Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1861-01-19
Capt. John Walker.


The Senator from Meckenburg delivered in the
Senate yesterday an eloquent and vehement speech
on the state of the country. He spoke for an hour,
and was listened to with much attention.
we shall not attempt to report Capt Walker,
lest we should do him injustice. We agree with
him in some things, and disagree with him in 9TH
ers We believe in remaining IN the Union and
demanding our rights, and we plant ourselves on
the Crittenden resolutions. We do not look to
Congress to settle the question: but ue look to the
States Let the people of the free States be heard
at the ballot-box the Crittend.n propositions
let them say, once for all, whether they will do us
justice. If they respond favorably, as we believe
they will the Union will be saved-the Constitu-
ton will be restored, and Mr.. Lincoln and his party
will be hurled from power in 1864 but if they de-
hberately refuse to give in substance the propo-
sitions of the Senator from Kentucky, then we will
call upon the Southern people to stand to their arms.
That is what we mean by Preparing, and Watching
and Waitiny We went for the bill to arm the
State,-that was preparation, but we got no credit
for it. We urged the Governor to convene the
Legislature year ago, that the State might be
armed, when arms could have been procured with
ceived no thanks for that, but, on the contrary,
censures and lectures to be quiet. We are opposed
to secession separate State action Separate State
action, at this crisis especially and account of
LincolnS election, would end in civil war, in militia
ry despotSm and in the destruction of slave prop
erty Let as gire the Northern people time. They
are not determined to oppresS coercC, degrade
us. They know better, and we believe large ma
orty of them feel better towards u.s. 1t took four
teen years to establish the present Union-seven
years of ire and blood, and seven of anxious and
solemn thought and shall we dissolve it in few
weeks or months? God forbid! Let us save it,
if We cam and let use the means and give the
time to it. We do not believe that the best
plan to the Union or to re construct the Union
is to break it up, as South Carolina, Alabama, and
other Southern States are doing.
But will not pursue the subject further to-day.
Col. Brown, in reply To Capt. Walker by way Of
personal explanation, decarcd-what every just man
must have felt to be true-that lie knew nothing
and thought OF nothing at this crisis but the good
of his country; that ii he could obtain position in
no other way than by rising the ruins of his coun
try he would infinitely prefer to be unnoticed and
in the world if its acceptance should depend the
sacrifice on his part, to the slightest extent OF his
principles or his sense of duty.
Far be it from us to aSSsai Capt. John Walker.
We respect and esteem him, and we know him to be
honest The friendship of other days and the gal
liant and manly manner in which he stood by us on
a former occasion, alike forbid that tre should
assail him under any circumstances. But We must
tell our friend that we just as far from being
submissionist as he is; and that-as expect to
answer at the great day of judgment-we are gov
crned solely in our conduct in this crisis by sim
cere desire to DO all we can, in our humble sphere
to shield and save our beloved country. We are
not thinking of parties of office, of what the
future may reveal so far We are personally
concerned The old parties extinct If new
ones should be formed under written Constitutions,
our creed will be, as it is-A strict constrWc
ton Of the Constitution the reserred rights cf the
States opposition 10 olgdrchies and dristOcracies
and the greatest good of the greatest number That
is what We call Democracy