The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1867-12-18
RALEIGH. N. G.
Wednesday, Dec. 10. 1867.
~ Mr. G. w. HoRNER is authorized to make
business contracts for the Standard Office.
Distractions to Decentralization.

aH "a & 4 :"
There is nothing so much needed or dcsir-
ed by the great body of our people as what
is called recona truction. They have suffered
terribly for tho last six years on account of
rebellion, and they must continue to suffer
until the State isrestored They believe this
to be SO, and they have recently, by immense
majoritics in all the States, voted to call
Conventions in order to frame republican
Constitutions, and thus recover the rights
and privileges which were lost by rebellion
Congress, which is the law making power,
having acted finally on the subject of recon-
struction, there was ground for hope that all
would submit in good faith, and unite in
the measures necessary under the law to re-
construct the government. But this hope
has been disappointed. The Southern lead
ers, so called, are banding in all the South
ern States to resist, as far as they dare do it,
the reconstruction policy of Congress, and
are thus throwing Themselves between the
people and the return Of peace and prosper
ity. Defeated in their opposition to Con-
ventions, they are now preparing to defeat
the new Constitutions when submitted to
the people at the polls. Conventions of
these leaders have already been held in Vir-
ginia and Georgia, and preparations are in
progress for similar Convention in North
Carolina. The following resolution adopt.
ed by the Georgia Convention, will show the
feeling cherished by these leaders:
''That we enter on record in the name
and in behalf of the people of this State, our
solemn protest against the assembling Con
vention, which we affirm, with the evidence
before US, has been ordered under pretense
of votes Illegally authorized, to he forcibly
procured, fraudulently received and falsely
counted, as we believe; in view of our SOL
emn responsibilities and the issues involved,
we do hereby declare that we will forever
hold the work of framing constitution by
such authority, with intent to be forced by
military power on the free people of this
commonwealth, as crime against our peo-
pie, against the continuance of free govern
ment, against peace and security, against the
purity of the ballot-box and against the
dignity and character of representative in
stitutions.n
The same feeling prevails every where
among these leaders. They do not oppose
the reconstruction measures merely on
grounds of expediency, but they declare in
the most positive terms they will not submit
to them, but will avail Themselves of the first
opportunity to reverse or change them. They
regard them as having been established by
force or fraud, and their purpose is, there
fore, to evade or resist them to the extent of
their ability. We repeat, this feeling and
this purpose are universal among the class
referred to; and the action of the so-called
Conservative leaders of North Carolina will
be as much shaped by this feeling and pur-
pose as that of the leaders in Georgia.
We are bound to hold that these leaders
are not good citizens. Their conduct, after
all that has taken place, proves that they are
not friends to the people or to the govern
ment. There is only one course, therefore,
for the people to pursue in the future as in
the past, and that is to cote doDn these leaders
at the polls, and reconstruct the government
at all hazards. The vital interests of the
people must be cared for first-the majority
must rule; and these interests and this ma
jority are both in fixed opposition to the &C.
ton of the leaders referred to.