Year: 1867

numbers and intelligence of the loyahsts, In


regard to the more elevated judicial Offices we
Shall not say much The legal fraternity are
| competent to defend themselves; but some of the


members of the bar, whose talents would dc


honor to any position in the State or of the
| United States, we know to have been decidedly
opposed TO the secession policy; but we cannot
say that they may not have sc far participated
In the rebellion that they could not conscien-
tiously take the required oath. But in regard
to the county judiciaries, executive and legisla-
tive offices, we believe that these could be as
credtably filed from the loyal class as those
offices were flied before the rebellion We may
admit, without hesitation, that comparatively
few of this class has formerly occupied official
positions; but as the diamond is valuable though
buried in the sand, and would display its worth
and brilliancy if elevated from its humble posi-
sion and freed from the incumbrance of foreign
bodies, so many of the loyal citizens of the South
if elevated from their humble retirement and
freed from the incunbrance of odious Confcd-
crate epithets which have been hurled upon
them, aud cling to them as the slime Of the
snail, would display brilliancy of talents and
geHuineness Of patriotism worthy of the grand
sons Of the slres Of The revolution of l776, which
otherwise may forever lie buried useless and un-
known


There may have been different considerations
conducive to the sentiment that very few of the
loyalists are fit to hold office The first Of which
l will mention is the Confederate policy. This
think may be clearly exhibited by an extract
from speech which heard made in the Court
House in Charlotte in the Spring of 1866. The
speaker in referring to the want Of confidence
exhibited by the loyalists in regard to the Con-
federate professions Of loyalty to the Federal
Government, said in reference to the incredu-
lous crowd: owe can do this-we can place
our heels upon their necks and grind them down
and keep them down-we can do it and we will
do it." In consideration Of this grinding policy
we regard it probable that the Coufe1s may
have impressed the military authorities that
none but themselves have the talents and
patriotism to restore the rebel States to their
former position in the Union. And we admit,
without hesitation, that if loyal citizen should
come to the rescue of his country his progress
would be very slow, his movements very tardy
while thousand Confederate heels were grind
ing on his neck to put him down and keep him
down. But will the rebs have the kiodness to
allow me respectfully to request them to change
the position Of their heels and to raise them
from the necks of the Ioyalsts who were con-
scientious IN their principles and ardent.y de-
sired the good of their country, and to place
their heels on the necks of those who got up
the fight and produced so much misery and
calamity.


There may have been another consideration
which may have been productive Of the senti-
ment that very few of the loyal citizens of the
South arc ft to hold Office. The few professed
oyalists who have formed the acquaintance of
the military authorities and gained their conf
dence may have contributed to the sentiment
that none but them and few of their friends
are qualified for any official position. Of the
circumstances which may have contributed to
this sentiment l will refer to the following:


l. Two of tho registers of Mecklenburg
county are filling other official positions within
the gift Of the Federal Government, one of
whom, not a native of North Carolina, is col
lecting the internal revenue tax; the other, not
native of Mecklenburg, is, according to the
newspapers, acting as postmaster and is said by
some to have two or three other official appoint
mcnts, while numbers Of others equally well
qualified to fill those Offices have never had an
office offered to them. From the profound def
erence which has uniformly been exhibited by
the military authorities for the civil laws, we
are satisfied that they would make no order or
appointment to conflict with those laws unless
the laws were in conflict with the federal laws





spectfuly ask them if acting as register, while
the person is collecting the internal revenue tax
or acting as postmaster conflicts with the com
mon principle that person can hold but one
office at the same time. Do not registers
oath and obligations imply official dignity.


2. 1t is reported that since the end of the
Confederate struggle there have been persons
recommended to the military authorities for
Offices which those persons were neither legally
nor morally qualified to fill I cannot aver
personally tor the correctness of this report, and
will therefore pass it over with this superficial
notice. although it is said it can be substantated
without difficulty.


While then we entertain sentiments Of the
most profound Difference for the military author
tiles, we are compelled to believe that the loyal
lists Of the South have been decidedly misrepre-
sented to them, either by the rebs or the pro-
fessed fawning loyalists, SO that the military
official have but an imperfect knowledge either
of the numbers or intelligence of the loyal
citizens.


[ know not bow to present the sentiments
which | entertain relative to some OF our pro-
fessed loyaliss better than to suppose that they
must have taken political congestise chill
To illustrate cases of this character [ will give,
according to the best of my recollection, brief
outline of case which one OF our medical
brethren was called to treat 10 one of the ad-
joining counties. After the little patient was
dead the doctor to account for his want of sue
cess, informed the friends that it had corges
tive chill, and that The blood was just futtering
around the heart all night until it died. One
peeuliarity of those congestiVe cases is that
there is sometimes danger of fatal internal
hemorrbage. Those henorrhages may some
times be restrained by styptics or astringents,
but if the bleeding vessel can be found, taken