NORTH CAROLINA. 



629 



I regard it, however, as a fit occasion for me to de- 

 clare that the people of North Carolina, impoverished 

 by the late desolating war, and discouraged by the 

 uncertainties of the future, ardently desire a restora- 

 tion of the Union and of civil government. The 

 animosities which produced and grew out of the war 

 on our part are rapidly passing away. All good and 

 wise men feel that the common good of our whole 

 country required the suppression of the sectional 

 criminations and recriminations from which have 

 sprung our national calamities. I am sure that the 

 great oody of our people desire that national amity 

 shall be restored. Such, I am assured and believe, 

 is the general feeling among those we lately called 

 our foes. Such is peculiarly the case among the 

 brave men who perilled their lives in the respective 

 armies lately engaged in mortal combat. The brave 

 are always generous. 



Admonished by the recent past, surely the virtue 

 of this great nation will not again surrender itself 

 to the guidance of turbulent sectional leaders. 



I am sure all our people, if now admitted into full 

 communion with the United States, upon the terms 



Erescribed by the President (with all which terms we 

 ave fully complied), would perform all their consti- 

 tutional obligations with as much fidelity as any peo- 

 ple in the Union. Unfounded distrust will not'beget 

 kindness and confidence. We ought to be judged by 

 our acts. To them I appeal for the verification of 

 my assertion. 



We honor the generous magnanimity and elevated 

 statesmanship exhibited in the President's plan of 

 reconstruction. It looks to the permanent good of 

 the whole nation, and, in view of the appalling diffi- 

 culties with which he was surrounded, is probably 

 the wisest practicable plan which could be devised. 

 We have promptly and almost unanimously complied 

 with all its provisions by declaring our ordinance of 

 secession null and void, by amending our Constitu- 

 tion abolishing slavery, repudiating our war debt, 

 ratifying the amendment to the Constitution of the 

 United States forever prohibiting slavery in the 

 States, and by solemnly taking an oath renewing our 

 allegiance to the United States. If all these acts are 

 held insufficient to entitle us to confidence, we can 

 scarcely hope to do anything which will be held satis- 

 factory. I will vouch for North Carolina if not driven 

 to despair by ungenerous distrust. She will grasp 

 the hand of reconciliation, if offered, with generous, 

 magnanimous confidence. 



On December 23d Secretary Seward, by di- 

 rection of President Johnson, addressed a let- 

 ter to Provisional Governor Holden, of North 

 Carolina, relieving him from his trust, and ex- 

 pressing the President's acknowledgment of 

 the fidelity, the loyalty, and discretion which 

 had marked his administration of affairs in that 

 State. A copy of the letter was sent to the 

 Governor elect of North Carolina, with the 

 tender of the cooperation of .the Government 

 of the United States whenever it may be fount! 1 , 

 necessary in effecting the. early restoration ana 

 permanent prosperity and welfare of the State 

 over which he has been called upon to preside. 

 These official communications are similar, with 

 the exception of names, to those addressed to 

 the Governors elect and Provisional Governors 

 of other Southern States with similar purpose. 



On the same day, Provisional Governor Hol- 

 den replied as follows : 



EALBIOH, N. C., December 23, 1SG5. 

 To the Hon. W. R. Seward, Secretary of State. 



SIR: Your despatch of this date, relieving me of 

 my duty as Provisional Governor of North Caroli- 

 na, has been received. It gives me pleasure to be 



relieved of the responsibilities and labors of the office. 

 I will at once transfer the great seal, papers, and 

 property of the State, now in my possession, to the 

 Hon. Jonathan Worth, the Governor elect. Be 

 pleased to convey to the President my sincere ac- 

 knowledgments for the honor he has done me and 

 the confidence reposed in me in calling me to this 

 position, with the expression of the hope that his 

 plan for reconstructing the insurgent States to their 

 natural and appropriate place in the Union may be 

 crowned with entire success. 

 With the highest regard, your obedient servant, 

 W. W. HOLDEN. 



On December 30th Governor "Worth issued 

 an address to the people of the State, congratu- 

 lating them on the restoration of the State Gov- 

 ernment, and stated that an extra session of the 

 Legislature would be soon convened and meas- 

 ures adopted which were necessary to the com- 

 plete reorganization of the State. By a state- 

 ment of the Treasurer, the debt of the State 

 contracted before the war, and not repudiated 

 by the Convention, was $9,749,500, to which 

 must be added the interest due and unpaid, in 

 round numbers $3,000,000, making in all $12,- 

 749,500. The State owns stocks in railroad Com- 

 panies and bonds of railroads and other corpo- 

 rations, most of which were productive before 

 the war, equal to $9,673,28?. He estimates 

 the losses of the State by the war at $250,- 

 000,000, of which $200,000,000 was for slaves. 

 The present value of real and personal property 

 he estimates at $250,000,000. In consideration 

 of the want of a circulating medium, caused 

 by the sudden destruction of the Confederate 

 and State Treasury notes, he recommended that 

 the bonds and coupons now due and to become 

 due in the present year be funded, and that no 

 appropriation be made to pay interest at present. 

 The resumption of the payment of interest at 

 an early day was anticipated. 



The freedmen of the State came under the 

 charge of the Freedmen's Bureau, and during a 

 part of the year considerable numbers were sus- 

 tained by the Government. But the demand 

 for labor secured employment to the great mass. 

 At Newbern a colored Equal Rights League was 

 formed, which issued an address at the close of 

 the year, describing their objects as follows: 



The object of tie League is to secure by political 

 and moral means, as far as may be, the repeal of all 

 laws and parts of laws, State and national, that make 

 discriminations on account of color. This is our 

 object in all its length and breadth. We therefore 

 aspire to the condition and privileges of freemen. Is 

 not this a natural aspiration ? Is it not dictated by 

 self-respect? We ask an opoortunity to show that 

 we are worthy to be free, and propose to attain the 

 condition and privileges of freemen by becoming in- 

 telligent, by industry, by virtue, by piety. If the 

 object is noble and one worthy of freemen, the means 

 proposed for attaining it are moral and peaceful. We 

 dislaim the remotest intention of enforcing the claim 

 by violence. Does any one suggest insurrection, we 

 frown upon him, denounce him. The address closes : 

 We do pledge ourselves, to maintain good order. 

 Our arms ana our lives, if necessary, are at the ser- 

 vice of the Government to quell and crush insurrec- 

 tion. Having done this, we shall demand of the law- 

 ful authority protection for our property, schools, 

 presses, and churches. 



