Year: 1868

federacy; !; then to perpetuate slavery for
ever-create an aristocracy, and to drive
from the countrysall those who favored free
institutions and Republican government.
There were not more than SOO0 900 slave
holders in theiSoathern States. There were
eight millions of non slavehold;ng whites;
there we're four millions of slaves. These
100000 .slaTe oligarchs ruled the country:
and they n With q rod of iron. They
pressed ainosC rs sllesSisS upon the eight
millions of hon -slayeholding whites as they
pressed upon the slaves themselves. They
called them the "poor white trash." They
taught even their slaves to look upon them
with contempt. They degraded the white
men who earned their bread by their daily
toll. 1t was not respectable to work.
The day-laborer and the mechanic, how
ever virtuous or intelligent, was never ad
mitted into the inner circle of what was
called tre6ned society,""


The war of the rebellion, then, was under
taken in the interest of the slave aristocracy.
It was to result in their increased honor,
and profit But they were not to bear the
burdens of the war. This was to be the por-
tion Of the poor non-slaveholding whites
Upon their devoted heads and upon their
innocent senlilies was to be poured out all
the suffering of that terriblefour years of ag-
ony. And how they suffered! They were
tithed, Impressed, plundered and forced to
the front to fight the battles. and to die in
the cause of few shareholders a cause in
which they had not the smallest degree of in
terest. Worse than this, cause, which if
successful was to work their own degrada-
ton and ruin. .i I


We have forty thousand white men in tho
State. who cannot read and write. Who is
responsibles The. old slave aristocracy.-
Had the people of North Carolina been as
intelligent as the people of Massachusetts,
they would never have been seduced into re-
bellion. They would have understood their
best interests too we'll to have become the
blind tools of traitors. The governing pow
er in the South was and always had been
confined in the hands of few leaders To
diffuse intelligence among the masses of the
people would have been to have stripped
themselves of their power. The people
would have seen and exposed their wicked
purposes of attempting to found a slave.ar-
istoeraeys,pfh the Iknarance and sbnrbsrissAr
of the mass 5fsboth races But these leaders
of the Save aristocracy were opposed to the
education Of the people. & They loued darS-
ness rather than light, because their deeds scers
ecI."


1t was to carry this aristocratic idea into
practical effect that the rebellion was began
and fought with such desperation. If trea.
son had been victorious and the Confederacy
established, what would have been the con
dition of the laboring white man in the
South? Labor would have been disgrace
full. 1t would have been left to slaves alone
The labouring white man could not have
held up his head. He would have been de
prived of his former right of suffrage, unless
he owned land or slaves. The country
would have been made so uncomfortable for
him that he could not have remained. Thus
laboring white men wonld have disappeared
from the Cnptederacy, leaving this beautiful
land in the sole possession of the slave aris-
tocrats. Fss
The slave oligarchs and aristocrats were
ground to powder in the rebellion. Repub-
lican ideas prevailed; caste went to the
wall, and it now remains for US to organize
into law the principles which triumphed ~


The great idea which conquered in that
war was the equality of all men before
the law" This means that black man has
as much right to be heard in court of JUS
tice as a white man; it means further that,
a black man has right to vote. He has
this'right because he is taxed for the sup
port of the Government and may be called
upon at any moment to take up arms IN its
defence. AS an act of justice, this civil and
political equality must commend itself to
every honest minded man. Surely, surely,
when the Great Author of all existence de-
clares that lie is no respector of persons, it
i'll becomes any man, whose breath is in his
nostrils, to affect superiority over his fellow
man with respect to rights. aR


This equality is civil and political No
law can possibly be made to regulate the
private social relations. These are matters
of TASTE They are outside of the province
of the law.


By ratifying the Constitution, which con-
tains these provisions, and eecting the men
to office who represent our loyal people and
who are regarded blythe government as it best
friends We will speedily be restored to the
Dn.on. Then the clouds which have been
looming over Us will be removed. The bow
of promise win be extended in the bright
blue sky, Our people will rejoice, for we
shall again be under the protecting wings of
the Old Union. All the vast resources of the
State will then be opened up and Developed.
Our rivers as they sweep down in majesty to
the sea will echo to the hum of ma
chinery. Agriculture will smile upon
thousand valleys and hill sides. Prosperity
and plenty will return to our people, and tho
flag Of our country side by side with thir
mild banner of peace, shall foat above u.s.