The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1869-08-04
Amnesty to Those Who Ask 1t.


to the STANDARD. The cheerful assurance
with which its editor announces that the
"STANDARD is caught must be as crafty
ing to his friends as it is amusing to us. We
know that great many papers, the qua
North State among them, have been trying
to catch US, but we are still unconscious OF
having been caught. So the OG North
State must forgive us if we doubt its state
ment to be true We have not space to
answer the old North State in detail, nor,
indeed, is it necessary. The whole article
regarding amnesty is based upon our
assumed failure to answer question it asked
us. The Old NoptA State is entirely wrong
in its assumptions. 1t asked us, as plainly
as words could ask, if we were in favor OF
the removal of the disabilities imposed by the
18th amendment, by the passage OF an act
ordering the removal of all disabilities. we
answered that we were not, and gave our
reasons for the answer. Instead OF being
satisfied with the answer, the Old North
State saws that it did not mean what it said,
but something entirely different, and has
the kindness to inform the STANDARD that
it is ignorant upon certain questions because
it answered the question that the Old North
State did ask instead of the one it claims to
have intended to ask. We ARE OF the opinion
that We fully understood the questions IN
volved, equally as well as the editor OF the
| old North State, to say the least. The cues
| ton that 1t did ask was as follows:
as the STANDARD in favor of the passage ola
| General Act of Congress, Immediately upon It's
assembling in December next for the removal
of the disabilities imposed by the 18th Amend
ment?"
To which we replied in the negative, CIV
ing as our reason for so doing, that those
who wished could get their political disa-
biities removed simply by asking Congress
to remove them, and if persons were not
willing to ask for the removal of their dsa-
bilities we were willing for them to remain
banned.
The old North State not being able to get
over this answer, shifts its ground and now
asks "are you in favor of General Amnes-
ty; which you say your party advocates, or
not" To which we reply by quoting from
an article in the Standard of the goth, acrit-
ten taco days before zoe so,o the Oh North State.
In that article we then said in answer to the
Sentinel what we say nOao in reply to the OLD
North State:
WE ARE IN FAVOR OF HAVING REMOv-
ED THE DISABILITIES OF EVERY MAN
WHO ASKS IT.
Is this answer plain enough for the Old
North State-or does it wish to again change
its question:
And now word in reference to another
point The Old North State, with a claim
ing of superior wisdom which cannot fail to
command admiration, even il not entirely
concurred in, AYERS that the STANDARD does
not understand the nature of the war. 1t
says
The Standard does not seem to be aware of the
distinction which all the writers on Public Law,
American as well as European, make between an
instruction and civil war-bctween a iebellion
and territorial war. 1t seems to be utterly I'M
informed as TO the course of our own govern
ment in the premises. Itwould be well to study
the decisions of the Supreme Court of the Uni
fed States, in the Prize cases, and the case of
Mrs. Aexander's cotton. Also the case of j. G.
Lashus-, in the U. S. District Court of
Minnesota. 1t will there see that the Courts held
that the late war was not merely an instruction
rebellion, but that it was a ciyil war-a terri
torial war, and that no distinction could be made
between those in the South who were in senti-
ment, on the side of the Union, and those who
were on the side of the Coniederacy-that they
were all alike, not rebels or traitors, but, alien
enemies, and that they were treated accordingly.
. Those who committed overt acts of war against
the United States Government before belige'ent
; rights were accorded were guilty of treason, but
3 those who were never guilty of any overt act un-
til after that time cannot be justly held account
able as traitors. And of those who are banned
by the 14th Amendment not one in ten conld
! ever have been convicted of treason, as every
lawyer whose opinions worth any thing will say"
The STANDARD is fully aware of the dis
|
CONGRESS, an authority which it prefers
to any other. 1t is also fully aware
OF the course taken by the government,
much more so in fact, than the old
North State seems to be. The opinion it al
ludes to was given by one man. The opin-
ion which we recognize is given by Con-
GREss, the law-making power of the nation.
The Courts are the Interpreters of the law,
and may, nay, very often do, interpret laws
incorrectly. Congress has neoer recognized
the late war as anything but a rebellion.
1t uses the word "rebel" and rebellion :"
throughout. 1t plainly declared its inten-
ton when framing the 18th amendment and
the reconstruction laws Can the old North
State deny that9 Then we prefer to judge
laws according to the expressed intentions
of their trainers, and not according to the
construction which some writer or small
judge may choose to put upon them. The
late war YVES rebellion and nothing but u
rebellion, and since the old North State
cites judges we will add that such is
the opinion of Chief Justice CHASE.
All the sophistry in the world can
make it nothing else A civil war is
the contention of two or more factions or
parties to obtain control of the government.
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