Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1861-04-12
"Union Msn," A Misnomar.

We have never called the antI-secessIon-
1sts ..snbmissonists,' because we regard
that rs an offensive epitlet, such as ought
never to be applied to a respectable
class of men, and very rarely to lndipid-
uals. In the first OF the secession troubles
and while there was an apparent IN ance
to preserve theComstitutipn and the Unlon,
the party opposed 10 secession were ustly
entitied TO the name of Union men, and they
were SO called but that term cannot now,
with prnpr;ety, be applied to the anti-se-
cgssionisfs of the border States. There
NAV he Southern Union men and Ncrth-
ern Union men, but it is bald and rlGlc
ulous absurthfy to talk about Union men
aceprding To the acceptlea OF the term as
heretofore used That portion of the
voters of the border States, who are how
under existing circunstances-oppn to
severing the cnnnectlon between those
States and the North we dennminate the
Northe17a- Goce7nuaent- Men, There are
few who favor a middle Contederacy, bnt
these are universally recognized as the old
as0nae1 politicians, and it doesn't matter
nuch what they are in favor of. The
ainrity of the ami 'lsecessionlsts are OF The
former class whom we denonlnate n orth-
ern GovernneEt men; not because we
believe they are abolitionists or Black Re-
puOIlCdNS-Iof we KNOW tHstt d vi
them are not-bnt because, there being
Union and a choice being presented to
tEem between Northern and Southern
Government, they express a preference
for the fnlmer. They prefer remaining
with the North to joining with ,he Confed-
crate Siates-theretore we call them
Northern Government men.
Our cotem porary OF the Raleigh Ban
ner tacetiously complains of the apphca
tlon OF this name to him, and his party,
AID tearfully protests that it is cruel
We would De deeply affected By this pro
test of the Banner, but the editor is such
an incorriglble wag that no one can tell
when he is in earnest. He is, in fact, the
,arince of testers, for does ut he keep the
ssme OF Stephen A. Douglas at his mast
head for President in 1864, with a verse
of doggerel underneath, telling how ";he
Douglas flag 10 waving and how he i'll
tends to stall" a second time with the
aforesaid s.i;ttIe giant 2" Certainly he
does Who, then, can tell when such a
anan as this is serious2 Trne, this is rath-
-er melancholy joke, but its very proxim-
6ty 70 profound sadness gives a zest to its
enjoyment. We hope the Banner Will
not make any more fun out of the solemn
truth which the Herald utters for its bene
fit, but will close its, funny valve, and as
sumo the dignity of squatter sovereign.
But 10 return TO the Northern Govern
snent men. There is great deal in a
name sometimes. ant in the knowledge of
this truth lies their strength. They call
themselves Union men, and the people
who loved the old Union are misled by
the name. They are told that the issue is
Union or Disunion and upon that naked
question as heretofore understood, their
verdict is asked. Ii is the business of the
Southern Rights party TO let the people
know that there is no such Issue. 1t is
their brsiaess-a they wifi attend To it
to inform them that there is no Union
to preserve-that.- however it may be
mystited, the only question for. them to
decide is which of the Two governments
they will choose whether they will unite
thesdestinies of their State with the North
whose only anxiety aboHt the borderSfates
10 te see them abolitonized, or with the
South which is allied to them by all the
ties OF interest and affection. The people
naast be told that those who cali thefns