The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1867-01-09
Mr.. stevens, North Carolina Bill.

FfetDS 81 Hc 4 "Veeo : wv II
Reconstruction, as Embodied IN Mr.. 'Stere'as'
North Carolina Bill
The bill presented by Mr.. Stevens in the
House of Representatives, providing lor tue
reorganization of the State of North-Caroll-
ma. has naturally excited much comment,
and sufficient time has now elapsed to ena-
bile rs to obtain the expressions OF the views
of nearly all the journals of note throughout
the country. Generally there is DISPOSE
t;on manifested to give it serious considera-
tion as. in the words of the Boston J0uf7'at,
"tracing out new line OF Thought on tue
subject of reconstruction, which may yet DC
resorted to as furnishing the only practicsa.i
solution for the hitherto insurmountable dit
fculties in the way of the speedy and SAFE
REORGANIZATION of all the seeded States. =
The Journal expresses the opinion that the
provision of the bill, which provides that
those only shall actively superlntend tine
reorganization of the State who, on the Attn
of March, 1864, at heart favored Mr.. Lin
coins proclamation of December preceding,
and really desired that the rebellion should
cease "would undoubtedly take in the great
majority of the people of North Carolina,
and might furnish as good basis to build
upon as any other" In abiding to the sec
ond popularity of the bill-the provision
for impartial though qualified suffrage in the
election of delegates to the Constitutional
Convention, the same paper remarks:
"Nothing is said about the regulation OF
suffrage thereafter, nor about the character
of the Constitution to be framed, but as ex-
plicit conditions are made for the submission
of the work of the Convention to Congress
for approval, it is manifest that the new Con-
stitrtion must accord with the liberal ana
impartial features of this bill, or else 1t Will
be sure of rejection"
The Providence Journal deems the real
meaning and intention of the bill to be as
follows:
"If North Carolina, as an existing State,
will not ratify the Constitutional Amend
ment. and restore herself to her proper place
in the Union, Congress will reconstruct her,
and thus make her conform to the conditions
REQUIRED. A new State, as it were, is to be
created that will do the work of restoration
which the old State now refuses to do. The
difference between the two will be that the
nesc wiU be goce,1led by men an harmony with
tile Union. whereas the existing State is gov
erned by those in harmony with the rebell-
ion.n
1t, however, expresses doubt as to wheth-
er the movement will not prove failure in
Congress, the bill with its present limitation
on the right of voting for members of the
Convention failing to receive sufficient votes
to insure its adoption. This right, it says, is
much more likely to be extended to the
whole population-black and white But
whatever may be the fate of this bill, the
Journal remarks that the idea which appa-
rently is entertained by many of the people
of the insurrectionary States, and not few
of their Legislatures, that they simply have
to choose between the Constitutional Amend
ment and remaining as they are is evidently
mistake. On this point it expresses itself
thus:
Congress means that the country shall be
restored in some way or other, and that
speedily. If it cannot be done with the CO.
operation of the States lately in rebellion, it
must be done without it or, rather. if it can
not be done with the assent of the disloyal
majority, who are all white men, it must be
done by the agency of the loyal minority,
who may be nearly all black men. The
States in question having rejected with dis
dain the terms which were offered for their
acceptance may now find that terms will be
imposed for which their acceptance will not
be asked. The country certainly cannot be
expected to wait till they are suited"
In somewhat similar view of the case the
New-Haven Journal and Courier looks upon
the bill as an immediate result of the refu-
sal of the Southern States to accept the pro-
posed Constitutional Amendment" For,
while Congress was willing last Summer to
recognize the rebel States, on the simple con-
ditions prescribed in the Amendment, the
elections since then have demonstrated that
the people are ready to indorse the more Sc
we're measures advocated by Mr.. Stevens and
his friends, who were then in hopeless mi
nority, and to sustain any measure that
shall thoroughly uproot not only disloyalty
itself, but any and all influences by which it
may be enabled to renew its life and power"
Yet, while the North was thus declaring its
memorable determination, the South, the
Courier says, with faulty which showed
that it neither forgot nor learned anything,
deliberately proceeded to reject the terms up
on which its treason would be forgiven, and
arrogantly demanded rights in the Union
which it had before utterly repudiated and
to which it professed itself to be bound only
by the fact of conquest Of the manner in
which this demand will be met it says:
1.-THE will of the people is the beginning
and end of the law. The people have EN-
phatically said that the rebel States shall not
reacquire power in the Union unless they
give assurances not to disturb its future
peace. II the knot cannot be united it must
be cut. Mr. Stevens bill proposes to cut the
Ernnf Mot I,
there is no doubt. That it would have re-
ceived the assent of Congress year ago no
one believes. That it will now pass is very
probable The plan in itself is not essential
ly different from that of President johnson.
He failed because the old rebels had the ex-
elusive control of the ballot-box. If Mr..
Stevens succeeds, it will be because the bal
lot-box is opened to the freedmen, and all
except real Union men are excluded from of.
fee
The Syracuse Journal also regards the
measure as thoroughly radical, inasmuch as
1t proposes TO cut up the present govern
ment by the roots and totally obliterate its
authority" The theory of the bill it states
as follows:
The bill proceeds upon the theory that
the relations with the Government, which
were severed by North Carolina on the Goth of
May, 1861, have never been restored; that
the Government set up by the President was
provisional, and needed the approval of Con-
gress, which has never been given; that the
present State Governments not legal one,
having been constituted under recommdas
dation of the Provisional Government, which
had no authority, and, therefore, exists upon
sufferance, and may be abolished whenever
Congress chooses to exercise its authority.
sand upon this theory, nit says, " all that
is proposed by Mr.. Stevens bill is plain
enough. " And the plan,n it continues,
Hbecomes matter Of the greatest Importance,
as indicative of policy which Congress may
adopt, and which may be applied not only