The weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1869-18??, 1869-11-17
No Political Disabilities.

A. large number of the citizens Of North
Caroline sre banned are Ineligible to hold
Offices that can Be held by evsry one else in
thc State. of thee banned citizens many
are men WHO were plunged into the war by
force of circumstances. They had held some
| office before the war and consequently are
banned by the Howard Amendment. Thus
many of the best men in the State are now
deprived of their privileges as American cit
liens simply because of having held certain
Offices before the war. Of this number
many are loyal men, and friendly to the
government. sldHoyT 4aF h1irrE @ -uE
At one simch the Howard Amendment
may have done good, and may have
done much tn help the reconstruction of the
South, by keeping from power themen who
inaugurated secession. But its power, for
good, if it did possess such has now de-
parted, and that which two years ago seemed
but an act of precaution, now seems an act
of injustice.
Even more, we do not hesitate to say that
the XVIII Amendment is now oppressive
and unjust. The Government has not seen
fit to punish the men who inaugurated the
rebellion. 1t has pardoned the leaders. 1t
has pardoned the most guilty. Yet it still
Furnishes men who fought against secession as
long as they could and whose sole crime o.
for which they are now banned-is that be-
fore the war was ever dreamed of they
held some petty Office!
Who can say that to punish this latter class
for the offences of Others, is not the extreme
of injustice9 Why should the leading spir-
its of the rebellion be pardoned and the fol-
lowers be punished? Why should men who
fought to bring about the war be forgiven,and
those who were forced into it against their
viii be under the ban3 What justice is
there in such a course! None. The mere
fact that a citizen was a civil officer
before the war has no possible relation with
the war, and Should not be used against him.
Congress will shortly reassemble. We re-
peat the declaration we made months ago
that we wish universal amnesty bill pass
ed-a bill for the removal of all political
disabilities. We do not wish to have an
American citizen deprived of single
right. The war is ended and the
Union restored. Let the Government pur-
sue such line of conduct as will show to
the world that it is not Union of hate, and
let it pardon something to the natural feel
ings of people Frustrated from the effect
of an disastrous war. The people of the
South say that when they laid down
their arms and renewed their allegiance to
the government they did so in good faith.
Let the Government believe them. Let It
distr,st the leaders-the men who misled
the people-if it chooses-it has right to do
so-but let it believe the people Confidence
begets confidence, good will begets good
will, and the government Can well at
ford to be generous to people who
now need generosity. and who will repay it
by good will and firm support OF the
government of their country.
Let Congress remember this, and let it
throw aside all prejudice and partnership
and do this act of justice to the prosecuted
men of the South. Lei it restore to them
ALL the rights and privileges Of American
citizens. Let it make the Union one of love,
and aid in bringing back that time when
from Canada to the Gulf, and from ocean to
ocean, not one man could be found who
was not proud that he was an American
citizen.