace and
restoration. If could be present at the
meeting on Saturday. and were gifted with
powers of utterance equal to those possessed
by many gentlemen who will be there,
would say to the white people that there is
no escape from the present state of things
from military rule, from disfranchisement,
and from the paralysis of industry, except
through the gate of reconstruction. offered
by the acts of Congress. Opposition to those
acts, whether active or passive, will be equal
ly unavailing Failure to form State gov
eminent will remit the control of affairs en-
tirely to the hands of the military, or to
those of persons who can take the test oath.
On the other hand, reconstruction under the
acts of Congress will Immediately restore
five-sixths of the people to their rights un-
der the Constitution, and will render easy
and certain the restoration of the remain
der.
To the people of color l would say, re-
ioice that you are free. 1t is consumma-
ton my heart has yearned for from my youth
up. / desired that it should come peaceful
ly, with the consent of the white people;
and l have from my early manhood devoted
all the energies of my mind to the work of
convincing white men that black men have
equal rights in the sight of God, and should
have equal rights before human tribunals
with themselves. And now that you are
free, and also citizens and voters, take the
liberty OF advising you to live on the very
best terms with your white neighbors, and
with those who formerly held you as slaves.
Listen to no man who whispers the word con-
fiscation IN your ears, or disfranchise
or injury in any form to your law-abiding
white neighbors. Remember that if you
were born slaves, the white people were born
shareholders, or were brought up amid pre-
judices, and under unjust laws, which exis-
ted before they were born. We are all more
or less the creatures of circumstances and as
custom under the old order of things pro-
duced unjust prejudices against you, so Gus
tom under the new order of things will
change prejudices and opinions, and turn
them in your favor, if you are true to your
selves For, as Shakespeare says, he who is
true to himself will be false to no man.
There are eminent men in Congress, and in
the Northern States. who have talked loose
ly about general coniscation of the pro-
perty of the Southern people. I am sure
they have no real conception of the fearful
calamities they would produceif their pol
ICY were carried out They would ruin the
black people as well as the whites; the loyal
as we'll as the disloyal; for they would de-
stroy all credit and confidence, all enterprise
and effort, and thus make it impossible to
give employment to laborers. Allhouse ser
wants, field hands, and laborers of every kind
would lose their places ifthose who have pro-
perty are to be deprived oft by confiscation.
No crops would be raised; and starvation
every where where would follow, as it has toll
lowed in the track Of the great armies which