The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1868-06-03

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hitting certain class of citizens to partlc-
ipation in the exercise of political rights.
It is said that as they have just emerged
from degrading and demoralizing state OF
bondage, they are unfit to he judges ofwhat
is necessary or conducive to their own well
fare. But let me answer these and similar
objecti''ns in the language of Macaulay, who
expresses much better than could clio the
weakness of the objections to this feature OF
reconstruction. He says: tash
There is only one cure for the evils
which newly acquired freedom produces,
and that cure is freedom. When a prisoner
first leaves his cell, he cannot bear the light
of day, he is unable to discriminate color or
recognize faces. But the remedy is, not to
remand him into his dungeon, but to accus-
tom him to the rays of the sun. The blaze
of truth and liberty may at first dazzle and
bewilder nations which have become half
blind in the house CT bondage. But let
them gaze on, and they will soon be able to
bear it. b* *ig*t = Many politicians of
our time are in the habit of laying it down
as self evident proposition that no people
ought to be free till they are fit to use their
freedom. The maxim is worthy of the fool
in the old story, who resolved not to go into
the water until he had learned to swim.
If men are to wait for liberty till they be-
come wise and good in slavery, they may in
deed wait forever"
Hence, let the. true democracy be the
groundwork Of reconstruction. Let there
be no masters and no slaves, no privileged
and no DISTINGUISHED classes, but put them
all on the same broad footing of equality
before the law. Let all men have fair
start in the race of life. Let no man be
without the means of self-protection and of
indicating his own views, feelings or prin-
ciples Let there be no rightless class, no
government without the consent of the gov.
erned Let there be no odious or irritating
| distinctions ON the ground of color or opin
ion. The reconstruction laws of Congress
i have partially fulfilled these requirements.
But TO establish peace, security, and recon-
citation, all considerations of enlightened
state manship command US to go one step
further, and couple universal amnesty with
universal suffrage. We want the Southern
whites to accept the situation. But those
that are disfranchised never will. This is hui
man nature and is easy accounted tor.
Hence, let them all vote, whites and blacks,
and become reconciled to each others po-
ltical rights Let peace and security he re-
established, and the title of the Northern
capital and enterprise will flow into the
South. Her agriculture will revive on a new
basis; her commerce will spread and pros
per; new towns and villages will arise,
| while the old ones take anew start OF i'm
provement: and the ex-Rebel, now impov-
erished and believing himself outraged, will
suddenly discover that all this change has
been for his benefit; that he has profited by
the abolition of Slavery that his property
has tre5led and quadrupled in value that
new chances and opportunities of enriclnng
| himself are crowding around him, and that
| free labor, after all, is a blessing and not an
injury. Then it will be that his political
views will undergo change. Your past
experience, gentlemen of the South ought
to warn you against placing any dependence
on, or listening to the advice of, the worst
enemy you ever had-the Democratic party.
In tine legends of the middle ages, the devil
secured wealth and success to those with
whom he had entered into compacts; but it
was at the final expense of their lives and
souls. The Democratic party has done the
bidding of the South. It has been a will
ling instrument in the hands of its South
ern masters, but the instrument has ruined
its master The devil has enforced the
price of his services. BY its misrepresenta-
tions of Northern character and sentiment,
the Democratic party deluded them into Sc
cession and rebellion. By its false assur-
ances of coming reaction in the North. the
Democratic party caused them to persist in
a hopeless war. There was a time when
submission to the authority of the Union
would have saved Slavery. Had the Con-
federates, after the preliminary proclamation
of Abraham Lincoln, laid down their arms,
they would have been welcomed hack with
Joy, and the fatted calf would have been
slaughtered for their reception. The Demo-
cratic party is ready to infict further ruin
and misery on its unfortunate victim. 1t
has plunged the South in a war ofiseces-
sion and rebellion it will next plunge it
into war of races Its unceasing labors
are directed to the bringing about of such
horrible calamity. 1t fans indefatigably the
flames of most barbarious hatred of race.
1t strains every nerve to excite the passions
and violence of the mob against the negro.
1t cudgels its dull brains to overwhelm him
with ridicule and abuse. 1t recognizes no
rights which, white men are boundto re.
spect 1t does not recognize the obligation
OF the nation to stand by those who have
stood by the flag when everybody else had
deserted it. But, gentlemen Of the South,
you can no longer tramplet humanity in the
dust. You cannot re-establish slavery, or its
likeness. The negroesswill assert their free
com. They will not be deprived of their
civil rights. They will not surrender polt-
ical rights which they have once enjoyed
Beware, then, Of men whom you have made
to teach them to be human. You may or
ganize Ku-klux Klans and assassinate refrac-.
tory individuals, but such course is sure to
lead to a terrible day Of retribution. Why,
then, rush on blindly to death and rdestruc-
ton? Why give up your country second
time to misery and devastation Why not
take warning from the past and discard the
pernicious promptings and destructive poll
cy of the Democratic party? Four millions
of human beings who have once tasted lib
erty, and whose claim to justice is recog-
nized and backed by the moral sentiment Of
the country, cannot forever be outraged with
impunity. Hence, if listening to the voice
of reason, humanity, and to all the consid-
erations of your own pecuniary interests,
you discard the policy of the Democratic
party, curb the spirit of violence and feroc-
ity, pint an end to the burning Of churches
and schoolhouses, and establish and main
tain peace and security, the negroes will he,
not your enemies, but your workmen, field
hands, tradesmen or mechanics. and regen--
Grated South will arise, Phoenix like, from
the ashes of past confagrations.
/ But if Needless of the Lessons of thes nast
you follow the lead and policy of the Dem.
ocratic party, there will be no revival of
| prosperity: blOodshed and violence will