Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1869-05-28
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of ease and prosperity. people crushed
to the earth by the fraud and tyranny and
oppression of relentless, unfeeling and
fanatic, not to say coward]y foe, will in
sensibly and unconsciously attempt to
grasp any straw, which, floating upon the
surface of the current carrying them under,
may promise, however, fallaclously, to
avert their impending destruction. One
such straw the people of the South have
already in their desperation clutched with
eagerress, one delusigc phantom of hope
have they Rugged to their bosoms in risk
ing their fortunes with those of ANDREW
JOHNSON, the man who had the rare felicity
always to do the right thing at the wrong
time who, as President, was rarely wrong
in theory or right in practice. We trust.
however, that our people will, in future be
guided by the experience of the past, and
will no more be led astray from the true
path by false lights or treacherous shadows.
We ought, by this time, to know that
though drowning men may catch at straws,
they cannot be saved by them, and we
ought to know further that what has been
termed the sober second thought, the re-
turning sense of justice of the Northern
people, has 10 more saving virtue in it for
lis of the Sonth than had an emascnlated
President
It is said that extremes meet, and upon
this hypothesis, possibly. has been thrown
ont the last appearing straw to beguile and
mock a lost people. HaYingexperiencedt the
folly and hopelessness OF relying upon
Government imbeciIe aid impotent, we
are thought to be in a proper frame of
mind 10 throw ourselves into the arms Of
one vigorous and powerful, in fitting
temper to ron0uGce republican JOHNSON
for imperial GRAM We DO not believe
our people are prepared for this great
change. Our love for democratic form
of government has not yet become extinct.
The terrible hardships aud crueIties that
have been inflicted upon 1s, the tyranny
and oppression under which we still live
and suffer 90 not result from democratic
principles, DO not flow from democratic
form OF government. The fanIt lies not in
democracy I'VE use the word in 10 partisan
sense) or in democratic government, but
in the departure therefrom.
Our opinion IS now, as ii has been, that
the consent Of the governed is the founda-
ton of all political power, and that the
people constitute the safest repository
therefor. We believe we are suffering
from being governed too much We be-
ieVe that Our injuries aud expressions
have sprung from the practical irresponsi-
bility Of Congress TO the people by the
change generally from a representative de-
mocracy to central consolidated oligar-
chial government. We believe that the
only hope for rs III the future is. as it was
in the past, the form and shadow at least.
of separate State existence and separate
State sovereignty. This rightful, sepa-
rate sovereignty we Nave fought for with
both pen and sword, and although unsuc-
cessful, we are not get ready to surrender
or ignore It. We regard this rs our only
hope, our only safeguard. and we trust We
shall live to sec the day When it shall be
acknowledged, although the right OF seces-
sion lin our opinion necessary incident)
shall be denied.
Believing thus VIC are opposed upon
general principles to Imperialism. Nor in
the character Of General GRANT do We see
anything to hope that the virtues OF the
Emperor will cure the vices Of the Empire.
Nepotism and favoyitism, regardless of
competency, dictate the most important
appointments. His Southern appoint
ments of negroes and failure to put any
Southern man in his Cabinet, his attempt
to Withdraw ex-President JoSNsoNs par
ions, his spiteful treatment of HANCOCK
and JoHNsoN's friends generally, of men
who voted against impeachment, his
yaccillating weak coarse as President, all
show him to be 4 man OF weak, narrow
mind and strong will aud powerful preiu-
dices.
We desire neither GRANT nor any other
man for an Emperor. We desire no revi-
val of the ancient feudal system, We de-
sire not again to live in II military district,
to be ruled over by the arbitrary irrespon-
sible will of military sstrap-a S1cKLEs-
MEADE-a CANBY--a SHERIDAN, or any
other of the tyranicsl crew. This is what
EMPIRE, stripped of the glittering and Sc
ductive veil which it is now being sought tc
throw around it, neans-it means thai
GRANT is to divide the land out among his
principal Generals, and they in turn to di.
vide their portions out among their subor.
dinate officers and men inst as in feuda1
days European conquerors divided out
thelr new possessions. We may rest as
sured that none of our people will be iu
poWer-that We will only have the liberty
to obey, and that the only difference be-
tween carpet baggers of that day and this
will be, that then they will commit thei,
outrages in uniform-Gen. Abbott has nov
pulled his off.
The arbitrary action of Presiden