The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1867-07-27

admirable letter, which hope you will ind
room for in the Stondord.
This large crowd dispersed late IN the eve
ming without one instance of disorder.
/. JAS. H. FooTE, ssc'y.
Warenton, July %, 1867.
RALEIGH July 18th, 1867.
MYDEAR SIR Il learn from you, and also
from our friend William Cawthorn, that am
expected to be present at the meeting ON
Saturday. I very much regret that the pres
sure of my official engagements will deprive
me of that pleasure. At the recent term
of the Circuit Court, Judgment was rendered
in nearly one hundred and fifty cases; and
it being my duty as Marshal to see that the
executions are served, find my attention
drawn to nearly every corner OF the State, IN
rapid succession lest something may go
wrong. have at the same time to make
out my semi-annual returns, and to edit the
Register so, between these various and
pressing duties, you can imagine that have
very little leisure. 1t happens that l am
compelled to leave here in the morning, in
order to be ready for the boat on the Black
water on Friday; and I should feel that
had committed serious breach OF duty II
were to stop in Warrenton. l have thus
frankly stated IN detail my reasons for declin-
ing to be present on the occasion, and hope
they will be satisfactory. In a few weeks I
shall be relieved from the pressure on my
time, when propose to return to Warrenton
to spend some weeks. In the mean time
shall address the people from week to week.
through the columns of the Register, so that
there will be no installing my position.
have at great personal inconvenience, and
with no hope of making money, undertaken
to edit the paper, in order to spread before
the public the principles and views of public
policy which I feel to be of vital Importance,
and indeed essential to freedom, peace and
restoration. If I could be present at the
meeting on Saturday, and were gifted with
powers of utterance equal to those possessed
by many gentlemen who will be there 1
would say to the white people that there is
no escape from the present state of things
from military rule from disfranchisement,
and from the paralysis of industry, except
through the gate of reconstruction. offered
by the acts of Congress. Opposition to those
acts, whether active or passive, will be equal
ly unavailing Failure to form State gov
eminent will remit the control of affairs en-
tirely to the hands of the military, or to
those of persons who can take the test OATH
On the other hand, reconstruction under the
acts of Congress will Immediately restore
fve-sixths of the people to their rights I'M
der the Constitution, and will render easy
and certain the restoration of the remain
der.
To the people of color would say, re-
joice that you are free. It is cOnsumma-
ton my heart has yearned for from my youth
up. desired that it should come peaceful
ly, with the consent of the white people:
and have from my early manhood devoted
all the energies of my mind to the work of
convincing white men that black men have
equal rights in the sight of God, and should
have equal rights before human tribunals
with themselves. And now that YOU are
free, and also citizens and voters, I take the
liberty of advising you to live on the very
best terms with your white neighbors, and
with those who formerly held you as slaves.
Listen to no man who whispers the word con-
tiscatlon Ill your ears, or disfranchisement.
Or injury in any form to your law-abiding
white neighbors Remember that if YOU /
were born Slaves, the white people were born |
shareholders, or were brought up amid pre-,
JUDGES, and under unjust laws, which exis- |
ted before they were born. We are all more
or less the creatures of circumstances; and as
custom under the old order of things pro-
duced unjust prejudices against you, so Gus
tom under the new order of things will |
change prejudices and opinions, and turn
them in your favor, if you are true to YOUR
serves. FOR, as Shakespeare says, he who is
true to himself will be false to no man.
There are eminent men in Congress, and in
the Northern States, who have talked loose
ly about general confiscation of the pro-
perty of the Southern people. 1 am sure
they have no real conception of the fearful
calamlties they would produce if their pol
ICY were carried out. They would ruin the
plack people as well as the whites the loval
as well as the disloyal; for they would de-
stroy all credit and confidence, all enterprise
and effort, and thus make it impossihle tn
give employment to laborers. All house SER
wants, field hands, and laborers of everv kind |
would lose their places if those who have pro- |
perty are to be deprived oft by confiscation.
No crops would be raised and starvation |
every where where would follow, as it has toll |
lowed In the track of the great armies which |
COMMENDED against each other in the South. |
conhscation should take place, warn the |
coiored people against indulging the hope
Inat tney would get anything by it. know
the thing will never happen, and that it is
morally impossible; but if we suppose fora
pa tnat IL Is undertaken, we may be sure
"AAA Se"ih III Ius 1t produce the most |
neartless and corrupt set of officials that ever
existed, and that they would steal everything,
squander everything, and leave nothing for
The government or for the colored neon1e
But be assured that nothing of the kind is
thought of by any considerable BODY Of men
In Congress. Demagogues may come amono
you and tell you otherwise to deceive Won
and to secure your votes; but they are as lit,
lie your friends as they are the friends OF the
Whlte people. If you doubt it, ask them
nov. long they have been the champions of
your rights: In ninety nine cases out of a hun.
area you will find that such men would have
sJiu you 10 the sugar planters and cotton
Plaheers OF the far South at any time before
70 WINES and blacks I would saw, LET ns
ease !. taking of the past. We can never
Rnt ~ u 't tS merits of the great controver
eft open We will make eo nut 1ue course
'ree as that of Vermont; and nnSer ~ s as
will have equal laws, equal naee 1t we
opportunities in life. Then everv man na nna
use or fall according to his merits. A'' III uS'