Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1869-03-19
From the Anti-SlaVery Standard.


We have felt and said that the course of
General Grant was open to grave criticism.
But we have always judged him by his &C
tions always allowing that he meant all
he said and would do all he promised. We
propose the same rule in time to come
We shall take his words as earnestly meant,
and we shall wait for action before we crit
icise him in his new Office. Thus far we
have only thanks to give him. For three
things in his inaugural we desire to give
him credit. With full heart and most ear
nestly, we thank him for his frank, prompt
and hearty Endorsement of the constitu-
tional amendment. The words in which he
refers to it show that his heart is in the
right place and that he cordially accepts the
lesson of the War. II emancipation made
Lincoln the slaves President, these pre-
cious and stateemenlike words make Grant
the negro s President. We hail with SINH
lar feeling his assertion that his policy
looks to the IS citizenship" of the Indian.
Let him cover the Indian with this shield
and give him, for the present at least, a
department in the Cabinet which shall
watch his rights, and President Grant will
have met these two great problems CT race
with brave and wise, as we'll as just states
| m anship r 5tt-
The third pledge of his inaugural we
hail is that which promises a vigorous and
rigorous execution of law. We trust That
! here his words mean literally all they say,
and only wish they had been more decisive
and unequivocal. Our complaint of Grant
hitherto has been that he had power with
out using it that he has sat and seen Union
men murdered unavenged. Some of his
friends excuse him on the ground that Pres
ident Johnson crippled the General At
last..the Ku-Klux have left the White House.
Those midnight towards need only half a
dozen summary executions in as many
States to disappear forever. If we were
| in the Senate we would confirm no man
for any Office from any Southern State.
Kentucky included, mot even Holt, till
| life was as safe there as in Vermont
Shoot and hang first nominate and confirm
afterward.
| We say amen, most heartily, to all the
inaugural contains about public credit and
payment in gold. But there is a debt just
as sacred as the bonds, the debt we owe to
the Southern loyalist, black and white
This debt is their immediate and perfect
protection. If either is entitled to prece-
dence this comes first in obligation and
Importance This is to be paid in blood
long before the other is paid in coin. The
bondholder only gains by waiting. For
| y
and agony cut short is an indesciibable
gain. The governments faith with the
bondholder has .never- been broken. To.
wards this other creditor the government
| has been periared and faithless for four
bitter years. We beseech Grant to send
men South whose very names shall mean
vengeance, deep, terrible and most efec
tive vengeance. Put aside sham govern
ment and paltering officials. and give us
the "peace" which is sure to follow the
drawn sword in the hands of a prompt
honest man.
The bondho]der paid will give US credit
to borrow in ct.se of another rebellion. -
This debt promptly paid viii render anoth
er rebellion impossible. It will food the
South with capital and brains, the two
enemies against which she rebelled, and
which her madness and Johnson's have
been striving to get along without
Congress cannot reco instruct the South
law can. Safety for men and money will
Such Il man as Butler in New Orleans i:
worth now more than mule load of laws
Hang twenty assassins in every Southern
capital six hours after they are arrested
and you will empty hall the bank vaults o
Christendom into the South you viii
light up all its FORCES and crowd its ex
changes with business men. This is thu
way, soldier of the Wilderness, to "ham
mer " the rebellion to pieces. Make you
vengeance so swift, and sure and terrible
: that the mere name of a "Union man
may be as ample protection even on tn.
Del Norte as that of "Roman citizen
was to ST. Paul at Jerusalem.
The Cabinet gives no indication of thu
Presidents plans. It rather shows that b
has none, for it means nothing. Massa
chusetts furnishes all the frstrate brains
contains. - -l-
Thomas Campbell made a selection iron
the English poets, on the plan of exciu
ding every piece any other previous com
piler had taken. OF course, they, the frs
corners had taken the best, and sccol
dinghy all Campbells pieces are second rate
,, Grants Cabinet follows this copy. II
excludes every lone that anybody eve
: thought of. 4. OF course he takes the leay
i ings.2 But this only means that the peopl
are, as hitherto, to do the work. iaZszs
$. Press the Constitutional amendment