Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1861-12-11


pride in every citizens oyaty and fame; and just
appreciation of every citizens uspt and eaaims.-
But we had State government dganized. Those
who had control Of it esnvAsd evi6y citizen to it,
support, and every citizen gave his support =
There was not disloyai voice insthe ehole State.
We put mantles upon our shoulders and walked
backwards to cover its faults If complaint was
made at all, it was with closed doors; anxious
were we that our great enemy should know that
there was not a single fault any where. -
While the people were thus united and loyal,
what has been the course of the faction in power?
The new state Of things required .thatsmany Offices
and places of trust of great responsibility should he
created. And it affected the property, the reputa--
tion the lives and the liberties Of the whole people,
and the very existence of the State that these OFF,
ces should be filled with the best men we had with.
out regard t. party, and with regard only to fitness
Have they been so filed? 1t may be granted, for
the sake of the argument that the secession party,
numbering one-third, had a proportionate number
with the conservative party, numbering twothirds,
of the best men in the State. If then the Offices had
been filled with reference to merit only, there would
have been oEe-thrd secessioDists, and twothirds
conservatives. But how is the fact? Every single
important place. civil and military, Tor fthere be any
exceptions they only exceptions for some pecu.
liar reasons the rule being state) has been fill
ed with secessionists! Now, if this just happened
So let it pass, for concede that it makes no differ
ence now, whether in Office is secessionst or
conservative. But if it is SO by design, then the
government is faction, party tyranny. Ii
this distinction is made upon the ground that the
conservatives are not to BE trusted, then say un-
hesitatingly, and with emphasis that the govern
ment SO acting, is not fit to be trusted If it be
true that thirds of the patriot citizens of North
Carolina have "hideous marks on their brows,"
put there by the government which they are pour
ing out their treasures and their blood to support
then the government acting against its citizens
is an intoleraLle nuisance. These are no ordinary
times. They are times when traitor means some
thing They are times when, if citizen allows the
mark to be put his brow, then he is traitor to
himself if not to his State do not hesitate to say
that if such course is to be pursued then, just as
we took lives in our hands to oppose one faction
that would Cypress US. We will take our lives in
our hands to oppose another faction that would o2
press us.
That this oppression of "a mark on the brow, !" is
in the purpose Of the secession faction, depends, not
alone the testimony of the State Journal but, it
is abundantly evident from the practice of that par
ty in the government l need not again to state
that conservatives excluded from every impor-
tant place of trust in the government or to reter
ate that that would make no difference If it only
happened so; or, if those in place were pre-emi-
nently fitted for the services they have to perform
But it is notorious, that men are put in place be-
cause they were secessonists and men are kept out
because they were conservatives 1t is also noori-
GUS, that while there were many very worthy men
OF the secession party, yet as rule. they were men
Of violent passions, and wanting in prudence and
discretion And it is notorious that the conserva-
tives were, rule, the reverse of this. Yet, at
time when the State needs all her prudence, discre
ton and power her destinieS are almost altogether
in the hands of passionate indiscretion and Of ma
hgnant imbecty And, even these, and whatever
Of force there is in them, instead Of being used
against our common enemy, are turned against our
own citizens; and occupy, themselves in putting
marks upon their brows, by which they are to be
known and disgraced, if they shall be SO unfortu-
nate to escape with their lives from the contest
with the enemy. But after all, probably this Is
mercy to the State for, if not thus engaged in
venting their malignity against the friends of the
State at home, they might be employed in preparing
other traps for them at uatteras, from which the
only escape would be to the dungeons Of the enemy;
and might be preparing other facilities by which
the enemy could invade SOIL and possess our
property 1t may be that their meanness to the
friends of the State at home is less injurious than
would be their pusalanmity if exhibited in the face
Of the enemy
If they would allow the best of those whom they
employ to improve the advantages Of any position
in which they may be put, they might, in time af-
ter many mishaps, become reasonably proficient;
and the country would have confidence, that what
was wanting in fitness at trs might be supplied by
experience But, anxious they to exhibit
their fayorteS every place. that is not allowed
to fit himself for the duties of one position to which
he has been called before he is put into another po
sition, where he must strain anew his tired and
worn faculties. One can hardly make himself an
efficient Quartermaster or Commissary before he is
made an inefficient Colonel-to hide which he must
be made ridiculous General Another, by toll
and exposure may make himself good soldier, and
Immediately find himself made an apprentice Judge
land doubtless, in time, good one,) and that to
the exclusion of one who l0nged for the place, and
differed not at all from the best friend he had in
supposing himself to be prominently qualified for
it, but who had not had time enough, although he
labored hard to dvest himself of enough of his
spectability to make him acceptable. Or, if one be
remarkably inefficient and for that reason an es'
pecia favorite they exhibit him in several places
at once, so that his failure in every thing may be
attributed to the multitude of his engagements, -
and so that the multiplied emoluments may satisfy
his inordnate vanity, which he wears in the place
where any other man would feel the deepest degra
dation. And one is hardly allowed to steady him
self from the walow of the boat which brought him
from country where monarch rules, and where
he was bred dependent, before he is made thu
printer of the Journal of the vtuperation of the
own countrymen and to give him an importance
which he hesitates to exhibit they require him tt
print the laws Of the State so that in every plac
We must have partizan and in every place nov
ice. And they, the party, instead Of meeting ono
in two years, meet twice in pne year. to multiply
laws, which the citizens are required to obey with
out being permitted to read, and to abolish Court
where they themselves need often to be defendants
In times like these there ought to be no party
1t would be an outrage for any mere party to rule
But that such faction this should rule, is into
cradle. 1t ought not and will not be submitted tt
The people will not submit to be marked" LIE
those in power look to it am aware that there
disposition to bear much from him who is at tn
head of the State, because he is there by accder
and of necessity, and because it is hoped that hi
errors are weaknesses. But # his admnistratio
shall continue to be as uncheckered with prophet
as 1t has been, it will be such proof of design wi
turn him over to the popular indignation which
now felt for those who surround him. Let me war
and taesa ,.ha that tho lata ola