National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-03-22
THE NORTH CAROLINA REvoLUr1oNIsTs.

it to meet, no fair minded man will deny
that the motive which underlies the call
for it is based upon the most direct antago-
nism to the legitimate conclusions of the
war. The Raleigh Ne'os. competent Dem
ocratic authority, comedies this in the as
sertion that the class for which 1t speaks
"admit certain degree of recognition of
the idea that the State is supreme, and
the further assertion that "the South was
never a violator of the Constitution, and
that cher fidelity to it was her ruin" OF
course this Fidelity" was exhibited when
the State was ruined by seeding from the
Union. No other cause of ruin" has ever
been advanced, and on no other occasion
that we know of has the State been ruined.
These admissions are sufficient. We care
not for Mr.. Cantwell's course, or for the
nature of his convention proposition. His
Republicanism has never been of that as
sured stripe, as his Wilmington constit-
uents now we'll know, to eDtitle him to rec
ignition as an exponent Of Incorporating
Republican principles. He has wavered
before and required nursing as he does
now. But the issue is made up with the
Democrats on the one side for q revision
and the Republicans on the other against
il. Mr.. Cantwell's Fiery zeal'' is there
fore entirely out of the question.
The oath required of the members of
the convention to " faithfully maintain and
support the Constitution of the United
Estates and the several amendments there
"to, including the thirteenth, fourteenth,
"and fifteenth amendments, may be as
readily evaded or disregarded as the solemn
pledges of loyalty made by the members OF
the secession convention. This latter body
found nothing in the constitution of 1885
to reprehend, and it is now proposed to re-
turn to that constitution. The reconstruc-
ton constitution of 1865, on the contrary,
is found to be reprehensible in many re-
spects, but mainly because it IS claimed
that it had not the sanction of free people,
having been framed in obedience to mil
itary orders" This is exactly the spot
where the shoe pinches. Instead of &C.
cepting the conclusions of the war in good
faith and proceeding to keep inviolate the
pledges made in consequence of those con-
illusions, the Democratic leaders begin to
instruct their followers that those pledges
are null and void because they were the
result of military orders" That this is
false deduction will be admitted when it
is remembered that the reconstruction con-
stitution was supervised by Congress, and
that the State was not readmitted into the
Union until after that body had carefully
scrutinized every provision. The funda-
mental principles of civilized warfare, 1"
about which Mr.. P. II. Winston, jr., q
leading conventionist, has so much to say,
do not recognize the completion Of a sur
render of combatant until after the civil
authorities shall have had an opportunity
to revise and approve the acts of mill
tary conquerors. But in the case of
North Carolina these rules were not ap-
piled. In September, 1866, Provisional
Governor Holden, acting under the direc-
ton of the President of the United States,
called a convention, to be composed of GER
tain classes of citizens who were made ell
gible as delegates by the proclamation of
the President. The most liberal latitude
was extended to the members of the con-
vention, and the only positive requirements
asked ofthem were arecognition ofthe supe-
rior authority Of the General Government
and provisions that the war amendments to
the Constitution should be acquiesced in.
These requirements were not urged by the
military power, but were set forth as the
result ofthe acts of the American Congress.
The convention was therefore left free to
do as it pleased in every respect, except as
to the restrictions regarding the conclusions
of the war. In palmer words, whatever
Of dictation there was was the dictation of
civil, and not of military authority. But
as we have said, the Democratic leaders
now seek TO mislead the people by assert
ing that the constitution of 1865 was the
offspring of military tyranny.
1t is true that when the constitution Of
1866 was submitted to the people for ratif-
cation the election machinery was placed
in the hands of the military authority, but
care was taken not to exclude the votes of
citizens who were entitled under existing
laws TO the right of suffrage, and ninety
thousand additional votes-free men with
black skins, but free men, nevertheless
were added to the number of voters recog-
nized as citizens by the ante beEIUm consti-
tuition. This was one of the conclusions of
the war to which the Confederates solemnly
promised obedience when they laid down
their arms; but it was a much milder con-
clusion than they expected. In truth, they
expected to be DISTINGUISHED themselves, to
have their property confiscated, and to be
subjected to the imposition Of negro domi-
nation without having any voice them
selves. Thus the people, with rare ex-
ceptions, were all allowed to participate,
and those exceptions being the result of
acts of acknowledged treason, the few who
were deprived of participation could not
complain. This, it appears to us, disposes
of the charge that the election was not free
and of the people.
We do not fear the result of the submis-
sion of this proposed constitution to the peo-
pie, whatever its provisions may be. The
State is thoroughly Republican, and there
is a sufficient number of thoughtful citizens
in the ranks of the Democracy who remem-
Der the evils resulting from the secession
convention, and who know now that the
secession leaders are at the bottom of this
new movement to turn the tide against
this revolutionary invasion. One thing,
however, must be carefully guarded against,
and that is the inclination to compliment
personal friends who are political enemies
by voting for them as candidates to be
delegates. Every vote for q secession or
State rights delegate, under the circum-
stances, will be vote to repudiate the
terms of reconstruction, and a vote to place
the State again in danger of being led into
antagonism with the General Government