Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1868-02-21

than those Of the same race in any part O
the world where they exist in equal densi
ty, yet they are in the main ignorant gen
lerally, wholly unacquainted with the prin
Iciples of free governments, lmprcvident
disinclined to work, credulous, yet suspi
cious, untruthful, incapable of self-restrain
and easily impelled by want, or inclined
by specious counsels into folly and crime
Exceptions, of course there are, and chief
~ among those who have been reared a
servants in our domestic circles and in on
cities. But the general character of on
coiored population is such as we have de
scribed Whose fault is it that they are 81
whether ours, under whose control the,
have certainly become better than thei
brethren in their native Africa-or the faul
tof anybody-it is needless now to inquire
We have to deal with the incontestible fac
that in the main they are unlettered and ca
PRECIOUS barbarians, turned suddenly loose
from the condition of slaves, and eager tC
avail themselves of freedom to indulge and
crafty their desires and passions.
Are these the people in whom should be
vested the high governmental functions OF
enacting and enforcing laws, and estab-
fishing institutions to prevent crime, pro-
tect property, preserve peace and order in
society, and to promote industry, enter
prise and civilization here, and the power
and honor Of the United States? Without
property, without industry, without any
regard for reputation, without control over
their own caprices and strong passions,
and without fear of punishment under laws
by courts, and through iuries which are
created by and composed of themselves,
and those whom they elect, how can it be
otherwise, than that they will, to the great
injury of themselves, as well as of us and
our children, bring blight, crime, ruin and
barbarism on this fair land
Does any one say that your laws do not
make them rulers over us What differ
ence does it make, except to increase jeal-
ousy and intensity antagonism-that white
men are also allowed to vote with the black
when it is so contrived that the black
shall have the predominance and domin
ion We entreat you to pause and observe
how your reconstruction acts are being eX-
ecuted here.
OF the negro population, whose numbers
are many thousands less, the registered
voters are over sixteen thousand more than
those of the white race. And white men
who hate us, and others from sordid mo-
tives cooperating with them, have by their
own procurement or the procurement of
others, and not by the intelligent choice of
the negro-voters, been elected as their del
egates for the purpose, and have framed
and now presented for ratification to those
registered voters, constitution of govern
ment, all of whose best clauses are contain
ed in our present constitution and in every
other instrument of the kind. But these
are made delusive and useless by the dia-
bolical ingenuity Of other provisions, made
to disf1anchise us even beyond the enact
ments of Congress, and to insure over us
and our children and all who come among
US, the ascendancy of the negro race. And
these same designing and malignant enc
mics are prepared, SO soon as that consti-
tuition shall be ratified, to organize, arm,
and invest with power under the forms of
law, militia, to be composed chiefly of
those same negro voters, in order to per-
petuate their lordship over US by the aid of
bullets and bayonets. We cannot believe
that the maiorities of our honorable bod
les intended by your enactments to effect
such reconstruction as this.
| Will you, nearly three years after the
war has ended, when the passions it kin
died should have died ont in the magnan-
| unity which great success ought to inspire,
suffer whole State, full of your kindred,
! civilized, white inhabitants, not only those
who had opposed the government, but wo-
men and children and loyal men who had
adhered to it, to be thus delivered over to
the horrid rule of barbarian negroes ? Do
not compel the honorable officers and brave
men of the armies of the Republic, to hold
US down while such letters are forged IN
our view and yours, and then ignomlnlous-
| " fastened upon us. We are compatriots
of Washington and Henry and Jefferson
and Madison and Marshall and the Pinck-
neys and Marion and Jackson and Clay
Aro
! these potent enough to arouse any respect
for us in your legislative halls
It is said and by frequent repetition you
are made TO believe it true-that the ne
groes and self-styled loyalists cannot have
| Justice done them, and are unsafe among
us, and that we are still in q state of rebel
| lion. The charges are false. Ever since
| the war our courts and upright Judges in
! them have administered justice as impair
italy as anywhere else in the Republic
! And toward the negro (who aided the South
as cheerfully when he was in the Confede
crate lines as he afterwards aided the
Northern armies when and where they had
power), we have been, both from lncl1na-
ton and interest, humane and kind. The
slanderers who say otherwise are OF those
who are seeking to enslave us by your aid.
They arrogate to themselves the majesty of
!
call our opposition to them in their nefari-
GUS endeavors to subject us to new and
unheard of despotism disloyalty to the
| United States.
! When our people surrendered their arms
! they did so absolutely and without any
purpose Of ever again employing them
against the government. Upon its require.
ment we also emancipated our slaves, and
thus reduced ourselves from wealth to pow
erty. Not only this but in every negro we
set free we placed over us and our families
guard for the government upon the tidel-
ity of our allegiance This, it was sup
posed, would be the extreme demand Of
the conquerors. Yet, although by reason
of our impoverishment and the terms of the
instruments creating the war debts CT the
South, it became impossible that they
should ever be paid, and therefore the de-
demand that we should repudiate them
was useless I'VE thought for any other pur-
pose than that of humiiating us, that de-
mand was made; and we submitted, not
without anguish, to the enforced humilia-
ton of expressly repudiating these debts
Standing thus, stripped of arms, stripped
of property, stripped even of credit and
honor, and with negroes at our doors to
strike US down whenever your officers shall
70 do uIo