Year: 1865

Thomas l.. CllDgman,0 who for many
years represented North Carolina in Con-
gress, has written for the Netg York Times
a communication, which closes as follows:
<, ''The great practical question now pre-
sents itself: What ought to be the
action of the United States toward the
South / am not mistaken when | say
that in North Carolina the determination
to support the Constitution and, obey the
laws of the United States Is UNIVERSAL
There are to be found here and there, per-
haps, individuals in that State who will as
sert the contrary. They are, however, men
without consideration or character, who
have been disappointed in their attempts to
get Office, and who charge the people with
being disloyal because they will not vote
for them. No man livingin the State ee-
lieves there is at present disloyalty there.
The late electious have been decided by
personal preferences, aided somewhat by
old party associations. Our people claim
that when they have complied with all the
acquisitions of the President they have
right to choose their Representatives. i
know no man IN the State, however, that |
believe can take what is commonly called
the test OATH without perjury. Ii this be
insisted on, our State will only have nom
inal or counterfeit Representatives. Soon
er than have such, many think 1t is as well
to have no representation at all. Ii the
men chosen are true to the Constitution, the
more talent and consideration they have
the better for the Government. When an
army surrenders, 1t is done by its officers in
command, and not by men taken from the
guard-house or the rear because of their
inefficiency. So is it not better that the
public of the South should come In with
their Representative men? In this manner
the Government and the ADMINISTRATION
will obtain the entire political and moral
support OF the State. a %.


1T is obvious that there are In the North
persons who still desire to keep up quasi
war on the South. Some of these men eX-
pect pecuniary advantages in the form OF
places, contracts and jobs. Another class
of men seek political strength by appeal
ing. to the hostile feelings of the masses
who have not yet cooled down. They per-
sist in regarding the South as still an enc
my, and desire by continued attacks to
make it so. Should the Government yield
to their views, it will infict Injury both on
the South and ITSELF with no correspond
ing advantage. The Governme t of the
United States can have the entire South
loyal and true to it by accepting them as
such; and it will be difficult to make the
pCOplC IhClV dCJlNSiy hVo'liO h1 bhlo bAn nS'
If a desire for vengeance exists in the
minds of any persons in the North, it should
not be forgotten that the Southern States
have suffered more severely than any com
munty in modern times. Besides the loss
of so many of their best men, probably two
thirds of their property is gone. The four
millions of slaves, estimated according to
their value in 1860, constituted one-third OF
their wealth, and the depreciation in the
value of their land and losses of. personal
property, are fully equal to another third.
By now keeping them under military rule,
for which no reason exists whatever, feel
ings of disaffection may be produced, and
the expenditures of the Government in
creased without public necessity. On the
contrary, the Government of the United
States can have all the Southern States
again its friends by allowing them, when
they have complied with the requisitions
of the President, to exercise those privil-
eges which belong, according to the Consti-
ution, to all the States of the Union."