Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1860-06-09
The True Issue.

North-Carolina? 1t is not "squatter" or popular
sovereignty. 1t is not slavery in Territories i've
hundred miles away 1t is not whether the Terri
toral governments are sovereign, or partially soVer
eigh, or not sovereign in any sense; nor is twheth
er slavery shall be extended over new fields or con-
fined to the States and Territories IN which ltnow
exists Nor is it whether dd UalOrene taxation, no
matter how understood or presented, shall be adopt
ed No, the question is Uhether the Onaon shG"
endure-Dhether the people Of the StarehoLdtng
States shall be permitted to hold their sIare proper
tn undistur6ed This is the issue, as truly stated
by Mr. Haywood in his admirable speech on Tues
day night We may close our eyes to it, but it ex-
lists and oiH force itself upon us. If Lincoln is
elected we will have assurance that slave proper
ty in the States will not be disturbed Indeed, he
is pledged to disturb ito agate against ito put
it in course of ultimate extinction" In letter
written by him in May, 1859, and published in the
last National Intellingencer, he says among other
things at is we'll known that l deplore the OPP
pressed condition of the blacks" This places him
in the light not merely Of a political abolionist
but of old John Brown himself He "deplores the
oppressed condition." as he terms it of our slaves
He is not merely opposed to slavery on political
grounds but he takes deep personal interest in the
condition of our slaveS-not in the Territories only
but an the States In addition to this it is known
that Mr.. Lincoln, the black Republican candidate
for the Presidency is the author of the doctrine of
the irrepressible conflict" Mr.. Seward borrowed
this doctrine from him. In one of his speeches in
Illinois in reply to Judge Douglas, in that memora-
BILE campaign in which the latter met him and van
pushed him, he said:
I'VE are now far into the fifth year since policy
instituted with the avowed object and confident
promise of putting an end to slavery agitation
Under the operation of that policy the agitation
has not only not ceased, but has constantly aug
mented. In my opinion it will not until
crisis shall have been reached and passed. "A
house divided against itself cannot stand" | be-
lieve this government cannot endure permanently
half slave and half free. do not expect the Union
to be diSsolved-I do not expect the house to fall
but do expect it will cease to be divided. 1t will
all become one thing or all the other. Either the
opponents of slavery will arrest the further spread
of it. and place it where the public mind shall rest
in the belief that it is in the of ultimate ex-
tnction or its advocates will push it forward TIL it
shall become alike in all the StateS-old as well as
new-North as well as South"
If Mr. Lincoln is elected he will of course attempt
to carry out his doctrines. We shall have Presi-
dent who has declared that he 'deplores" the con-
dition of our slaves, and who is pledged to all
the means in his power to extinguish the institu-
ton. There it is people of the South in plain terms
That is the position of Abram Lincoln and Of those
who sustain him. The issue, then, is-not slavery
in the Territories-not squatter sovereignty-not
adj ralorem taxation, but whether the Union is to
continue in peace and harmony, without commissions
and bloodshed or whether it is to rock to its foun-
dations and be broken up by abolition rule
This issue is right upon u.s. 1t must be decided
within five months. 1t cannot be postponed or
evaded What then ? What shall we do? Shall
We look to Opposition friends for aid? Can they
save US with Bell and Everett? We have no hope
that they can. We understand that their Elector
for this District cannot and does not claim more than
FORE is in the Baltimore Convention and the Demo-
cratic party If that Conventional that party
not defeat Lincoln, no other party can. Let us,
then, be prepared man to sustain the action
of that Convention. Let hope that it will set its
face sternly against all attempts to force new tests
upon the party, or to disorganize and destroy the
party by boiling or secession movements Let us
make one more ight-let us make the final fight if
it must be so, tile good old doctrine of nOn-in-
terrentiOn We can all stand on that doctrine
The North stand on it. and the South can
stand on it. 1t brought victory to our standard in
1852 and 1856, and it will enable US, if adhered to-
to save the party and save the Union in 1860.
Remember the issue, brother Democrats, and act
accordingly. Let US cast preudices against or
about men, and pride of opinion to the Winds if
those prejudices that pride of opinion in
flct with duty. We are not called upon to sur
render any principle. Let us beat the black Repu6
Hcans and the Union, and afterwards dispose of
squatter sovereignty and ad CalOrem 1t is no time
to dispute about slavery in the Territories when
slavery in the States is threatened. If the Consti
tuition and the Courts cannot protect US in the Ter
ritores Congress cannot; and if Congress could it
would not That is the plain English of the whole
matter