Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1867-12-07

Government parlislly, into the hands OF
nso,ocs il proposed al time peculiarly
unnropiIious. The foundations OF society
have been broken up by civil war; IN
dus,rv must be reorgsnized justice Tees.
lablished public credit maintained, s"'
order brought out Of confusion. &C.
conplish these ends would require all me
wisdom and virtue Of the great men VINO
formed our institutions originally /
confidently believe that their descendants
will be equal 10 the srduOus task before
them, but it is worse than madness 10 e1-
pee, that the negroes will perform 1t Tor
us. Certainly We ought not 10 ask their
assistance until we despair Of our own
competency. The great difference be-
tween the two races in physical mental
and moral characteristics will prevent 81
amalgamaion or fusion OF Them iogeih'
err in one homogeneous mass. II The IN
(e,ior obtains The ascendency over The OH
er will govern with reference only 10 lis
own interests, for it will recognize no
common interest and create such tyr
amy as this continent has never yet wit
messed. Already The negroes are lnhu.
enced by promise Of conhsca'on snc
plumber; they are taught 10 regard as an
enemy every white man who has any re-
specl for The rights Of his own race IL
this continues ii must become worse and
worse, until all order will be subVeried,
all industry cease, and the fertile fields OF
the South grow up into wilderness. VI
all HE dangers which our nation has YET
encountered, none are equal 10 those
which must result the success OF the ell
foit now making 10 Arricsnize the half Of
our country. would not put cOnsidera-
tons of money in competition with JUS
tice and right, bu! the expenses incident
TO reconstruction under The system adopt
ed by Congress aggrsvste what l regard
as the intrinsic wrong Of measure Itself.
Ii has cost Uncounled millions already,
and if persisted in, will sdd largely 10 tho
weight Of taxation already too oppressive
10 be borne without just complaint, and
may finally reduce the Treasury OF the
nation 10 a condition Of bankruptcy. We
must not delude ourselves, il will require
astrong standing army and probably more
than two hundred millions Of dollars per
annum TO mainlsin The supremacy OF ne
gro governments after they are establish
ed. The sum thus thrown away would,
if properly used, form sinking fund
large enough 10 pay the whole national
debt in less than fifteen years. II is vain
to hope that negroes will maintain their
ascendancy themselves. Without militia
ry power they are wholly incapable Of
holding in subsection The white people OF
the South. submit 10 the judgment Of
Congress whether the public credit may
not be injuriou.ly affected by system OF
measures like this. With our debt and
the vast private interests which are COM
plicated with it, we Cannot be too eau
lous Of policy which nigh, by Possibil'
ily impair the confidence Of the world in
our Government. That confidence can
orly be retained by carefully incalcula-
ting the principles Of justice and honor on
the popular mind and by the most sCruPu'
Ious fidelity 10 all our engagements OF ev-
cry SOFT. Any serious breach Of The or
gsnic law, persisted in for considerable
time, cannot but create fears for the sta
bility OF our institutions. Hablual vlo-
teton OF prescribed rules. which we bind
ourselves 10 observe, must demorsllze The
people ; our only standard Of civil duty
being SET at naught, the sheet anchor Of
our political morality IS lost, and the pub
lie conscience swings from its mooTings
and yields to every impulse OF passion
and interest. If we repudiaie the ConsIi-
tuition, we will not be expected 10 care
much for more Pecunary obligations.
The violation Of such pledge as We
made on the 22d day Of July, 1861, will
assuredly diminish the market value OF
our other promises. Besides. it we now
acknowledge that the national debt was
created TO hold the States in the Union,
as the taxpayers were led 10 suppose, but
10 expel them from it. and hand them
over 10 be governed by negroes, the NOR
al duty 10 pay it may seem less clear.
say it may seem so, for do not admit
that this or any other argument IN favor OF
reputation can be entertained as sound.
But its influence on some classes Of minds
may well be spprehended The financial
honor OF great commercial nation, large
ly indie bed, and with a republican form
of government, administered by agents Of
the podusr choice, is a thing Of such DEL
ica,e texture, and the destruction Of il
would be followed by such unspeskab!e
calamity, that every true patriot must de-
sire 10 avoid whatever might expose il 10
the slightest danger. The great interests
OF HE country require immediate relief
from these enaclments. Business in the
South is psrayzed by a sense OF general I
insecurity. by a terror Of conhscalion, and
The dread Of negro supremacy. The
Southern trade, from which The North
would have derived 30 great profit under
a government OF law, still lsngushes, and
can never be revived until il ceases 10 be
feuered by The arbitrary power which
makes all its operations unsafe. That
,ich count,v-the richest in natural re-