Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1867-05-03
isadfcnlEzing the Suuth.

mat every Cj1DfC WOnld Dc lnGdt 10 raul
calizo the South is not more evident from
the campaign just inauguratcd By the Re
publican Committee at Washington and the
advent III our midst of such leaders and or
ators as Wilson, Kelley and Nye, and such
vagabonds as Conway, than it was by the
legislation which preceded. If we belicv
ed this effort to extend their party OrSani
zation into the South proceeded from de-
termination to restore these States to their
just position under the Constitution, wheth-
er their labors were successful or not, we
would hail with pleasure the zeal with which
this party has opened, and the spirit with
which it is determined to conduct, their
Southern campaign. If we felt that the
course they have adopted had been founded
in honorable obligation to this section, and
that they desired, regardless Of their Sue
cess that the South should take part in the
next Presidential election;- we believed
that this campaign bound the dominant
party to the implied pledges of the Military
bill, we would joyfully welcome the whole
Radical Congress, in weekly instruments
nay, they might turn loose upon us the
whole pack,
''Thc little dogs and all,
Tray, Blanch and Sweetheart >
Conway, Hunnicutt and Holden, as fire.
quently as their interest and their means
would justify.
/ Since tho cessation of hOstilities, just
| two years ago, We have desired above every
/ thing else complete restoration of the
Union and the honorable reconciliation of
the Sections. We saw nothing then, either
in the progress of the war, or the manner
OF conditions of the surrender which should
have prevented this nor could we see any
thing to hinder these desirable objects in
| the honorable compliance of the South
with the terms Of that surrender. We know
that every consideration of policy; of ma
tional interest and national prosperity; the
preservation of the Constitution, and it
might be, of liberty, made these things par
amount objects of wise craftsmanship, and
we have seen nothing since but political
Vaccinations and party interests to prevent
the accomplishment Of these patriotic pur-
poses.
As much as we desire the carly restora-
ton of the Union and the cessation of the
present military government, there lisa price
too great to pay for it. We would much
prefer to remain under the present gov
eminent than give the South over to the
views Of the extreme Radicals, who como
among us, it would seem, to inaugurate q
struggle between the races,-to array the
blacks against the whites-to persuade the
blacks that the whites of the South are
see such men as assembled in Raleigh in
March get possession of our State govern
ment, we will gladly welcome General Sic
kles as our military ruler, and look eventu-
ally to the sober second thought of the
people of the North for justice, which We
| know we could never receive from dishon
est and dishonorablc politicians who are
irving to float to the surface in the present
civil chaos.
So far as the Radicals are concerned, the
time has gone by when much can be ac-
complished for their benefit. If modera-
ton had prevailed in their councils-if JUS
tice had marked their legislation towards
our people-if confidence in our honesty
had been shown, they could have APP
| preached us with some chances of ultimate
success, but now, with the exception of idle
and vicious negroes and worse white men,
their efforts will be futile. As q rule, the
elections at the South will prove no excep-
ton to those at the North, where it is
found that the laborers in the mines of
Pennsylvania, the factories of Massachu-
sets and the ship yards of Maine, vote
with their employers, not from fear or COM
pulsion, and if not conviction, at least from
policy. 1t will be the same at the South.