The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1867-03-05
A Change of Front.
" am heavy stone, --s...=ss..,-.--. -,
Rolled up a hill by weak child: move
A little ND and tumble back again."


A little up, and tumble back again"
The Sentinel of the 25th February. rejected
the reconstruction act in the Interest and
most contemptuous terms, and one of the
Editors declared, " The bill does not dis
franchise the writer of this, get no act Of his
shall desecrate end dishonor has natice SOIL"
That is, the Sentinel would, in no event,
accept the act Its Editors declared that by
"no act" of theirs would they ever "dese-
crate and dishonor" their "native soil" A
few days pass, and these same Editors, speak
ing for themselves and for Gov. WORTH come
forward in their issue of March End, to urge
that the Legislature of this State call Con-
vention for the purpose OF accepting and
carrying out the act On the 25th February,
1867, they will do nothing under the act to
"dishonor" themselves, but on the End OF
March, 1867, they deliberately propose to
"desecraten their "native soil " and to /" dis
honor themselves by carrying out the act.
We tell the Sentinel this change of front
will amount to nothing. The Legislature Of
North Carolina has no power to call Con-
vention to act for this neao people. No such
call, if permitted by the military comman-
der, would be regarded by the loyal people
There is no more propriety or right in the
present rebel organization to take steps to
restore the State to the Union, than there
would have been in continuing over our
heads the rebel government OF Vance. The
"whole head " OF this State organization " is
sick. The whole heart is faint. 1t is cover
ed all over with wounds, bruises and putri-
tying Sores" And then there is " no balm in
Gilead; there is no physician there" by
whom this wounded and tainted body can
be healed
The new government must be fresh from
the people In the language of Mr.. Lincoln,
it must be "of the people, by the people, Tor
the people" The conclusive point is that
this is a neeo people, for which the old, decay
ing rebel organization has no power to act.
This new people will move in due time in
the work of reconstruction, and they will be
sustained and protected in their action by
the whole military power of the government,
if necessary.
We speak adviscdly. Let the Unionists
of the State hold themselves in readiness to
move at the first tap of the drum.
WHAT THE RADICALS WILL Do.-The Bal
timore -4naerican of Tuesday said:
THE loyal people intend to purify the in
situations of this great republic. They have
n,,lI- oSI1rn fNF
abstract propriety, but of political and ma
tional propricty but of political and nation
al safety. In this they will not be hindered
by the Supreme Court or any other branch
of the government. Thepeople are the gov
eminent; the controlling power. heJudges,
like the President are the mere instruments
through whom they work. All must yield
Ivy some means or other, sooner or later, to
the deliberately formed judgment and will
definitely expressed by the people"
And the Gazette of Wednesday common
ted as follows:
$50 passes away the Constitution of the
United States, and with it constitutional
government and civil liberty. Millions of
men on this continent to-day stand rs COM
pletely Invested of political rights and the
protection OF any laws as ever did the lieSe
subject of any absolute monarch on earth.
Into the future we shrink from gazing. Con-
fiscation and Rapine, ruin and confusion,
must soon begin their ruthless work, and
where they will complete it, no man may
know"
This is very pretty talk by the Gazette
The Union must be restored, and treason
must be made odious, no matter what the
consequences may be.
The most grinding and bloody despotism
that ever existed on this continent was the
so-called Confederate government. Millions
of men under that government were "as
completely Invested of political rights
and the protection of any laws, as the liege
subjects of any absolute monarch on earth"
Union men had no freedom of spirit or
body. They were required to fight in
cause which they abhorred, and when they
endeavored to save themselves they were
hunted and shot like cartridges in the
mountains. There was no freedom of any
Sort except to support and laud the Rich
mond despotism. We thank God we have
been rescued from all these horrors, and that
we are now permitted to enjoy freedom of
mind and body under the mild rule of the
federal government.
THE BANKRUPT LAw.-The last New
York Tribune says there was some chance