Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1861-03-13
THE PEACE CONFERENCE.

The Wilmington papers furnish sketches of q
speech delivered there by George Davis, Esq, upon
the action of the Peace Conferences Of which he was
amember He condemned the plan adopted by the
Conference, as whole and in its several parts, and
made legal argument against it laying great stress
upon its not containing distinct recognition
property in slaves" Not being lawyers we do not
see why the very words employed in the present
Constitution, viz: "persons held to service or Ia
born are not sufficient to be expressed in the pro-
posed amendment. These words were satisfactory
to the great and good men who framed the Constitu
ton in 1889, with George Washington, very large
STAKEHOLDER, at their head and we do not see why
the words should not be satisfactory to u.s. es-
pecially every Southern man who has ever spoken
or written the subject has maintained that these
words were meant to designate, and do designate
staoeS,. Shall we now, by demanding the employ
ment Of different term, admit that those words N
the existing Constitution do not mean slayesp lis
dangerous admission, supposing the North to be
inclined to invade our rights guaranteed by hose
words.
The result to which Mr. Davis has arrived is, that
the North will never consent to any better terms
than these Peace Conference terms; that they ought
not to be agreed to by the South; and that "the
South must go with the South, and not with any
newfangled central Republic or as the tail end and
and victim of FreeSoil North" And he says,
"as it so happened that the other four commission
ers from North-Carolina were equally DIVIDED on
most questions the responsibility of giving the cast
ing vote generally, if not always, devolved upon
him."
Now it has been stated in the papers, and Mr..
Davis leaves to infer that it has been correctly
stated, that the equal division which he speaks Of
by which of course he meant an equal division nu-
mericaUy-waS Judge Rufin and Gov Morehead on
one side, and Gov Reid and Mr.. Barringer on the
other and that he sided and voted with the last two.
Now without at all abating the high respect en-
terrain for the legal ability and the patriotism OF Mr..
Davis we cannot help believing that if the Peace
Conference plan were obnoxious to all the legal
objections which he urges against it, they would
have been equally apparent those distinguished
lawyers who differed from him and voted for the
plan-especiay to the ex-Chief Justice, whose rep
utation as a uriSt is not confined to the limits of
North Carolina of the United States, but is CO.
extensive with the English language Nor can We at
all admit that either of those distinguished gentle
men, thus gifted with discrimination to perceive,
would be less determined than himself to resent, any
infringement of the rights of their section, their
State and themselves Few within the bounds Of
the State have as large interest at stake in repu-
tatiom and in property, as they; and none have
more earnestly and effectively devoted themselves
to her service. And if they thought that the Peace
Conference plan would do to vote for, as a settle
ment satisfactory to North Carolina, We looking at
its apparent import and relying their legal opin-
ion, feel content to abide by it.
As to one of the two Commissioners with whom
Mr. Davis vOted-we mean Toy. Reld-he has put
himself record as having gone to the Conference
without hope; and to be without hope in this mat
ter has invariably proven to be without desire. In
letter written on the 18th ult., from Washington
to the people Of Rockingham county, consentng to
be candidate for the State Convention 1--WE rejoice
to say he was beaten,) Gov. Reid said
Before leaving home, | entertained the opinion
that the North would not agree to any adjustment
that would prove safe and satisfactory either to the
States that have seeded the slavehodng States
that still remain in the Union"
The sum of the whole matter is in our Judgment
that the weight of opinion and of legal authority is
with the Chief Justice and Gov Morehead We
with Mr. Davis, without offence to hm-that in
likewise adopted their proscriptive and intolerant
views; but is willing to believe that some others be-
sides himself are honest and patriotic and may be
right
We will add regret that Mr.. Davis INDUCED in a
contemptuous epithet in regard to the idea of Cen
trail COnfederacy, which, though not approved Of by
him. has undoubtedly been entertained with favor
in case of necessity for dissolution By many lead
ing public and private men throughout the Central
States. 1t is now before the Virginia Convention
proposed by Hon. w. L. Goggm. And North Car
olna is quite likely to become the "tail-end and
victim" 81 Southern Coniederacy, should she at
tach herself to one, of "a tree soil North" In
deed it is perfectly apparent that she is treated with
at least much respect by the latter as by the for
mer; and if she can secure her rights she had far
better remain where she is and il she cannot
them, take counsel with those whose interests and
feelings are identical with her own.-FdyetteUiUe
Observer