The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1867-04-10


inconsjderate recklessness, Us OF a settled
purpose to keep alive the spirit and passions
of the rebellion preparatory to the accom-
plishment of still cherished hopesl While
such proceedings are unrebuked by our peo-
ple. what can we expect hut continuance
of our present unfortunate and ruinous con-
dition2 We. who have been involved in
common ruin and are still reaping the bitter
fruits of its continuance, must, nevertheless,
acknowledge the wisdom and prudence of
Congress in awaiting these developments be-
fore rclinquishing its power to check their
tendency. We cannot expect it to be so far
unmindful of its duty to the country and to
posterity as not to provide such measures
and enforce such regulations as the public
safety demands. The evils that we must yet
endure, and the hard conditions to which
we may yet have to submit, are chargeable
to those who have created the necessity, aud
not to those whose painful duty it has be-
come to apply the remedy.
Had the leading actors in the rebellion
stood out of the way. as became them, until
the State was restored to its former relations
in the Union, such restoration would have
been long since accomplished. When
they indiscreetly thrust themselves for
ward as arrogant aspirants for an i'm
mediate restitution to power, had the
people manifested practical reputation of
| the spirit and principles of the rebellion, by
PROMPTLY rcbuking them at the ballot box,
| the State would have been Immediately re-
stored to all its rights and privileges, and
| the influx of capital and enterprise from
abroad would he now swiftly at work in
strengthening, by social intercourse and COM
| &hab nn Ia >fc In
nationality Magnanimity and gratitude to
their ruined followers require these leaders
to loose the chains of deception, and to stand
no longer in the way OF restoration of the
rights and prosperity which have been for
fcited in their service But their mad am
bition seems to smother all worthier consid-
erations. They still attempt to hold, with
death-like tenacity, their ill-gotten influence
over the minds of better men, and to involve
us all in the fate that justly belongs only to
themselves by slanderously representing the
present attitude of our people as spontane
Gus popular impulse. 1t, therefore, becomes
the duty Of the people to correct this mis-
representation, and to separate themselves
from these conscious and intentional arch
fleets of general ruin. Congress believes
that the masses can be won back to loyalty,
anu To luclF O,u FGIltIdtlou lOI tLC ChlOu,
only by removing the baleful influence of the
instigators and leaders in the rebcllion-that
the future peace and safety of the whole peo
Pile require that conscious treason be neither
honored nor rewarded-but that there be
left warning instead of an incentive to the
rising generation of young men, whose I'M
pressive minds and growing strength are
being moulded and trained for the realiza-
81 ,k.1 ,1,nl I,
thors Of our present troubles. Those who
would involve a people in an unprovoked
war have ever been considered as the enc
mics of mankind. and capable of any crime
necessary to their purposes. Our conduct
and temper is closely, and perhaps too sus-
piciously watched bya government just
emerging FROM the excitement Of Il bloody
and dangerous civil commotion. Its future
safety is supposed to require that there be
inculcated among the lately insurgent States,
spirit of steadfast nationality. With legis-
lators to pass acts of amnesty and Governors
to pardon, the federal government may well
doubt the possibility of finding citizens to
inculcate national sentiments at the risk of
mob violence and personal insult. 1t con
siders loyalty to the Union as something
more than a restless and chatting submission
1
agencies and influence calculated to make
resistance effective at the earliest possible
time, is too nearly allied to actual treason to
escape the attention of those who have been
rendered vigilant by recent dangers. That
they should consider those citizens, without
distinction of race or color, who have mani
tested loyalty in the past, and cheerfully CO.
operate in measures, at present deemed ne
cessary for the national safety, as entitled to
especial confidence and consideration, is rea-
sonable and natural But there is just APP
probation of the position of those who were
really deceived into a participation in the
rebellion, and IA disposition to discriminate
properly between them and the conscious
and persistent leaders who deceived them
In shaping our conduct, We must not be I'M
mindful of this evident public feeling among
the Northern people. 1t is unfortunate that
it has not been more generally understood
: and acted upon for the last eighteen months
Now, that time has exposed the decep-
ton, rccklessness and folly of the instigators
and leaders of the rebellion, those brave
soldiers who were deceived and forced into
their army, and made to undergo so many
hardshps in vain, should Indignantly re-
buke the present efforts of those leaders to
prolong the troubles of the country That
so many brave men were sacrificed in war
so useless, and that The sacrifice was contin-
ued beyond all humane and reasonable
bounds, is crushing crime and burning
. shame, from which the perpetrators cannot
escape before the tribunal of postcrity. how
ever exultant they may now be over the mer-
, ciful forbearance of the present, and callous
to the compunction of conscious guilt.
! My views of the duty of the people of
North-Carolina are too plainly indicated in
what has already been said to require moro
explicit statement in detail. BY the recent
act of Congress, the State is remanded to a
military government, and many of the condi-
tons imposed as preliminary to the estab-
lishment of a civil organization must be ex.
ceedingly distasteful. We might have orga-
J nized loyal government in this State under
less stringent provisions than may be re-
quired in other sections The effort to sep
arate North Carolina from the other insur-
gent States, and to restore it to the Union
on milder terms, made by the bill intro
duced by Mr.. Stevens on the 18th of Decem-
! Der, has already been referred to. That effort
was not only discouraged by the insureent
leaders, but assailed by them in such II vio-
lent and abusive manner, that it was dropp-
ed as unsatisfactory and too lenient. Had
: it been properly received and sustained, we
might have avoided the more harsh features
of the present law, so far as our State is con-
cerned. The necessity for the military fea-
ture of the present law is to be regretted
, and the DISTINGUISHING and disqualifying
clauses are such as il was desirable tn have