Wilmington journal., 1869-07-16
Nor,n Caro,ina-The haze war.

TTniversitv we find the 1oiio"inS P"A"
oranb. "The people who felt most bitter'
I, ot the close of the war were not the ma
;or;tv IN numbers at the South but they
were the majority, so TO speak, IN socla'
rank and Influence, refinement, intehi-
oence and wealth. They were, In SNORT
the class that supports Colleges ana lnSu-
tutions of learning" 1t is matter OF re
oret that in a series of sketches contain
ino in their very title an implied promise
of freedom from political bias, and wlthal
SC interesting, there should he found roo"
for sueh q statement; though when we re-
member how prevailing has been the iash-
ion for a certain class of politicians 10 as
sert that North Carolina was dragged INTO
the late war, and kept in it like le"
dog" it is not a matter of surprise
There has been entirely too much OF
this sort of talk. Even during the war,
our Governor, himself politician said
"the great popular heart is not now and
never has been in this war. It WAS revo-
luton of the politicians, not the people.
We violate no privacy in making this state
ment, for the writer or some ln5udlc1ous
friend has removed the seal of secrecy from
this and other letters that had much better
have been buried with the Confederacy.
The cause of this prevailing fashion TO
slander our people may be easily traced.
The unexpected refusal of Andrew John-
son to adopt sanguinary measures toward
the South, and the character OF his pecu-
liar "poliey," had an influence upon the
action of our people that is felt to this
day. The pardon of individuals and the
restoration of States, though an easy mat
ter when determined upon by the chief OF
q nation that had made its chief a Dicta-
tor, still required the Intervention OF GER
tain formalitieB. AS being in accord, there
fore, with the form of popular govern
ment, a convention of the people was
ordered. Tt was of course intended that
men who had maintained their loyalty un-
tarnished should compose that convention,
but within the broad limits of the State a
sufficient number of them could not be
found. This made it necessary to resort
TO the next best class of men, to wit
Those who. though they had favored the
war, had also opposed it. This was neces-
sary also because the participation IN the
war had been SO universal and the feelings
If the soldiers and their families were still
so strong, that no man of political asplra-
tions, no matter how much averse he had
been at all times to the war, was willing to
leopard his hopes of future honors by
offending the soldiers. The "correct
thing" then, was to pursue middle
course, to propitiate the government by
having opposed the war, to propitiate the
soldiers by having favored it, and thus
secure their selection for Office On the
ground of availability. Soon the front was
filled with men who had always opposed
secession and the war until dragged into
it by the force of circumstances-an honor
able crime, patriotic treason to be blot
ted out by the tears of the Federal record
ing Angel. That Angel wept long and
profusely. He had chronic lachrimary
diarrhna.
Original sin aud original secession be-
came the fashion to praise the soldier and
to abuse the secessionist. The one had
designing brains and staid at home. The
other had courage and IS fought gallantly"
under Lee. There was Us much danger for
the future politician in offending g our
brave boys" as there was in offending the
Government, and there was then no Radi-
cal party In the field, with seventy thou
sand negro voters to contend for Office.
There were "none to modest or make
afraid" save the poor democrats and Sc
cessionists.
When the privilege Of voting WAS refused
or granted only in obedience to Executive
proclamations enforced by powder and
ball, the wishes of the Government were,
very naturally. respected III The election Of
members oil the Convention. That Con
vention met and solemnly renounoed and
denounced the heresy of secession, both
il theory aud practice fashioned and Of
fered to the people new Constitution,
and ousting all the old officers, replaced
them, in every instance, it is believed, by
men who had opposed the war" What
was the response of that "groat popular
heart " that had never been Gin the war .?
Simply to reject this and every other attempt
10 MrooO discredu upon Tie erm, its advisers
and supporters, ao'tu the coices of free"se''
,cere droa0ned IN The clanlOr Of SLaues.
In the course of time the tenure OF Of
fee of these "available men," who were
fortunate enough to have known the right,
and yet to have pursued the wrong, be-
came very uncertain. Congress began to
manifest signs of separate existence hos
tile to that of the Executive. "The cloud
that was at first no bigger than a mans
hand" soon overcast the whole heavens,
and with the darkuGa Gas and the triumph ol
Congress thirsting for vengeance came
the carpet-baggers. With the negroes,
whose appearance upon the scene had
paved the way for their advent, the carpet.
baggers at once united, and with the ad