The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1868-05-20
80 L'''tT3 = ~
Observation-Disclosures {

r.
may be, tp secure the nhappiness Of each i'm
diviualb by form of government and code .
Of laws adapted to their existing wants and y
necessities. Tie ground work Of the Re-,
publican party is the principle, that all the
citizens are equal in 3respectito eiol and po-
i2itical rights, This is the foundation of the
y American. Republican system, and distin- O
,guishes ourlgoyernmflent from the nognlarchies
and aristocraciesof Etrope, Those govern,
ments are founded upon the idea of caste,
that is, that one class Of men are born soit, or
derive from their; Creator certain ert4 political
privileges which, are denied to other men, {.
Color, has lnotlang to do with This distinc-i
ti6onn... THE white serfs Of Europe are as much
under the ban, as the slaves of the, United
States once were. This idea of caste pre-
walls amongst us. Those who make ny rfee-7
tension to statesnlanship, and who who would
deny the right of suffrage to the colored Il
people, assert at tue same time that this
right should be taken away from the poor
and tiheducated whites In one word con !,
servatism means simply this none but the
educated and the property7holders should be
allowed to takeany part in the government.
The vast majority of the people, both white
and colored, not being blessed with wealth
or education, are thus placed at the mercyof
the governing few, and all history shows
that a limited governing class or oligarchy'
have invariably oppressed the masses to ad-
vance themselves. The same line of argyll.
ment that takes suffrage from the black man,
takes it away from the humble white man
and conservative politicians have no hesitaii /
ton in saying privately, that if their views
were carried oht, there should be property
| qualification for white and black alike Ifthe
I northumberland white man would guard his
own rights, let him see to it that the colored
citizens are not deprived Of theirs. 9Tf l
In extending this right of suffrage to the
colored citizens, we have not encroached
upon the rights of any one. And yet the
cry of oppression has gone up from the low
ers of the dtimes and customs, that their
rights are .disregarded, and That they are
trampled into the dust, because, forsooth,
equal rights have been textendedto others!
1t was upon the same principle, that the
oJews of old waxcd exceedingly wrotli and
mpplained of an infringement on vested
rights when the gates of Heaven were de-
eIared open to the tGentiles The late Con-
vention imposed no disabilities on the con-
trary, they. did not even continue the dis
franchising clause in the Howard amend
ment. or in the Reconstruction measures. This
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by those in. whose favor the concession was
made Although everything was done that
could be. done to soothe irritated feelings, to
conciliate and to yield to prejudice where
principle was not involved, the expected re-
| suits have not followed Bitterness against
scallawags and carpet-baggers has not aba
ted one :iot The Republicans are still held
up as a party of advcnturers,1 mercenaries
and ignorant negroes 1t is charged against
us that VIC experience a. tiendish delight in
witnessing what they are pleased to call the
ruin Of the State and the degradation Of
our people, and this in the face of the fact,
that. thirty five. thousand native white men
voted for the Constitution and the Republic,
can ticket, The Cause of this clamor does
not arise from any real fear that the interests
of the State are in jeopardy. 1t proceeds
from quite "a different source The fact is,
that a few families have enjoyed the privil-
ege of governing the State and disposing of
its patronage for so long tlme,, that they
have actually come to the conclusion that,
their interest has become vested by possess
sion. This will account for theirwailings and
paroxysnls' when they .isec e interlopcrs and
intruders," or in other words, those outside
Of the family ring" occupying the seats
which they themselves have warmed for so
lengg,a period Of years., Thus reasons and
| bewails the defunct oligarchy. -" .,ni,,
IF it would not be. waste of words. we,
might reason with these despondents as fol-
lows: In the first place. the government of
North Carolina must be administered tor the
benefit Of the whole people, and not in the
interest of any particular families or class
In the second place, we would .endeav vor to
show, that the Republican State officers and
members of Congress elect have not been
guilty of arrogance and presumption. They
have not thrust themselves upon the people
| OF their own motion North-O Carolina was
to be restored to her Constitutional relations
to the general government and to begin
writing out new history, Z, The old oligar-
chy was unwilling to undertakehtEe work.
Not only were they unwilling, but they were
totally unable. They were disqualified by
education, habit, prejudice ana hostility to I
the government. The work had to be done
and it must be done by competent m men.-
What, then, was more natural than that the
lo7al peoplefof the State should entrust this
work to the hands of those who were in full
sympathy the government, and who were
thoroughly imbued with the Republican
principles of progress and the equality Of
citizenship Old things had passed away
The ideas of forty years ago had become
obsolete. In short, slavery was gone, and all
the results of slavery were to be eradicatedn
as a-natural consequence Tt was not t,s,s ,ex-,
pected that those who still looked back to
tile fesh-potsof the pastwouid bcthe proper
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