Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1861-08-21

cessty for our agricultural staples must have de-
cidcd influence in securing favorable consideration
of our cause abroad, false impression as to our
moral condition will operate in the same sections,
adversely to our interests. sc
We all know the fact that the whole civilized
world cntertains erroneous opinions in regard to the
state of society in the slavehodng States OF Aerl-
ca and VIC may expect that the agents and emlssa-
ries Of our adversary will not be slow to avail them
selves of their opportunities to increase and confirm
these prejudices.
BY means of their newspapers, books and COM
merce their thoughts circulate through the nations,
while the Southern mind and heart are, to great
extent cut off from the opportunity of giving them
selves utterance abroad; and We must, therefore,
expect that the erroneous and injurious opinions
formed of us while We were part OF the United
States will be rectiied only by the actual and close
inspection Of those who need the productions OF our
SOIL
The nations to whom these productions are par
amount necessity, are now compelled to examine
for themselves the foundations of our national
strength for if they are satisfied that we cannot oe
speedily reduced to bccton to the United States
they will be forced, by the exigences of their posi-
ton, to open commercial intercourse Win us Us an
independent power.
Their eyes are, therefore, intently fixed on all
our movements and it cannot be doubted thatthey
will Judge of our sclisustanng ability by that moral
courage which trumphs over present difficulties ny
grasping with tenacious hold the hopes of the
future.
They are doing now what we have long asked the
civilized world to do; they are examining Tor them
selves the state of civilization, and endeavoring
thus to form just conclusion as TO what is to be
our future destiny
Their present interests demand that they should
pursue such course; and we may, therefore, be
assured that every movement here which indicates
confidence or the want of confidence in our own
resources, or which is calculated to derange the
machinery of society or to add to its strength, har
mony, and compactness, is fraught with the most
tremendous consequences to US and to our pOsterly
The institutions of no people have ever been more
misrcpresented; and no people ever had more
glorious opportunity of acting out their true char
acter before the fixed and interested gaze OF all
mankind.
In view of these facts VIC would appeal to the
people of this great State by every consideration
which can address itself to their Christian sentiment
to their patriotism, and to their manhood to rise to
the dignity o. tho trying but grand emergency in
Which they are placed; and under the blessing OF
Divine Providence, to act with that foresight firm
ness and heroism which will dissipate forever the
sanderous impressions rs to the moral character OF
save-holding society, and which will render illus
trous for all time the history of the present. and fix
perity and happiness of the future.
We would remind them that in every hard and
protracted struggle it is moral courage that always
conquers; and that the victories won on the battle
field by the endurance and valor of our heroic
troops, will be comparatively barren if we suffer
society to become disorganzed our institutions of
bene6ccEce to anguish and perish, and the light Of
religion and virtue which now irradates onr homes
and saactifes our hearths, to be cxtinguished.
= ~: ,fSNr,
to the example of our fathers in time which tried
the souls of men, and call upon the of this gen.
Grafton to up to this standard of the patriots
and heroes OF 70.
The Constitution of the State of North Carolina
was formed at Halifax, in the year 1776, and soon
after the Declaration of Independence had been
adopted by the Continental Congress.
The people of the Colonies which united in that
Declaration, were fewer in numbers, and poorer in
resources than the people Of the Confederate States
of America; they had just entered upon contest
for independent national existence with the bravest
and most powerful nation on earth, the armies of
this power were on their soil, and their armed and
treacherous adherens were scattered through every
community.
Our own colony, then assuming the dignity of
free and independent State, was without commerce,
manufactures, money credit; its population was
comparatively small and scattered, much of its ter
ritory unsettled, and the difficulties of intercommu-
nication great and forbidding.
The statesmen who, just as the thickest gloom Of
this crisis had settled on the country, met at Hall
fax to lay the foundations of great commonwealth,
adopted as part of its fundamental law, the follow
ing clause: THAT school or schools shall be e.
adlshed by the Legislatures for the Convenient in
struction Of youth scith such saaries to the masters
paid By the public as may enable them to instruct
at loo prices; and aN useful learning shall be duly
encouraged by one or more Universities. Consti-
tuition Of North Carolina, section IL.
This illustrious action, the first movement of the
kind on the continent, worthy of the men who
WERE also, first to utter their voice in favor of in
dependence; and now, while we arc surrounded
with the glorious fruits Of religion, knowledge and
freedom, powerful in numbers and in strength and
copactness OF society, great in resources yet unde
veloped, but now within our reach, rich in works of
internal Improvement in agricultural staples, and
pecuniary means, blessed with vast, prosperous
and growing system of moral and educational agen-
cles, united among ourselves and confederate with
people more numerous than they who carried on
the war of the first revolution producing nearly all
OF the staple most important to the manufactures of
the world, Astounding in every other national re-
source, and as brave and enthusiastic as any the
sun ever shone upon, shall we be frightened from
our propriety by the pompous threats Of our infe-
Of desperation which will but feed his vanity, or
stimulate his malignant hopes?
Snail we, TOR one moment give countenance to
the charges slanderousy preferred against the slave
holding States Of America, of being inferior in NOR
al and intellectual resources and necessarily depen-
dent on other communities for teachers, for schools
for literature, for thought for mental and religious
light? Shall we permit the fear of those who inso-
lently assume to be our masters, and whom VIC
would not have for fellow citizens to paralyze
all the moral and intellectual agencies of this great
and heroic people, and shut them up in the gloom
and desclation Of utter darkness? Shall we allow
it to be said that the blockade of ports but
a type of the stagnation in the inner life of the
Southern mind and heart as soon as it was cut of
from the moral resources Of other nations? Shall
we so act in this time suited to test our inherent
strength and vitality to permit our enemy, grown
and arrogant from our former apparent dependence,
to charge that institutions sickly for want
of depth of SOIL and as soon as the sun Of trial was
up. they were scorched and wthered away?
Shall We, at the beginning Of our new history,
undo the very acts which have constituted the most
honorable boast of the past