The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1868-06-16

ue ocntt'aec refers to Southern Republi-
cans as creatures having .sguilty conscien-
ces.' In the first place, the vilest of al,
creatures are such as the Editors of that
journal and their followers. who rcbelled
against good government, were whipped
and suhjugated, and solemnly promised
to submit, and then broke that promise
and became more rebelIious than before =
Such creatures" have thus twice periured
their souls. In the very nature of things
when they see and reflect on their great sin.
they mast feel that they are lost to all
truth, to all decency. and all patriotism.
Hence their desperation. In the second
place, there is blood on their consciences-
the blood of murder, of conscripts shot and
hanged, OF women and children widowed
and orphaned, and in some cases starved by
their policy-of whole land drenched in
fraternal blood to crafty their lust for DOW
er and nftice-of churches divided-of fam
lilies alienated, the father against the son,
and the son against the fathcr-of in fine, a
condition OF things which starts gray hairs
on young heads, which hardens delicate fin-
gers in the toll for daily bread, which dooms
myriads of innocent children to beggary and
ignorance, which drives strong men to in
sanity and death !! Great God what guilt is
there which does not burden the souls OF
such creatures" as the Editors of the iSe,ati-
mel and their followers2 And yet such
"creatures," instead of keeping silence in
view of their enormous crimes against hu-
manity and against their country, are con-
stantly engaged in maligning and traducing
our best people. Let them go on. The
country is free in spite of them, and they can,
therefore, say what they please; but they
nre only adding to the weight of that popu-
lar condemnation which is constantly In.
creasing against them, and which will ulti-
mately consign them to an infamy compared
with which Arnold, and Burr, and other be-
trayers of their country will appear respec-
table.
Our readers will bear witness that it is not
our habit to assail personally or bemcan and
abuse the leading men of the opposition in
this State. Every harsh word we use is
drawn from us in legitimate selfdefence-
Scores of our best and wortiest public men
are constantly held up by name, by the
Sentinel and other secession prints, and the
bitterest and lowest abuse heaped upon
them, solely because they are Republicans
They are ridiculed personally, their appear
ance and habits are distorted. and their pri-
vate conversations are logged before the
public. We have never retaliated in this
respect, as we might have done. We know
many of the opposition leaders who are OBJ
noxious to all kinds of criticism, and whose
feelings might be deeply panied by illusions
we could make to them. But we will not do it
Human imperfections, poverty, shifts for
employment, efforts for promotion, and all
such things are common to men of all par
ties. Many of the public men thus assailed
and bemeaned by the Sentinel, were, only a
few years since, the accepted and cherished
political associates of the Editors of that
journal. They are the same honorable men
now they were then. The only difference is
they do not agree with the Sentinel in their
DoiiticS- $780, -.