The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1867-01-04
Gov. Holden on The Situation In
North Carolina.

Ex.Gov. w. w. Holden OF North
Carolina writes 70 thc Albany Eccaisq
SowBai under date of December 26,
q letter in which he gives some inter-
csting facts rcletive to the political
situation in that state He deems it
unnecessary for Congress to pass the
resolution somo time ago introduced
10y Judge Spaulding of Ohio, proyid-
ing that any Southern State which
adopts the Constitutional Almond
mont shall be at once admitted to rep
roscntation, and speaks rs follows up
on this point and upon the general
feeling among the North Carolina
Unionists in regard TO the Amend
ment.
1t seems to me it is beneath the dig
nifty OF Congress to pass Judge Spaul-
dings resolution To announce that
n constitutional amendment, when
adopted, shall lie bindng2 Do you
know, gentlemen, that the leaders and
instigators Of the rebellion, who now
have absolute control Of these insur-
gent States, utterly contemn and
scorn theproposed amendment ? They
are hostile to every provision III it, es-
pecially the one that excludes them
from Office. If they should adopt it,
they would not, themselves, elect
members to Congress who could not
take the test oath, but would leave
this dishonorable business, as they
would regard it, to the prosecuted
Unionists They might condesccnd
to elect some very ignorant white men
who could take the oath, or some ne
gro They would probably elect some
two or three of the latter race. 1t
would cause general rejoicing at their
tournaments, and other gatherings, to
hear of two or three negro men who
could take the oath, claiming seats in
the House.
The Unionists of this State are for
the Howard amendment, although il
excludes nearly all of them from flee
AS this will no doubt surprise you,
will explain: The great body of tho
Unionists, who remained here during
the rebellion, was obliged to engage IN
the rebellion. They did not do so vol
antarily or willingly, but to save them
selves and their children from con
scription, imprisonment and death.
Like others, many of them had, pre-
yious to the rebellion, taken tho oath
to support the Federal Constitution.
My own case will furnish All example.
1 took the oath in 1916, when a young
man, Il am about As now,) as mem
Der of the State Legislature.
But, you say, Congress will relieve
me. Granted, but here is the pccul-
lar hardship. There are thousands OF
young men, stepped to the ears III trea-
son, who have never taken this oath
aud they would beat me for Office east
~ on two grounds: FIRST, because the,
have been true TO the Confederacy
and secondly, because Of the suppose,
Stigma on me, the result OF being re-
licved by a Radical Congressl d
you see it 4? The very young Confedei
ate officer who led the troops thu
mobbed me in 1868 for my Unionisn
would proclaim me traitor woul
In regard to the bill lately intro
duced into the House of Represent,
tives by Mr.. Stevens, providing for
reconstruction of the North Carolir
State Government, Mr., Holden sa,
that thirty thousand loyal white me
and forty thousand negro men
North Carolina, look to that bill
their only hope. He regards its pa
sage the only means of re-ostablishiu
the Union upon a fixed and permanel
basis.