The weekly North-Carolina standard., 1867-05-08

believe that Congress win do it in spite of
the opposition ofany State. < a d
There also is the disfranchising clause. It.
was incorporated for the purpose of putting
these States under the control of none but
loyal men. know that it is unequal in its
operations, but / say here today that any
person SO disfranchised, who proves him
self friend to liberty and equal rights, will
be speedily relieved by Congress ] know
that to be so. sf,a
Then there is the provision in relation to
the payment of the National debt. That
debt is sacred, 1t must be paid; but we
cannot and will MT pay debts contracted in
support of rebellion, or pay for slaves eman-
cipated. And now you cannot blame us for
demanding these guarantees.
We we'll know that the South cannot re-
cover from the effects of the late war for
generation to come. The power has depart
ed from you 1t now resides in the great
Northwest. Let me tell you this. You are
in the habit of calling the Eastern penple
radicals. but those IN the Northwest are far
more radical than we are. They stand upon
their own feesimple acres and call no man
master hut God. They are the power in
this nation, and they will see to it that the
Constitutional amendment is adopted and
enforced.
And so too with the military bill-which
is called the Sherman bill. Let me say here
that no one Especially entitled to the credit
of that bill. It was first introduced into the
Senate by Mr.. Williams, of Oregon, as mil
itary bill pure and simple. Mr.. Sherman
offered an amendment The bill with the
amendment was referred to the committee.
Mr.. Stevens opposed Mr.. Sherman's amend
ment, and the bill was reported to the House
as introduced in the Senate. Mr.. Bingham
offered the amendment of Senator Sherman.
Mr.. Blaine took up part of the amendment
and proposed that 1t failed, the bill passed
and came to the Senate, when Mr. Reverdy
johnson offered the amendment of MrSher-
man again. The Republican party held q
caucus, and appointed committee of seven
! to draft bill Incorporating the amendment,
| at the head of which committee was Senator
Sherman. This bill was moved as sub
stitute for the House bill pending in the Sen
ate and adopted. It was sent to the House,
slightly amended on motion of Messrs. Will
son and Shellabarger, returned to the Senate
and concurred in. Thus the bill became law.
| We builded wiser than we knew, and l veri-
ly believe this measure to be the greatest act
of the 39th Congress. In the 40th Congress,
the individual who addresses you to-day Of
fered a supplemental biH. We had heard
that there was danger of conflict of author
| itv and bloodshed without further legislation
| on ourpart that there might be two or more
conventions called, each claiming power un-
der the law as it stood thought the true
policy was toregister all who desired to vote
and had The right so to do. o-day am
/ glad to see that officers have been assigned
| to duty. and that you are beginning to or
ganize for the work. Hold your Convention,
adopt Republican constitutions, elect mem
bers to Congress, who can take the oath OF
North Carolina will be again represented in
the halls of the National Congress. And
/ when this great work is done, I hope that
sentiments of harmony and peace will pre-
vail / know that there are some who still
cherish bitter memories of desolated homes
and bloodstained fields. But how else could
we have actede The issue was upon u.s.
Had we done otherwise, the Union would
have been forever rent asunder, and no tongue
can tell what woe might have betallen either
section in that disastrous event. And now
that slavery has gone to an infamous grave,
/ trust it has borne with it those sentiments
of hostility towards the governments that
fired the hearts of the Southern people. Let
us re-kindle the embers of equal liberty in
the breast OF every man, and make the fires
ofpatriotism burn anew in the. hearts of all
What should you now do to aid in recon-
struction In the first place, say to those
who are disfranchised, go to work, be patri-
otic and sincere in all your efforts. Invoke
you to use yenr influence for good, and Con
grcss will certainly remove your disabilities.
In the next place. let all the people cheerful
ly carry out the law -. go, ,.
There has heen no conduct so noble as
that of our Christian women, who toiled
and labored for the sake of suffering human.
ity through the war. And since the wal
ladies living in affiuence and wealth have
come down here to instruct the poorpeople
white and eolored. And in the discharge OF
this holy duty, they have been sneered at
and ridiculed by persons unworthy to be
their servants. Our good people are praying
for the education of your black and white
population feelings of unkindness may
yield to sentiments Of brotherly charity and
affection Yet it will be long time before
unkind feelings are effaced. We have none
towards you-no spite or malice to CRAFTY.
But 1 know enough of human nature to
know that you Wilt not soon forget. Your
leaders will remember their lost cause, and
their ruined aspirations, for a long time to
come. But am still hopeful and thankful
in the belief that these things will pass away
Your soldiers fought on SIX hundred battle
fields, with heroic valor / am proud o
their courage, for they are my countrymen.-
But while history shall record their feats oi
bravery. it will also bear this record to poster
ity, that the ideas, objects, aims and purposes
of this war were human slavery, and thus i
will receive the condemnation of ali tutun
ages Its memory will blacken and blacker
to the s. last syllable of recorded time" Thh
is punishment enough. Indeed had ]
been President, 1 should have pardon
ed all at once save a few. I have recommen
ded the pardon of Stephens, Clay, Mallory
Vance and others-only one pardon have
refused to sign. Then should have encour
i aged all the people to go to work. | neve
believed in the $4,000 clause may b
too generous, but this is my opinion and tina
of the people where live. s
Now let me say to those, who are still dc
luded and adhere to the principle ofsecessiOn
to those who still believe that slavery j
right and do not love liberty and equa
rights; to those who look for reaction j
the North, we expect you to denounce ant
oppose us little while longer. daughter.
Now you place your confidence in the Nortf
ern Democracy. They lie to you, and 20
lie to them. (Laughter) They so act as t
: kill you politically, and you SO act as to XII
them. Naughter) You cheat them, an
they cheat you. Continued laughter.)
is time for yon to stop fooling them, and ft