The weekly North-Carolina standard., 1869-05-05
The Present Duty.


paign terminated in victory for the Repub-
lican party, and Grant is now President OF
the limited States. The duty of Republi-
cans is however, far from finished. Grants
election is but the beginning of the end. By
his triumph the country was prevented from
falling under the control of the traitors who
had before used their utmost endeavors to
disrupt the government. 1t now remains to
repair the evil they have worked, and to
use our best endeavors to restore to our
country that prosperity which she lost by
the rebellion. To do this we must keep our
organization full of life and our ranks firm
and unshaken. Without unity of action
nothing can be accomplished-with it,
everything. The Republicans of the South
have much to do. They have to perfect
their organization and increase its Strength.
They have to advance the interests of Re-
publicanism by disseminating its publica-
tions and expounding its principles to the
people, that thousands who now oppose 1t
from ignorance of its true principles may be
brought to favor it They have to encour-
age every industry that promises to benefit
the State. They have to replace the evil
wrought by years of Democratic and rebel
rule with good. All this and much more
the Republicans of the South have to do.
The hour for victory is not the time for rest
1t is the hour for arduous and continued ex-
ertion, that the foe may be prevented from
recovering, and that the victory may be rem
dered lasting.
There is one thing that Republicans must
! look to. one evil which must be rooted out
rebel office-holders Throughout North
Carolina men openly hostile to the govern
ment and to the dominant party are in places
Of honor and trust. This is manifestly
wrong. No traitor should be allowed to
represent the government in any position,no
matter how small may be its importance
There are loyal men enough to fill all the
offices, and they alone should have them.
No man can do good work with bad tools,
neither can a political party accomplish
great and good results when represented by
men who are unfriendly to it. The Repub-
lican party is in power and should be repre-
sented by none but Republicans, for to none
but its friends can it trust the administra-
ton of its affairs
Wherever man is found in Office who is
not true to the government, let him be turn
ed out and his place filled by a loyal man.
Wherever man is found, elected to office
by Republican votes, who is unfaithful to
his party, use every endeavor to have him re-
moved, for he has shown himself unworthy
of the confidence of the people. If any
State or county officer gives aid and COM
fort to traitors, by retaining them in office
or in places of trust, to the exclusion of loyal
men, mark him, and let him feel the anger
of the people whose trust he has betrayed. In
this manner the influence and power for rvil
of the Copperheads will be destroyed, and
the arm of the government be strong to pro-
tect the good and to punish the bad.
This is the present duty of Republicans,
and upon its faithful performance depends
future success. Earnest and constant work
should never stop, but those who are true to
the government, true to the great and elo-
rious principles ofRepublicanism should use
their influence to extend their' power. As
the true aims of the Republican party be-
come more generally known, prejudices are
giving away, and thousands, who before
condemned it, are now arraying themselves
under its banner. The present is bright. but
the future is glorious, and North Carolina
will be far greater in the future than she has
been in the past. -T{ s=.e4f