The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1867-03-12

their forfeited privileges, This must b.
done, and can only be done by the co-ordi
nate departments Of that great ano
benefccnt government against which they
revolted and made war; 1t is idle to de
spise or reject the authority of the Congress
and then hope that by any means the States
can be restored. ..--. ..
But it is asserted that the President will
in the last resort, summon and recognize :
Congress of his own, including the members
| from the Southern States. do not believe
the President designs, in any event, or fol
any cause, to plunge the country into civil
war. But if such a thing be probable, and
| the war should be renewed, the end would
be the total destruction of government, soci
ETY., and property in these Southern States
The weaker section would drain the cup Of
anguish to the very dregs. Those who orig
mate such reports and make such calcula
ton, are santlerers of the President. They
are neither friends to him nor friends to tho
country They are reckless agitatOrs, who
would stand off from the battles which theil
wicked passions would cause, to plumber the
helpless and the dead, or to safe their ven,
gcance by the spectacle Of brothers again
plunging their bayonets into brothers DO
SONS. There is no Congress but the Con.
gress recently in session at Washington
which will meet again in December. This
Congress will increase in numbers as South
crn members are admitted to it, but it will
not be diminished.
1t is also asserted, that the Southern States
will vote for President and Vice-President
in 1868, though they may not be represent
ed in Congress. 1t is not to be expected
that the majority will permit this. The un-
represented States were not allowed to vote
in 1864, and we may be sure a similar law
will be passed for 1868. President Johnson
will enforce the law. 1t is his peculiar boast
that he is man of the people, and that he
sound Il republican to oppose his will, in the
last resort, to the will of the majority
There is no hope. therefore, fclow-citizens,
and this can be effected III no other way, in
my Judgment, than by accepting the pro-
posed Constitutional amendment. We are
admonlshed by the recent elections that the
North will be satisfied with nothing less. 1t
may require more, and have no doubt it
will, if we reject this amendment During
the rebellion, was for the shortest road to
peace. l am now for the shortest and
straightcst road right back to the Union. l
love my State, and want the best terms
can get for her. So strong is this love, and
So ardent is my attachment to the Union,
that would be willing to put myself under
ban for the remainder of my life to see the
State restored. But, because have told the
people the truth, will they ccnsure me cam
not believe they will. 1 have been frank with
them,it may be to my own injury. 1 cannot
helpit, for if serve them at all must do so
with candor and honesty. My interests, my
sympathies, my hopes are all identified with
theirs. Passion and prejudice may rule the
hour, but day of reason and reflection will
come, and then justice will he done to ALL
1t would have been easy for me to have gone
with the current. Like others, might have
made terms with my opponents. 1 held a
position which would have enabled me to do
this with some success. might have grasp
cd honors, and put money in my purse l
could have gone toa party with which
once acted. many of whose members, from
former associations, still have my regard and
sympathy. But l could not do it, l could
not abandon the cause of the Union The
path of duty was rugged and thorny, but l
continued to walk in it. am in it still. 1
will never leave it. 1 do not fear censu1e,
but l fear to do wrong. Nor am slave to
party. In 1S4S l opposed my party on in
ternal improvements, and have the grarifi-
cation to believe that my course then ensur-
ed the appropriation for the Central Rail-
road. which was the great pioneer work of
the kind III our State. In 1860 | refused to
go with my party in opposing the principle
of I'D raIorcm. In 1860 refused to go with
the great mass of my party for disunion. l
stand now where l stood then. am the
same loyal man was when the President
appointed me Provisional Governor in May,
in,, al.
tend to change. 1 know this is dark day
for Union men in the South, but intend to
stand by the Union, in the darkness as in the
light, so long as it's flag floats or IL star gilt
tiers in its folds. There is no hope for this
people but in the Union. Throughout its
whole existence it has been bcncficent in its
character and operations. 1t has borne heav-
lily on no State-it has deprived no man of
his liberty except from the stern necessity of
war-it has laid the hand of correction on
its rebellious children mere in sorrow than
in anger. We attempted recently to calcu-
late its value" at time when its flag wa
we'd only for our protection, and when its
horn of plenty was pouring down every good
thing into our midst, and behold how sud
denly destruction rushed in upon us like
flood! We then humbled ourselves before
God, and promised to submit to lawful au-
thority. Have we so soon forgotten this
promise? We have been conquered in bat
tie, because God willed it /; let us now show
what great thing it is to conquer ourselves.
Let us "rule our temper Let us us con-
quer and subdue our passions and prejudi-
ces. The great body of the people CT the
North are our friends. They wish us well.
They do not desire to humble or degrade u.s.
They do not want our lands or our houses
They are not seeking our blood. They are
tired of war. They yean towards us as an
elder towards his younger brother, who has
been sorely classified for his first offence
They desire our prosperity, because it is in
separately connected with their own. They
do not want to hold us as subject provinces,
but they wish to live with us as equals in
the Union. That Union stretches out its
mighty arms to embrace us. For one, am
anxious to return to it. regard it, in the
language of WASHINGTON, as . the primary
object of patriotic desire" In it, know we
shall be safe. 1t will be to us ALL as in the
past, copious fountain of innumerable
blessings. Out of it, I can see nothing in
the future but discord, anarchy, military rule,
poverty, ignorance, and wretchedness. I
am, therefore, in the fullest and strongest
sense, a Union man. Discarding all other
platforms, stand on the platform of WASH
INGToN. l know we can not err as long as
we follow his precepts, and look to his illus
trious example for light to guide our foot
steps. What would he say, if, approaching
the passions which divide us, he could look