Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1861-02-19
Meeting at Cedar Fork.

Meeting at Cedar Fork.
The Union meeting at Cedar Fork, in this Coun-
ty, on Saturday last 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 best manner. Soon after beautiful
banner of the stars and stripes bearing the motto of
the " Constitution and the Union" and the names
of the Union candidates, was hoisted on pole in
front of the Academy, and speech was delivered
on the occasion by Prof York, which was in excel
lent taste and full of patriotic ardor. Cheer
after cheer 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 the state of the country, rveting 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 in the State could
have heard him. He showed concusively that the
issue now before the people is Union 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 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 well-regulated 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, as we'll just regard for
those who are to come after US, should constran
to employ every honorable means to avert the ca
lamty of final and permanent rupture. For his part
h., of fofa
culties 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-
quent civil contests. What was wanted was time,
patience, dispassionate 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 prejudces and all old party
lines must be forgotten dsregarded and all true
men in all sections of the country must unite to
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 now of personal promo
ton of effecting party ends, would do so at the
expense of distracted and divided country He
believed that the people of the North if sufficient
time was allowed them, would do justice to the
South. Justice was all that was asked. He would
not be exacting, and he was determined not to be
dissatisfied with such concessions as patriotism and
sense of justice might offer US. Nor would he de-
spair at any set time. He would labor for the pre-
servaton of the Union as long any reasonable
Of IF Ill hon
fail-if justice should be denied, and aggression at
tempted he would then be ready to resist aggres-
sion and to unite with his fellow-citizens in such
measures as they should deem best calculated to
protect their rights and liberties. He neither
for disunion for submission to unjust power. He
sought to save and would be reluctant to destroy.
Having much hope that the Uunion could and would
be preserved he would labor accordingly; if he had
little hope if he entertained the views of the
ceSsionists as announced by themselves, he would
feel that he tending rresistably to the final ca
tastophe of dsunion. He who had little hope or no
hope for the Union would do little or nothing to
preserve it 1.-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
an uncertainty or because of the election of Lincoln
1.-THE Presidency. He would submlt-not to Lin
coln-but to the Constitution and the laws. Mr..
Lincoln was not monarch-not a ruler for life or
by birth, but merely the first officer in the Repub-
lie. If the States south of had remained IN the
Union We should have had both branches of Con-
gress with the Supreme Court against him, thus de-
prVng him of the ability, if he had the dispo
siton to inure or Cypress But these States had
gone out, leaving US in minority in both houses of
Congress; and now after having done US 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 volition of our own. He declined
to go with them. He looked to Virginia, and Ten
nessee and Kentucky and if he should be disposed
10 follow at ALL or to be influenced in such crisis
oy the action of other States he would much prefer
to go with the mother of States and of statesmen
with her daughter, Kentucky, and with Tennes-
See, 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 secsssionists that the middle
states must decide between Northern and South
ern Confederacy. This cry, thus raised BY the Sc
ceSslonists, confirmed the correctness of the very
position he had assumed that the issue was Union
Or Dtsunion. Wewere still in the Union the State
was still a member of the so-called Northern Con-