The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1868-09-30

q .
mcnt, would remind them of his dying
words. When the wife bent over the scarce
breathing form of the expiring statesman,
and asked if he had no message to send to
his children, "Tell them" said he in voice
rendered almost inaudible by the near APP
proach of death, "to obey and support the
Constitution and the laws of the land" Tins
solemn injunction / intend to obey. When
see myself personally abused Ivy the Con,
sentative press on account OF my political
sentiments, and called traitor to the State
in which l was born, would recall to their
recollection the time when was declared an
alien enemy. About the year l 81 q bill
was filed summoning Thomas Settle (now
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court,) and
r. A. Ellington to Greensboro to show cause
why they should not surrender the property
of Robert NJ and Stephen A. Douglas, alien
enemies of the Confederacy and when
am denounced rs Yankee and carpet
hagger, l would remind them of their ef-
forts to drive me an exile from my
native State, and render me stran-
ger to the soil that gave me birth,
as, however have inherited my fathers
NAME and his principles, it is natural that
l should inherit their animosity. Neverthe-
less it is strange that these men, his bitter.
est enemies in life should now claim to be
the truest opponents of his principles; but
not more strange than that they should now
assert themselves the best friends of the Con-
stitution of the United States, and the in
fallible Interpreters of its provisions, after
they have sacrificed hundreds of thousands
of lives, and thousands of millions of treas
ure to trample into the dust that sacred in
strument.
Such is their consistency, and such it is
throughout all their political principles. II
white Republican addresses crowd of
colored men, expressing his honest senti-
ments, instructing them in their rights and
duties, and advising them as friend, that
action involves social equality, and is dis
reputable.
High-born Conservatives, however, can
mingle promiscuously among colored men
at barbecues, eat from the same sheep, and
drink from the same bottle. and they deserve
the praise of their fellow citizens. If a COL
ored man, following his honest convictions,
votes for the best interests of his race, and
as all his higher instincts prompt him, he is
totally unworthy of the ballot, and is even
unfit to dig bare subsistence from the
bosom of the common earth. II, on the
other hand, that colored man proves trail
tor to his race-votes to consi ign himself, his
wife, and his children to condition
worse than slavery, for they all say
that the condition of an old free negro
was worse than chat of slave, he is respect
able and his swarihy hand is worthy of
grasping the sweetest flowers plucked by the
snowy fingers of Cardinals tairest daughters.
BY reference to the columns of the Standard
you will learn that in the town of Chapel
Hill, of classic fame, the ladies, to testify
their admiration for the eloquence of col
ored Conservative orator, presented him with
an elegant boquet of flowers. I have no
objection to this. The flowers were their
own, and they may give them to whom they
please but claim the same right, as long
as observe the restraints of public decency,
of deciding upon the propriety or improprie-
ty of my own conduct. The time has gone
by when one man was better than another
because he happened q be born in independ.
emit circumstances, and henceforth Virtue and
Intelligence alone shall be the criteria of
merit. Nothing more clearly shows the ut
ter hopelessness OF the so-called Conservative
cause, and the political degradation to which
the party has descended, than the means
employed to ensure success; since they are
afraid to leave the result with the unbiased
votes of the citizens of the State and coun-
try. Any man who, by refusing employ
ment to all who will not swear to vote the
Democratic ticket, and this is done openly
all over the entire State, attempts to starve
a colored man into voting against his DELHI
ORC fa op1 ha into 70 Of
his race, is less worthy of the ballot than the
negro whom he influences
Consider, then, the difference between the
candidates, Seymour, former Governor of
New York, and Grant, the consuerer of the
rebellion. 1t is true that Seymour may be
the more fluent speaker, that is, may find
more to talk about; but when Gen. Grant
has anything to say, he is pretty generally
understood since, for instance, as his "Im-
mediate and unconditional surrender" The
former know by reputation, the latter per-
sonally. General Grant has not the quail
ties requisite in hero of romance; but the
very fact that his mind is so equally bal
anced that no one trait predominates, ex-
cept, perhaps, his invincible firmness and
devotion to Constitutional liberty, fits him
to calm the domestic troubles of the coun-
try his sword has saved. But 1 have no
fears of the result. have too much confidence
in the intelligence and patriotism of my fel-
low citizens of North Carolina, and of the
entire Union. With this implicit trust I
look forward to the 4th of next March,
when Grant and Colfax will take their seats
as the Inauguration of new era, when peace
and plenty will smile over the entire coun-
try healing, the breaches made by the late
civil war; while the old flag will once more
wave in triumph over a happy and united
| land.