Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1860-07-11
A Constitutional unio..

A Constitutional Usioa.
North Carolina has been for the space Of seventy
years member of the federal Union. She entered
this great sisterhood of States after mature debera
ton She did SO believing she would thereby best
promote her own interests, and more efectuay than
in any other situation protect herself from encroach
ments by foreign States. Strong in her own arm
and in her own determined purpose to maintain the
right under all circumstances, she nevertheless
not unmindfn of the fact that in union there would
be strength beyond that which any individual State
could possess During this long period she has been
faithful to all her Constitutional obligations; and on
the other hand, while her rights as a slaveholding
State have not always been as fully respected and
maintained as they should have been, yet no DELHI
crate wrong has been put upon her. and none of her
vital interests have been assaed or threatened by
the common government When her co-States Of
the South have complained of unjust tariff laws, or
slavehoding States upon their rights in the common
territories, she has sympathized with them in these
complaints and protests; but when they have nu-
fed the laws or taken steps to dissolve their rela
tons with the other States she has mildly but firm
ly interposed to prevent the calamtous consequent
ces which would flow from notification and disunion
She has never been either multiplying or disunion
State, and she is not so now. Some great cause
must move her-some great wrong must either be
inflicted or must overshadow her, before she will
seriously contemplate by her own act severance Of
the Union. She feels that while Virginia, and Ten
nessee and Maryland, and Kentucky are safe in the
Union she will be safe also; and that her honor, as
sensitive and untarnished theirs has been con-
ded to her own keeping, and not to that Of South
Carolina, Alabama, and Mississippi She is bread
stuff rather than 'cotton State" Her interests
are central among the southern States relying she
does for protection not more on the slaveholdng
States south of her than those of the north and
west She is not so much Of a 'cotton State" as to
be ready just now to pitch into the vortex of dis
union and revolution. She will not rush into this vor
tex herself and she will hold others back, if she
During this long period Of seventy years, North
Carolina has enjoyed almost uninterrupted repose.
The battles rendered necessary by just regard for
the honor of the country, have been fought else
where than on her soil. Her people are now con-
tChtSo, PaooPS'ouo, oho uoPpS. -AOi hciuo ouiiC
with plenty, and the hum of industry is heard in all
her workshops. Her credit in the money market is
equal to the best. Her internal improvements are
progressing, and prospecting as they progress. Her
Common School system is the best in all the South
ern States. Her slave property is secure No me-
mace even is uttered against her. save by the more
radical portion of the black Republicans. The ma
tonal Democrats of the non-saveholding States have
defended and defending her rights as slavehol
ding State both in Congress and before their fellow
citizens.
In word, no reason exists why North-C Carolina
should contemplate at this time dissolution of the
Union.
While we would surrender no right of our State,
and while we would preserve her honor untarnshed
among her sisters yet disunion is one of the last
things to be thought Of Disunion would be frater-
nal strife civil and serve war; murder, arson pill
lage, robbery, and fire and blood through long and
cruel years. 1t would unsettle all business dmin-
sh the value of all property, put the lives of both
sexes and all ages in peril and launch the States on
sea of scenes which no eye has scanned and no
navigator sounded. 1t would bring debt and mis-.
rule, and oppressive taxes to be followed perhaps
by the military rule of titled tyrants. 1t would
wrench apart the tenderly entwined affections Of
millions Of hearts, making it crime in the North
to have been born in the South, and crime in the
South to have been born in the North. 1T would
convert the great body of the conservative men Of
the North, who are now our friends into either
deadly enemies or Indifferent spectators of our ntes
tine struggles, which would increase in intensity
until law order justice and civil rule would be for
gotten or unknown. We repeat, there is no good
cause now for dissolving the Union. The cause may
arise, but let US not hasten to make or meet it
| Who desires it now? Who would cause it? Who
would ''precipitate the States" into boodshed ant
now fash in the flag of the Union? Who, without
cause and for no sufficient reason, would have wal
instead of peace dscord in the place of concord ant
all the calamties which must result from the disso
luton Of a government such as ours? If such
man exists let him stand forth to be blasted by tn
indignant maledctons of patriotic millions. Voice
from the past, voices innumerabe in the present
appeal to us not to peril rashly our constitutional
Union. From all battle-ields where Southern bloot
has mingled with Northern blood beneath one com
mon and glorious banner; from the shores of tn
Delaware, over whose breaking ice, on that stormy
night, pressed the weary and bleeding feet Of thos
two thousand soldiers, the only the fororn the las
hope of great WASHINGTON himself; from the king
doms of the earth, in which the down-trodden mil
lions struggle beneath the iron hoof of despotism
I casting longing and hopeful glanees towards this
the FIRST as it may be the last great experiment Q
selfgovernment among men; from the whole civil
lied world interested in material prosperity an
in the progress and happiness of man, there come
up to us with laundering southland over all Of il
and ringing through all Of it with the blast of
trumpet, the spirit-voice of the immortal jackson
speaking from his record and from his whole mitar
snd civil life-"THE FEDERAL UN1oN-IT MUS
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