Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1861-12-18
"Aid and Comfort to the Enemy"

AAu ana comfort 10 the ENEMY"
The State Journal, of this City, which we notice
only on account Of the respectable character OF
few persons who own and control it. charges that
the State Convention, in passing the ordinance con-
tinuing the Boad of Claims, has deposed the Gov
ernor, created Triumvirate to which the Governor
and all military officers in the State are made subor
dinate, and struck blow at the root of our whole
military system, introducing anarchy and confu-
sion" into our military affairs 1t also says the or
dinance referred to "supersedes the Adjutant Gen.
eral, Quarterrnaster, Paymaster and Commissary
General in all the functions of their respective Off
ces. and makes these officers the mere powerless
employees of this despotic Triumvrate."
Now this is either tre or false. Iftrue, the people
ought to rise up and hull every member of the Con-
vention who voted for this ordinance from his seat;
but if false, and known to be false when it was pen
ned the author of the charge deserves to be brand
ed with infamy, and held up as a wicked enemy of
Southern liberty. Is it true? Read the ordinance,
fellow-citizens and decide for yourselves This howl
is raised because your representatives have pu:
checks and safeguards upon the disbursement of
your money-checks and safeguards which, when
applied, will no doubt expose Of the pets for
whom the Journal speaks, and for whose ncompe-
tency in office it has heretofore apologzed.
This ordinance, thus denounced as a despotic
measure-as measure which revolutonizes the
State and destroys our military s stem-was passed
by yeas NINETY SIX, nays eight. This paper has,
therefore, not only assailed its enemies in the Con-
vention, but also those In that body who were for
merly its friends 1t charges all but eight with
having, by the adoption of "aoicked ordnance
changed the character of the government into des
pctisn, and with having rendered our military arm
entirely powerless in our contest with Lincoln. 1t
is clear case that if Judge Biggs sedition ord.
nance had been passed, the nominal Editors of the
paper referred to would have been punished under
it as persons seeking to excite the people to resist
the State government; for if it be true as they SOL
emily declare that despotism has been established
in North Carolina, then it is the duty of the people
to resist. But it is not true-t is false, and the
tendency OF their language is to excite resistance,
based on false, and maliciously false statements
And not only this, but their language is calculated
to encourage the public enemy, by producing the
impression in the North that our military system
is in a state of anarchy and that despotism has
been established in our midst.
We still subscribe, even in the midst of revolu-
tion to the maxim of Jefferson, that error may be
safely tolerated while is left free to combat
i-but the above language of the paper referred to
is no merely erroneous-it isseditious Such journ
al, edited by such men, and uttering language which
libes the whole people of the State, and falsely rep
resents to Lincoln that military system is in a
state of anarchy and confusion is not only sore
but curse upon our body polite. How much
longer will patriots and gentlemen give their coun
tenance to such paper?