Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1861-02-20
Meeting at Cedar Fork.

Green Level, w eQneSUay, EeoI
Meeting at Cedar Fork. ~
= The Union meeting at Cedar Fork, in this Coun-
ty on Saturday last was one OF the largest and most
enthusiastic ever held in that portion of the County
Messrs. Badger, Holden, Lewis, and others from |
Raleigh, were welcomed to the place by Prof. York
in handsome style, and Mr.. Badger responded to
Prof. Y in his hest manner. Soon after beautiful
banner of the stars and stripes bearing the motto Of
the Constitution and the Onion" and the names
Of the Union candidates, was hoisted on pole in
front of the Academy, and a speech was delivered
on the occasion by Prof. York, which was in excel
lent taste and full of patriotic ardor. Cheer
after cheer was given for the flag and for the Union
at the conclusion of Prof. York's speech.
- At twelve o'clock Mr.. Badger addressed the peo-
pie on the state of the country, rvetng their atten-
ton for more than two hours by one of the ablest
and most eloquent speeches to which We have ever
listened We wish every man in the State could
have heard him. He showed conclusivcly that the
issue now before the people is Onion or Disunion;
that the "precipitators" in this State are engaged
in the same movement and employing the same
means that hurried the States South of us out of the
Union; that to go out now, or to abandon all hope
of preserving the Union would be to put to hazard
for all time to come wcregulated Constitutional
liberty; that the duty of the border States is to
watch and wait-to mediate between the two ex-
tremes and if possible restore the system and pre-
serve the Union and that every consideration of in
terest and patriotism, we'll as just regard for
those who are to after u.s. should constrain us
to employ every honorable means to avert the ca
lamity of final and permanent rupture. For his part
he would not despair of settlement of existing diff
cutes which would be acceptable, sooner or later,
to all the States. He was hopeful not respondent.
He looked to the people of the whole country to
take their own cause into their hands, and save
themselves from the evils of disruption and conse-
auent civil contests What was wanted was time,
patience, dispassonate effort and mutual forbear-
ance. Extreme views had brought the country to
the verge of ruin. Extreme views must be discard
ed Patriotism must take the place Of partyism.-
Former strifes former prejudices, and all old party
lines must be forgotten dsregarded, and all true
in all sections Of the country must unite to save
the country. So far as he was concerned he thought
only of the best way to preserve the Union and 20
avert the ruin which its destruction must occasion.
The man who would think of personal promo
ton, or Of efectng party ends would do so at the
expense of distracted and divided country. He
believed that the people of the North if sufficient
time allowed them, would do justice to the
South. Justice all that was asked He would
not be exacting, and he was determined not to be
dissatisfied with such concessions patriotism and
sense Of Justice might offer Nor would he de-
spair at any set time. He would labor for the pre-
servation of the Union as long as any reasonable
prospect existed of preserving it fall hope should
fal-ifjusticc should be denied and aggression at
tempted, he would then be ready to resist asgres-
sion aud to unite with his felow-citizens in such
measures as they should deem best calculated to
protect their rights and liberties He was neither
for dsunion nor for submission to unjust power. He
sought to save and would be reluctant to destroy.
Having much hope that the Uunioa could and would
be preserved he would labor accordingly; il he had
little hope or if he entertained the views of the Sc
cessionists as announced by themselves, he would
feel that he was tending rresistably to the final Ca
tastophe of disunion lie who had little hope or no
hope for the Union would do little or nothing to
preserve it If the people desired disunion, let them
vote for such men but if they desired to uphold the
government and to arrest the progress of decay and
dissolution in our system, let them sustain those
who are pledged TO these objects and zeaously and
hopefully engaged in the great effort now being made
to effect them. He was Union man. and he would
not give up his rights and interests in the Union for
uncertainty or because of the election of Lincoln
to the Presidency. He would submlt-not to Lin
coln--but to the Constitution and the laws. Mr..
Lincoln was not monarch-not ruler for life or
by birth, but merely the first officer in the Repub
lie If the States south of us had remained in the
Union We should have had both branches of Con.
gress with the Supreme Court against him. thus de-
priving him of the ability even if he had the dspo
sition to njure or Cypress But these States had
gone out leaving us in minority in both houses Of
Congress; and now, after having done this wrong
after having deserted US and nearly two millions
of their friends in the Northern States, they call up.
on US to consult their will and to follow their exam
pie without any volltion of our own He declined
to go with them. He looked to Virginia, and Ten.
nessee, and Kentucky and if he should be disposed
to follow at all, or to be Influenced in such crisis
by the action of other States, he would much prefer
to 60 with the mother of States and of statesmen
with her daughter, Kentucky, and with Tennes.
Sec, the daughter of North Carolina.
Mr.. Badger also, in the course of his argument on
the issue Of Union or Disunion thoroughly exposed
the new cry of the secessionists that the middle
States must decide between Northern and South.
ern oonfederacy. This cry, thus raised BY the Sc
cesslon'sts confirmed the correctness of the very
position he had assumed that the ISSUE was Union
or D''un'on. Wewere still in the Union; the State
was still member of the so-called Northern Con.