Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1861-02-19
From the Fayetteville Observer
UNION OR DISUNION.

hoping to excite feeling for against particular
tons of the country and under that excitement to
hurry them out of Union with States many. of
whose people are hostile and into new Union
composed exclusively of States which may or may
not be friendly, but supposed to be our friends
: As stated by disunion contemporary IN Eastern
NorthCarona, the issue sought to be made for this
canvass by the Disunonists is, do you "prefer re-
naming with the North to going with the South?"
There is no such issue before We have not to
decide whether hold this or that State or section
IN greater esteem. The question is: Shall We exert
every honorable effort to perpetuate this GOUern-
ment or Shall we join in an effort to overthrow it?
1t is grave issue; to be decided under no impulse
of hasy resentment, but to be considered coolly and
calmly, with all the wisdom, the moderation and the
prudence we can command Dangers are on every
side. by reason and moderation alone, under the
Providence of God can we escape them.
Shall we destroy this Government? For near a
century we have been accustomed to boast of it
the best on earth. And with great reason for I'M
der 1t our country has with marvellous rapidty
grown rich and great, powerful and respected with
so little burden to its citizens that in State like
ours we know of its existence only by reading of Its
transactions and enjoying with very little thought
tuness or thankfulneSS, Its manifold blessings. In
reading some months since the debates which at
tended the protracted struggle for the Speakershp
OF the present House of Representatives, were
struck with the remark OF leading Congressman
from Southern State, an ayowed disunionist that
so little interest had the people of bis District in
this government so little they affected by its
operations, that they only knew there was Gov
ernment by seeing it mentioned in the newspapers
and hearing it spoken of by candidates. He thought
that an irresistible argument in favor of their sepa
ration from the Government Is it? "That is the
best Government Uhich governs least" That is, he
who enjoys and exercises uIdisturbed the right to
do what the law allows enjoys the best Government
that mans wisdom can devise. Yet the remark,
however misdirected its application was almost lit
orally true. Think of it for a momeat Outside
of the great cities where some come in contact with
the Government through the custom-h houses where
duties on imported goods paid we have no
knowledge that controlled or restrained or IN
any way affected by the Government We feel no
Government but that of our several States, and we
know of the existence of that Government only by
the annual visits of the taxgatherer. But destroy
the National Government set up for ourselves: no
man can be blind to the fact that, even if that de-
struction be effected by peaceabe separation Of the
constituent parts DGT must soon t0LLoU. 1t is in
evitabe. With it come visits of the tax-gatherer
no longer like angels visits, with heavier demands
and on our part less ability to meet them; blood
shed; all the horrors of civil war; and eventual de-
structon of that great interest whose safety is made
the pretext for destroying the Government which
protects it.
Shall we destroy such Government? When op-
preston drives or honor calls, when every honorable
effort for peace has failed trust and believe that
there is no Southern man who will stand back from
a united effort for the overthrow of the oppreSsor
But though We have suffered gricvous wrongs from
the Northern people, the Government neither insults
nor Expresses us. Let us cling TO the hope that it
may be perpetuated. Let exhaust every honor
able effort to it. There is no reason why it
may not be saved Wise men, patriots, if the peo-
pie will but discard the politicians for little while
and will it and settle the distracting ques
tons which divide us. The wise men who made
this Government. gave US Constitution, and in that
instrument they provided remedies. or u mode for
obtaining them, for any evil which now suffer
from the people of the North, or anticipate from
them from the Government Let US then ex-
haust all constitutional remedies. Let US at least
seek TO save, and not destroy our Government 1t
was the result of much anxiety, toll, blood and
treasure freely expended by our fathers. 1t has
been and is the source of unnumbered blessings to
their children. Be it our task-it should be
pleasure-to do all that may be done without loss of
honor to transmit 1t to our children more great and
glorious and not less free than we received it.
In cooly and calmly urging these practical con-
SiderationS upon the attention of our readers, as
most of those who have long been our readers know
we feel the grievances of which the South has to
complain quite as keenly as the most noisy of the
"ire-eaters." We know, as every man must know,
that however unwlSe the movements of the last few
months, they have made it necessary that there be
speedily final settlement of the whole sectional
question. We believe that such settlement can be
had; that the South secure all its rights and
the Government trmer foundation than ever. But
do not believe it good policy to The task
of settlement to " tire-eaters." They have had no
small share in creating our troubles, and are not the
men to compose them, if they desired, as they do
not desire, settlement let US therefore send to our
Convention men of another stamp Nor yet, can
we perceive the necessity or policy of doing what
some of our contemporaries do, and what some
nhuSp {
filling our columns with disputations with Black
Republicans. At this day our own people do not
need to be told what their grievances; and
while such disputations would but further excite
and unfit their minds for calm decision of most
momentous issue, the minds of the Northern people
would in no way be affected for they neither
read Southern newspapers. Our fir ends at the
North are doing what can be done to their peo
pie from sectional madness; in the same good cause
we are humbly striving here. The whole matter
the issue in each section and the duties of patriots
in each section-is well summed up in the following
paragraph copied into the last ObSerrer from of
the trueSt Northern 1--WE should say Nationally news
papers. Read again and think Of the great truths
embodied in brief space:
The>Lssue South.-The Stars and Stripes rs Pal
mcttoes and Pelicans.
The Issue North.-The Stars and Stripes Us the
Black Flag of Abotonism.
Cling to and rally around, everywhere, the Stars
and the Stripes. Down with the Black Flag North
and down with the Pelcans, South. Everywhere
up with the Stars and Stripes.-M Y. Express.
Departure Of Mr.. Lincoln from Pittsburg-A nOth-
or Speech
PTTsBURG, Feb. 15.-Mr. Lincoln left here this
morning for Cleaveland Before taking his depar-
ture he made address, in substance as follows:
He alluded to the political condition Of the coun
try, and said he had been expected to say something
on this subject, but if it done it would require
elaborate discussion, and consume more time than
was now at his disposal. 1t was perhaps unneces-
sary to commit himself upon matters not yet fully
developed. The condition of the country is extraor-
binary, and fills the mind of every patriot with
subject consideration before speaking definitely,
that when speak shall be as nearly right as pos