The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1867-01-05
LOYALTY.

; Loyalty.
What is loyalty? A person to be loyal
must be faithful, honest, and true. There
must be no mental reservation, no evasion,
no treachery, no disposition to break plight
ed faith.
There are three classes of loyalists in this
country.
First, those who have never broken, but
who have constantly maintained, in. heart
} and by act, their allegiance to the national
government. Such are the great mass Of the
| Northern people, and those Southerners who,
like Andrew johnson, escaped from their
States and took sides during the rebellion
with the government. We except from this
great and meritorious class those copper
heads North, represented by the New York
World, the National Intelligencer, and SINH
lar journals, who sympathized with the So
called during the rebellion, and who are
now doing all in their power to perpetuate
strife and disunion.
Second, those Southern Unionists who
could not leave their homes, but who main
tanned their integrity as loyalists as far as
they could; who struggled at the peril of
their lives to stop the war and make peace
on the basis of a restored Union who al
ways cherished the Union in their hearts,
and rejoiced when the Confederate. despot-
ism fell, and who cordially accepted the re-
suits of the war, and submitted themselves
cheerfully and Internationally to the nation
al authority. There are at least thirty thou
sand white Unionists of this stamp in North
Carolina.
Third, those original secessionists, who,
having seen their error and felt regret for it,
submitted Internationally who have since
shown their faith by their works, in incul-
eating national sentiments, and laboring
honestly and cheerfully to restore the
acter. 1t affords us pleasure to offer them
the right hand of fellowship and to hail them
as brothers. The best evidence of their con-
version and of their fidelity is, that the I'M
repentant secessionists hate them more than
they do the original Union men.
Of course we include among the loyal the
entire colored population of the South
They attach themselves to Union men, and
adhere to the Union cause, just as the ami
mails of the desert seek for and find water, or
as the child runs to its mother. Theirs is a
loyalty unauthorized, disinterested, pure
1t is dashed with no doubt, evasion, or
treachery, but is candid, honest and open as
the day.
We know but few if any latter-day war
men, as they are called, who are loyal. The
snake of secession hurt those most whom
1t bit last. These are they who went into
the war with consciences against the war,
but who, from ambition, or selfshness, from
fear of losing their slave property, or from
malice and ill-will because they suffered hard
ships at the hands of the federal forces, or
from some other cause or a combination of
causes, forget their first love, scared their
consciences, committed themselves soul and
body to the Confederate despotism, turned
with bitter hate on their former Union
friends, and submitted at last only because
they had lost the power to resist Such are
the worst of all conscious traitors" There
is more hope of original secessionists than
there is of them.
We have said there are thirty thousand
voters in this State of the second class above
described. To these may be added five to
SIX thousand more, who fled the State, or
who took service in the federal army.
But it is said that everybody submits to the
laws True enough. It is impossible to re-
sist the laws. But suppose Church men,
her should CIV no Sphp,itte1 RI oil +Lo ,,,l..
of the Church, and should claim credit for so
doing, while at the same time he was con-
stantly engaged in ridiculing and disparag-
ing the Church, in characterizing it as want
ing in justice and charity, declaring that he
joined it only because he could do no bet
ter, and in sowing discord and strife among
the members !; is it likely that those older
and better members who had heretofore gov
srned the Church, would be willing to see
him take part in its government We think
aot They might bear with and pray for
such brother, but they would be unjust to
The Church and to themselves if they per-
nitted him to govern or control it.
But it is said by many original secession
SITS, and especially by the case-hardened,
laCGef-Oay war men, CnaC 1t
annot be expected of them that they should
eel or express attachment for the Union
Granted. We regret that they can not so
eel and so express themselves but, on that
cry account, if they really have the good of
he country at heart, if they wish to restore
he Union, and if they are disposed to act
1stly and candidly, let them retire from of
ce, and, if necessary, from the ballot-box,
nd permit those among US who are attached
. the government to conduct public affairs
he government is entitled to the cheerful,
earty, loyal support of every citizen and
specially is it to be expected that none will
e allowed to hold Office who are not devo-
edly attached to the Union, and who will
OF labor at all times and in every proper
ray, to restore to the besoms of all our peo-
lie, without regard to section, that enlarged
ational feeling which prevailed previously l.