The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1868-09-09
For the Standard,
Our Status.

Our Status.
North Carolina being disorganjzed and para
lived at the close of the war, could not renstatc
herselfin practical cooperation with the Unit
made By that all her officers were required to
take an oath to support the Constitution OF the
United States They had not done so, and ncili-
or had these officers de t,tcfo who ordered, held
and passed upon their elections. The clock had
run down, and there WAS no key, and Nd one TO
use il if there were (undcr her Constitution and
laws,) by which it could be wound up again. Who
could be so mad AS to suppose that the United
Suites would recognize, us loyal officers, those
not qualified Ms solcnnly required and agreed
upon and they, too, and their Immediate prede
cessors in open and avowed antagonsm to her
government? Even the political folly and mad
ness of the last ten years could hardly compass
that intensity. When North Carolina went into
the Union in 1885, she was organized and pre-
pared to perform her duties to the United States,
so she was in 1861 when she undertook to go out;
but she was not so-s8loSnt;chlly not so-in 1850,
when she surrendered. The Convention called
by President Johnson in 1876, so held and Or
dained. All persons so felt and acknowledged
when subjugation was fresh. What had been her
Constitution Was still on paper, but by msuser
and nonuser she had virtually lost it, and if left
TO herself would have to resort again to the cle-
mentary and primary process by which it was
originally formed. 1t was dead letter. 1t was
an abandoned ship without q legal hcmsnan,
crew or owner. Well, in this dilemma, President
johnson says 1 will start you gentlemen, will
establish provisional government and call Con
vention, which may frame Constitution-the
old one if preferred-wth certain prescribed
changes. 1t is called, and adopts Constitution,
slightly differing from the old one, and the people
reject 1t. And they do so under the lead OF such
men as Vance Graham and Rufn-the latter pro-
claiming the Presidents Provisional GorernOrto
be satrap, and dcnouncing the Convention and
its doingB as being revolutionary, null and void.
So there has been no revival of the old Constitu-
ton, all the recent governments having been only
provisional. Upon what ground then does the
claim to States rights rest, of which we hear 50
much? The idea seems to be vague and unde
fined, but so far as can understand its import,
it is that State cannot lose any political right
by rebellion, and that although our Constitution
is practically defunct, yet Congress or the Prcsi
dent or both, ought to restore it 10 us just as it
was, and that in making this restoration they
have no right to require 4 modification OF il. If
this be so, then slavery has not been abolished in
North Carolina. Or if the United States
may prescribe one condition, why not another?
Besides, if We have TO fall back upon original com
pacts would We not be bound by it in 1889, when
il made, rather than in 1861, after its altera-
ton? And until 1895, flee negroes could vote
and hold Office under 1t; and even in 1861 they
could hold Office. Technical reasoning alone
could support this idea but that cffectualy dis
proves if, because it establishes indisputably that
our old Constitution is abandoned and defunct,
and it cannot show that the United States are
bound to restore it, without any discretion about
terms.
Whether Congress has prescribed wise terms or
not is different question: that is of policy and
not of right. Governor Wise must have been
possessed of this bright idea about inalienablc
State rights when he advocated fighting IN The
Union. 1t is certainly grand idea-onc vague,
cute, mystical and abstract enough to cnthuse
the very brain and soul of pure secessionist or
nullifier. For il not twin brothers. they are GER
tainly birds of a father. They are made of the
ntnth op1 nNTtI h.
was not wrapped up i'll distractions and pride,
or was not incurably selfish, wiilful, dogmati-
cal and domincering; and they generally have
all these characteristics Notification, too, here
toiorc was merged in secession, while seces-
sion now is about to emerge into null
LITIGATION But all the time it is
the same snbtle, insinuaing, hypocrtical,
wrathful. disorganizing spirit. 1t leigns to
wear veil of peace, but every honest man OF
moderate capacity and selfpossession can see
that all its lineaments are those of strife, war
and bloodshed. Its inevitable tendency has been
and still is to arouse passions and to strangle
reason. But to return to the subject.
Judge Pearson says, the notion that as the
stantly after the surrender entitled to all the
rights of State as if nothing had happened, is
falacy''
He does not argue this position, but we may
all be assured that he would not formally and |
earnestly announce an opinion upon grave con-
stitutional question without having thoroughly |
investigated it, To udertake to establish all his
positions by argument and authority, would de-
mand volume instead of a letter, and he well |
knew that it was his opinions which his country |
men wanted, and not the process of reasoning by |
which he reached them all. And those who have |
confidence in his ability and integrity, know how
to value his opinions. /
Congress certainly has n right to admit new |
States or to reject them if their constitutions are
objectionable. And it would be strange if an |
old State, really and virtually without cOnsti- |
tuition, could of right claim full participation in
the Government with the privilege to form just |
such constitution US she might wish. .U3 /
Would not this be offering premium to rebel. |
lion and disorganiZation? 1t would be strong |
incentive to notification, which Judge Pearson |
justly styles "hydra-beaded" He says too |
"the New York Convention declares our State |
government mere creation of usurpatiOn and |
of course not entitled to the allegiance of the |
people; and it proclaims the reconstruction |
acts of Congress unconstitutional, revolutionary
and 1oid' emitting the word null, lest it might
call up unpleasant recocctions of the DAYS oil |
notification. But Gen. Blair is not so artful. |
He says there is but one aOdy to restore the gov
eminent and the Constitution, and that is for
the President elect to declare these acts rail
and void, compel the army to undo its usurpa-
tons at the South, dispersc the carpet-bag State
governments, and allow the white people to re-
organize their own governments and elect Sena-
tors and Representatives" And he afterwards
adds sit is the sure way to avoid all future strife
10 put Tue ISSUE pIaihiy 10 Tue country ana |
mind you, his letter was written to the Conven-
tion before his nomination, and he tells them in
it ~ wish to stand before The Convention upon
this ISSUE" And thercupou he is unanimously
nominated. Well may Judge Pearson say, 1--WE |
agitated and clustered about secession and war, |
when not one in ten expected it would come to
that. Shall we now agitate and buster about
notification and warsand be surprised at q SINH
lar result? Shall We not, take lesson from ex-
perience? Such agitation and buster for party
purpose is not only deceitfu but it seems to
Inc wicked, as it may lead to such awful conse-
p quences." He thinks il will lead to civil war
and as he says "to such war! The mind re-
volts at its contemplation. The war we have
just passed through is nothing compared to it,"
3r -.J Ft- III h. III II. ClVIS. ru /
Chatham County, August 2S 1868. f,,