The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1868-08-29
A North Carolina Conservative
Declares for Grant.

B ti4at olatt Is wei worth pclGsal. Judge
Pearson is himself Conservative, but the
defiant and threatening attitude of the rcb
els in his midst, their loud cIamor for revo
/ luton and war; has induced the more sturdy
/ men to consolidate against them and adyo,
cate the elcc ion Of Grant and Colfax:
/ To the Conservative Party:
! am alarmed at the condition ofthe coun.
try, and fear we are drifting into another
civil war. lnmy opinion the " war clouds -
are as dark now as in the winter of 1860 81.
We were then promised "peaceiul seces.
sion !; we are now to haze peaceful multi
fcatiun.' Under these circumstances |
feel 1t to be duty to make known the reas-
oning by which have arrived at the CON
cluslon that every man who has an interest
at stake, and who wishes to have peace and
avoid bloodshed, should vote for Grant and
ColtaN. Beng member of the Consrrv-
tive party, and having been elected Chief
Justice of the Supreme Court on the nomi-
nation OF both parties, by a unanimous vote
of the people, it is fair to presume that |
, have their confidence, and that what | say
, will he considered calmly as the advice of a
friend who has no motive save the public
good. | trust to be held justified, by the
emergency, tor expressing my opinion. and
to be allowed to do so, without being drawn
into the vortex Of politics. with my views
silence would be criminal. God Almighty
forbid a war of races. Violent politicians
avow their purpose to agltate, turn things
upside down, nullifiy, and bring on another
war, rather than submit to let the negroes
vote and hold office. But is it not the part
of wisdom and patriotism to accept I" the sit
uation,' and try to make the most of a bad
bargain. rather than make bad worse? |
connot, as others seem to be able to do.
exclude from my mind the fact that the
South attempted revolution and was sub
Iugated, and our condition is one of the bit
ter fruits of rebellion, "Let us have
peace This is the point on which my
opinion rests.
The New York Convention declares our
State government, a mere creation of usur-
patton, and OF course not entitie to the al
leglance of the people; and it proclaims the
reconstruction acts Of Congress ''unconsti-
tutlona revolutionary, and void omit
ting the word null, lest it might call up I'M
pleasant recollections of the DAYS of nulifi-
alton, when the strong will of jackson pre-
venteu III. II the reconstruction acts are
void. so are the Reconstruction measures of
President johnson, and H.. negroes are
still slaves. This leads to war 'G1t 1t
said s. slavery and secession are dead is
sues. Why, or how? Admit, however,
that the only object is to deprive freedmen
of their political rights. How can that be
effected? Some say % it is to be done by
the ballot and not by the bayonet." How
That is the question. The freedmen are
now in possession of the right to vote of
course, if they vote the Constitution cannot
be amended, so the only mode is to carry
out practically the doctrine that the recon,
structon acts are void, and our Constitution
is otno effect. This is notification, and, dis
gulsc Ii as they may, it must result III war
History furnishes no instances or four mil
Hons of people, backed, as they are, in our
State, by clear majority Of 10000 votes,
being deprived Of political rights which they
have enjoyed for years. 1t cannot he done
of nature.
| will specify instances where bad was
made worse by violent politicians.
l. We abored under 4 supposed incon-
vencnce in not being allowed to carry
slaves into the Territories, and owing to the
prejudice against slavery, fugative slave
could not be reclaimed under the act of Con
greSs without more cost than his value. To
remedy this the South seeded. We lost all
our slaves!
,. At the Fortress Monroe Conference it
was i'll our power 10 be restored to all the
rights of State, provided we would submit
to gradual emanci patton; that is, every ne.
gro born after day to be fixed, should be
tree at the age OF twenty-orc. But the cry
was, Independence or nothing, - fight ii
out. when 1t was known We could not open
the Spring campaign without reinforce
ment of 200, 600 negro soldiers which was
impossible, or if possible, fatal to our cause
The result was a surrender without terms
millions of freedmen in our midst. So bad
was again made worse
3. What was to be done with the freed
men? The idea of four millions of people,
not slaves. existing in our midst without
some political right, was out of the qucs-
ton: AT that time we had it III our power
to put all things right by submit ting to quail
fled negro suffrage. That is, let every
freedman who could read and write, or own
ed, say 500 worth Of property, have the
right to vote. Not much harm would have
come OF this, for the negro vote would have
been scattered and neutralized. But no
"This is white mans Government
Prejudice excluded reason. How did it re-
suit? The State is reduced to a military
district, with provisional government, sub
iect to the order of the general command
suffrage and the right to hold office. These
terms. imposed by the General Government,
have been submitted to and acted upon
4 clear majority of %. 900 votes has fixed
the matter SO bad was again made worse!
Let me ask, why did General Lee surren-
der? Because he could not hel pit! For
the same reason we must submit to the polit-
zeal t the social (for that is thing under
our own control) equality of the freedmen.
This is "the situation the question is,
shall we go on and again make bad worse,
or shall We try to make the best oft?
The freedmen have still an underlined i'm.
precision that there is still wish to reduce
them to slavery They certainly have well
founded belief that there is determination
to deprive them of political equality.
This makes them "pull together re-
move the pressure and their vote will be
neutraized. How is this pressure to be re-
moved? By giving them assurance that we
" acquiesce,' and are content to allow them
political equality. How is that assurance to
he given? BY electing Grant and Colfax.-
Then We shall have peace, the country will
have repose, which it SO much needs. But
elect the candidates of the other party
This certiiies the freedmen that we are not
content to let things stand as they are it is
an open ucCIdiatiOl Vi VIII, anu lHeJ Will
stand firm in solid column against us, sup
ported by what has been called in derision,
1.-The mean white men," but supported by
enough to give them Il majority of 10000
votes. What is to be the result? Agita-
ton, of course, but there is reason to fear
worse may come of it. Has it ever been
known that four millions Of people, after
enjoying political rights for years, could be
reduced to vassalage without civil war;
And such a civil war! The mind revolts at
its contemplation. The war we have just
passed through is as nothing compared to
it.
MY conclusion is, we must concede to the
freedmen political equality, if we can only
satisfy them we do so in good faith by
voting tor Grant and Coltax. Then there
will be an end of the strife. The contem
plation OF war and bloodshed will be put far
from US. The freedman will become salts
fed that it is for their good interest to allow
us to have the guidence ofpublic affairs, and
the innate power and vigor Of the white man
will convince the world that we are able to
carry weight of four millions imposed on
us by the unaccoutable DEGREES of Provi
deuce, and still work out our destiny as the
grandest Republic that has ever been known
among the nations. Il. NJ. PEARSON.