The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1868-07-14

| repugnance to it which exist among many of our
people, VIII gradually subside, when they shall
| be convinced by actual experience that none OF
The evils they anticipate have resulted from It,
This Constitution. fellow citizens, must be adj
ministered by its friends and supporters. The
people have so decided. The interests it guards
are too precious to be committed to any extent
| to unfriendly hands. Every Office and every en-
ployment in the State, from the most inferior to
the most exalted, must be filled by the friends Of
reconstruction and of the new State Constitution.
| So far as the Executive is concerned this pur-
pose will be infexibly maintained, not only from
sense of propriety and justice, but as lndispen-
sable to a full and fair trial of the principles
contained in the Constitution. These principles
are dear to the friends of liberty and OF the gov
ernment of the United States; and no opportu-
nifty should be afforded to those who are opposed
to them to occupy Official positions or to have
employments, in which they would be tempted,
as they certainly are disposed to peryert, dstort
or misapply them. The friends of the govern
ment must conduct the government in all Its de-
partments. Yet it does not follow that others
will be singled out to be wronged or oppressed.
The people do not Cypress or wrong any one
when they say that certain persons shall not
have Office, account OF their political opinions.
Office is privilege, which may be bestowed
withheld without infringing any right Every
citizen of the State will be free. The laws will
be made for ALL and will operate equally upon all.
Every citizen will enjoy, in equal measure, the
protection of the Courts There will be no social
prescription No effort will be made to blacken
the names of even unrepentant rebels, as was the
! case with the tories of the revolution but it
will be left to history to assign to their appro-
pirate places all the actors in the late tragedy of
rebellion In fine, those who will conduct the
government are not the enemies of any portion
of the people of the State They desire to do
justice to all, and, as far may be, to be the
friends of all. IF the administration of public
affairs shall bring peace, prosperity and happl-
ness, all will share in these blessings; if on the
contrary. it shall produce disorder, and further
; suffering and misery, none will be exempt from
these calamities.
The injunction of the Constitution regarding
education should be faithfully observed Col
leges, high schools, Normal schools for the edu-
cation of teachers and public schools for all,
should be established at the earliest practicable
period, and literally sustained from the public
treasury We should so conduct public
schools as to render them superior to all others
of similar kind in the State, and thus make 1t
the interest, as well as the duty, of parents to
, regard them as common to all, the rich and the
middle classes as we'll as the poor. The first
duty of q free State is to educate its children.
1t cannot be too often repeated that the struc-
, ture and perpetuity of free institutions depend
on the intelligence and virtue of the people We
must either prepare to educate thoroughly the
rising genEration OF beth races or abandon the
; hope that we shall continue free, selfgovern-
ing State 1t does not follow, nor does the Con
stitution require that the white and celored
r shall be educated together in the same schools
f 1t is believed to be better for both, and most
satisfactory to both, that the schools for the two
thus separate and apart should enjoy equally tbs
arming the militia to execute the law suppress
riots or instructions and to repel invasion.
The opinion of Washington uttered in 1870
that '.free people ought not only to be armed
but disciplined and that well organized mill
tia Els certainly object of primary Importance
whether viewed in reference to the national
security to the satisfaction of the community OIL
to the preservation of order" IS not less weighty
: or important now than it was then. The militia
should be organized at once. 1t is the duty OF
the Executive to see that the laws faithfully
!, executed and to preserve peace among the peo
pie This duty will be performed promptly
fearlessly and firmly. Every citizen must submit
to lawful authority, or, refusing to do SO, must
expect the penalties of the violated law. In the
language of our great General, second only to
. him who First in war, first in peace, and
have Peace!' The sword of war, which would
not have been drawn but for the criminal folly
of the recently insurgent States, should never
again be welded by Americans against Ameri-
, cans Every interest that is dear to us, and
= every hope that We may indulge for the future
is indissolubly bound up with peace and tran
guilty among ourselves. But there be no
peace without law, and there can be no efficacy
in law without obedience. The law is over all
} The poor and the humble should be protected to
as full an extent as others. They need more
than others this protection Every one must be
: free to use what is his own. not trespassing on
; the rights of others; to follow his particular
calling employment; to labor. and to enjoy
the fruits of his labor; to speak freely his senti-
ments and to vote as he pleases, and not to be
injured or questioned by any for doing any of
these things. The people of North Carolina are
proverbial for their law abiding disposition. 1t
| is not apprehended that disturbances will arise,
or that combinations will be formed to resist the
laws; yet it is known that many hold the opinion
that the reconstruction laws of the United States
are unconstitutional and therefore null and void;
J and it may be that this may lead, if not to open
resistance to forcible denial in some localities
of the rights guaranteed by the Constitution of
the State. formed and adopted in pursuance of
said laws 1t is also known that disposition
exists, among no inconsidcrable portion of our
population to Cypress the poor whites and the
colored race, on account of their political opin-
ions. The magistrates and the Courts will be
sustained by the whole power of the State, in
such action as may be deemed necessary to pro-
tect those who may be thus wronged or oppressed;
and the magistrates and the Courts will be sus-
tanned by the whole power of the State in giving
effect to the Constitution itself. as having been