Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1861-04-03
OBJ Stan6arb.
RALEIGH: SATURDAY, MARCH 30, 1861
The Wilmington Journal.

The Wilmington Journal.
The Journa, of the 18th instant in an article on |
"The Position of the State" says:
"Did the Raleigh Standard want Convention |
Was it not opposed to t3 Certainly, If We take |
that paper itself in its issue Of the 18TH as our wit
ness. Speaking Of the action of Surry county, the
Standard SAYS that "shc endorsed. that dangerous
man Holden, by s29 majority" Now this ,najori:.
ty is the precise majority against Convention and
therefore we must take it for granted that in going
AGAINST Convention she endorsed Mr.. Holden
There is no other conclusion. The thing speaks
for itself"
That was simply mistake We perceived it al
ter we had published the vote of Surry by precincts
but we did not deem it of sufficient Importance to
require correction. We took the majority against
Convention instead of the majority in favor Of Mr.
Haymore, the Union candidate, by mistake.
We had the honor to cooperate through the
whole Of the last session Of the Legislature with
Hon Bedford Brown. That gentleman advocated
Convention in the committee on federal relations
and in his place in the Senate; and to his efforts
mainly are the people indebted for the Convention
bill as it passed. We refer especially to that pro-
vision in it which required the action Of the Con-
vention to be submitted to the people at the polls
for their ratification or rejection. We were all
along there with Mr. Brown sustaining him to the
best of cur humble ability. If the views Of the
peculiar favorite and pet Of the lournol-Mr SAM
uel J. Person-had prevailed, the bill would have
been reported ,ciA tie prorsion referred to omitted
and in that shape it never could have passed. Mr..
Person was, therefore, more in the way of Con-
vention than Col. Brown was, or than we were;
yet We have no doubt the Journal will say Mr.. Per-
son was right aud VIC we're wrong. The journal
has way Of doing such things.
We voted for Convention. Wethought it advsa-
bic, under all the circumstances that should be
called especially the people were to have the whole
matter in their own hands, But We were voted
down We are in the habit of respecting the pop
ular will as well by deed as in word; and because
we respect that will, and because We know that a
majority Of the people Of the State are much wiser
than we are, and much wiser than any number Of
mere politicians, cheerfully abide their decision
We do it, too ia good faith. We do not come for
ward and tell them indirectly that they did not
know their owu minds when they voted down a
Conventioa. We do not tell them that they are
not fit for seifgovernment unless they will vote
twice in the course of month or so on the same
proposition We do not insult their intelligence
and their judgment by declaring to them that
though in February they decided by two to one to
remain in the Union for the present, yet if they
will only vote again in March or April they will
decide to 60 out of the Uuion! Can the Journal
and his brother disunionists say as much?
We are opposed to agitation. The people want
repose. They said so by voting down Conven
ton. They are watchful, and they will take care
of themselves. They are not towards, and they
ARE not indifferent to their rights. They will moi
submit to the administration of the government or
Republican principles and they will not permit thu
general government by any aggressive movement t'
shed the blood of Southern men. But they do OBJ
ject to being poked perpetually with the pole of agi
tation- If they should want Convention the!
will call for it With no new reasons for Conven
ton, and with no developments menacing their homo
or their safety, they will not be apt to 'precipitate
themselves into fresh excitements merely to gratif
the wishes of Mr.. Fulton, and Mr.. Barrnger, an
Mr. Craige, and Mr.. Ra,o Notes, and Mr.. Robinson
(poor Robinson y and Mr.. Branch, and Mr.. Edwards
and Gen. Green. They beg to be excused.
But in the same article the Journal becomes pc,
Q sonal, as follows:
"Governor Ellis said in the town of Wmingto
that he believed the people would soon call for
Convention and would have ore, however the e)et
ton Of the 28th ult might turn out He said ths
circumstances beyond their control would force th
upon them Did Governor Ellis say that he woul
call Convention ?-no! for every man knows thu
he has not that power. Did he say anything abou
what he would do? No, not word. EIe spoke
the inevitable tendency of events, and the inevit'
ble conclusions to which such tendency of event
would bring the popular mind in tbs State and "
we find papers demanding who Governor Ellis
that he should venture to express an opinion upo
current events. We suppose those who ask such
question know that John w. Ellis is the Governo
Of North Carolina-that he is a gentleman who ha
been twice elected by a majority of the people
the State to the highest position in the Common
wealth, and they should also know that while tn
people understand that the proprieties Of his pos
ton estop him from noticing the personal attack
made upon him, they also appreciate at their prope
'aiue the course Of those who make these attacks
we 90 not desire to 60 into this matter frthe
we we nave studiously avoided personalities and j,
ueeo' oil controversies, even when impersonal."
NOW, Gov. Ellis made ar extraordinary speech
Wilmington, and we commented on it. We had
r'sht to comment on it We made no personal a
Jack on him. We have not on any occasion, pc
'0"a'ly assailed him. Those who charge that "
orc governed in our course towards Gov Ellis u
PERSONAL malice, judge US by themselves. The
"ou'a act maliciously if they were in our plac
anu % Tue lmpute malice to US. We have nothn
70 say against him as man-we deal with him ,
pontclan and public officer. But the Journ.
CHOOSES to produce different impression, and to il