Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1867-09-06
Southern LoyaIists.

There has never been an undertaking OF
any movement in the history of the world,
however sacred and holy, however criminal
and wicked, when apparent or real weak
ness or defeat gave reason to adherents to
desert, but what the opportunity was
greedily embraced, and the converts sig
nalized their apostacy by an over-zealous
affection for their new friends and new
cause Since the avaricious Judas be-
trayed his Master for thirty pieces of silver,
and the trembling Peter denied him, fear
ing the wrath of his prosecutors, there has
been no cause or leader, sacred or profane,
when defeat and overthrow threatened, but
what had many of the followers to renounce
their allegiance in the hope of reward or
Influenced by fears of injury to person or
property. The most earnest devotee in re-
igion the most gallant officer in battle,
have given way under the one or other
of these influences, their principles like
Bob Acres courage, oozing out at the ends
of their fingers, in the face of defeat Hon
or among thieves is only possible in the
event of continued success, and becomes a
myth in the dungeons or in sight of the
gallows of outraged law.
The South, in her recent struggle for in
dependence, has proved no exception to
this general rule, and we notice, day after
day, those most stepped in "treason and
rebellion" who fired the Southern heart,
voted men and money, pledged the last man
and the last dollar, and in fact did every
thing but meet the dangers their cowardly
natures shrank from, now desiring to offer
the property, nay, the blood, of their more
honorable Confederates, upon the altar OF
their unmistakable loyalty. Conscious of
their own perfdy, and doubtful of con-
vincing others of their earnes5ness, they
desire, through excess, to establish the
proof of their position, hoping by their
very intemperance to be received without
the usual probation to which converts are
subjected.
Such men, who have been disgrace to
all ages and every undertaking, have usu-
ally found but temporary benefit from
their conduct. For although in times of re-
volutions goodmen may suffer and bad men
will rise above the petty troubles of the
hour and exert their sway over the desti
MES of individuals and of nations. The
base panderers to fear and avarice will be
disappointed, or his temporary success will
only serve to make him the more notorious
victim of outraged honor and truth.
It is little remarkable with what meagre
success the Southern renegades have met
in their windy protestations of extreme
and unmixed loyalty. Either from the
character of the men themselves, their over
eagerness to make their patriotism pay, or
in the present confusion Of political mat
ters, their unblushing efforts to ride
into office upon the shoulders Of the ne
groes, the better class of Northern men
openly denounce them, or only refrain
from doing so in hopes of using them for
the purposes of party success.
We were especially struck with this fact
by the open declaration of some of the lead
ing speakers in a meeting of ex-officers,
soldiers and sailors of the United States,
held il the city of Richmond few days
since. Their objects being political, a
discussion upon a pending resolution
brought out an inquiry into the prospects
of reconstruction in Virginia and the means
best to.be used in accomplishing that object.
Lieutenant Colonel Merrill is reported as
saying, in substance:
ssThat he would rather take by the hand Con-
federate soldier who fought from honest inten-
tons in a wrong cause if he honestly accepted
the situation, than the so-called Virginia loyal
ist-even if he does have newspaper-who voted
for the ordinance of secession, and thereby put
the former into service against his will
"COlOnel Egbert said he not i'll favor OF
keeping in office those renegade Virginians who
voted for secession and then went North Union
shriekers, in preference to men who had periled
their lives in defence Of their country"
Other members of this organization
spoke in the same spirit. It may suit the
purposes of calculating politicians to use
these subservient tools, but honorable men,
who periled their lives to maintain the
government, cannot continue in social and
political utilization with men who have no
claims to their respect, and who will surely
contaminate all with whom they come in
contact. Men cannot and will not forfeit
their self-respect by useless and distasteful
attempts to cover the baseness of such
characters under the convenient plea of
party necessities, or reward their crimes by
official drains upon the Federal Treasury.
Such characters must soon stand before
their fellow-men stripped of all their masks,
and die and be buried in the ignominious
graves dug by their own conduct amidst
the excavations of the ignorant people whom
they have betrayed.
Many of these Southern loyalists have
rather over-stepped the bounds of pru-
dence in their grasping desire to secure
the rewards of their perfdy, in swallowing
the test oath for quarterly consideration.
We see it stated that the United States
District Attorney for Georgia has an
nounced that such as have taken this oath
wrongfully will be prosecuted for perjury.
There is an inviting field for the same ope-
ration in this State, unless our Attorney is
Il