Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1860-09-12


and probably Will terminate in serions disasters to
our common country But whether for veal or
woe, the state Of the country demands the deepest
concern Of every patriot in our land. Within the
next tseo months there will have closed the most
important if not the most exciting contest for
Presidential Electors under the provisions Of the
Constitution, that has ever occurred in the Onion.
And within three months from this date these Elec-
tors will have to decide who shall be the next Presi
dent of the now United States of America, or fail
ing to make choice by the Electoral Colleges, de-
volve this duty on the one or the other House of
Congress, as the case may be, result which the
people Of the United States have always heretofore
looked to with the most fearful forebodings; and
non, more than ever.
Under the critical circumstances by which
surrounded this Presidential election is the most
serious and alarming to the friend OF bis. country
that has ever occurred in the history of the nation
Thoughtful and wise men believe that the govern
ment itself is endangered-and the most indifferent
cannot be callous to the imminent perils which
threaten the very existence Of the Union, as well as
the equality of the States and the equal rights of
the people, who, in their respective sovereign State
organizations, compose this heretofore hallowed
conederacy which we so much desire to be perpetu.
ated according to tho compacts of the Constitution
which ordained it
The political horizon is darkened in all directions
there with portentous clouds full of anatical fury
and destruction, ready to burst upon the country,
and here, with the deep and solemn roar of p-epa-
ration to meet the coming storm. Sectional alena-
ton and even bitter hatred have displaced that fra
ternity of sentiment and action on which only a
permanent union of these States can securely rest
Social and political and even religious animosity
divides the sections Nearly every religious denom-
nation h our country is now rent in twain, and
separated irreconcilably by lines of division, North
and South.
For years past entire communities, through their
public men, the press, their literature, and, in
section, through equally efficient and even more
mischieyous agent for such purpose, the pulpit
have been incessantly engaged in mutual and exas-
perating denunciation and systematic elimination
and re-crimination, until in one section at least
looking the constituted authorities of that portion
Of our country the Constitution and the Union are
but formal and unmeaning obligations, as transient
and as valueless as the paper which they set
forth and proclaimed to the world. great Sec
ional party at the North under the false guise of Re-
pubcanism, marshals its hostile hosts in fanatica
crusade against the institutions and the equal rights
of the South, and is continually named by the I'M
just prejudices of people grossly ignorant of our
condition, with zeal and pertinacious desire to in
terfere with Constitutional rights and whatever
else does not concern them, equalled only by The
want of knowledge and the spirit of justice suitable
for such task. This fanatical zeal is daily stimu-
lated by allegations false they unceasing of
the pretended aggressions of the South upon the
North, while, in truth. the former numerically the
weaker section, is simply asking "tO be let alone
in the enjoyment of indisputable and adjudicated
guarantees of the Constitution, adopted for the
government of the whole. This party, impatient
to get control of the government command its poll
cy, domestic well as foreign, and dispose of the
vast revenues of country, derived from and de-
pendent, chiefly, the great staples of the South,
has boldly and defantly proclaimed that their whole
organization is based the idea of anti.savery
And that the policy of their administration, in all
its departments, must be made subservient to the
success of this idea This party pregnant with
the hate of years against the South with an energy
decided it is deadly to the hopes of the patri-
OF and with organization subservient ready, and
complete in all the free States is uttering defiance
against fifteen States sovereign States of this Union,
and declaring there shall nerer be another sldre
StGte-nOt another inch Of slave Territory" belong
ing to the United States, nog or hereafter, though
the Territories be, they are the common proper
&C., f.r r. Ct.k.- kL..z t \
reckless contempt of our Constitutional rights and
their own Constitutional oblgations-in shameless
and inhuman disregard of the future happiness Of
the slaves themselves and the social condition of the
white race and with hypocritcal pretence of phi
lanthropy and the impractcabe theory of the per-
feet equality of the human race, they propose to
surround US with Gordon of free States" falsely
called in the cant of their political vocabulary,
gradually, but surely contracting this limit and per.
hitting outlet for the increased and rapidly in
creasing number of the slaves Except through open
encouragement and assistance to escape from the
labor to which they are bound by the laws and the
Constitution TILL in the progress of few years, il
we could continue so long united, under such wan
ton and wicked violation of our rights, it would be
question whether the country should be abandoned
to the semi barbarian occupancy of the black race
or these be exterminated by cruel and bloody de-
struction, for the sake of the whites.
This sectional and fanatical party, encouraged by
our divisions, and by the hopes of an easy though
fatal victory, which they so nearly accomplished in
1885, and batting nothing Of their audacity by defeat
is again in the field with even more daring utter
ances of law "higher than the Constitution, and
demanding that the ,"impressiole conflict shall GO
TIL slaVs shall not tread the soil of the United
States They are in open feld-armed for the CON
Hiet--united- confident Of triumph--with theii
leaders, chosen in audacous contempt Of all nation
atty, from the free States alone-n Convention
where they expressly expurged the word national