Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1861-08-31
,rhe tun oid Partie..

see party in every thing? Is it not urged that an
old line Democrat and old line Wing, for example,
shall be chosen to the Senate P-and that in arrang
ing the Congressional districts respect should be
had to these two parties? We speak of things as
they are, not as they should be-
The old Republic was destroyed between the doc
trine of secession at nH on the hand, and that
of force as applied to State sovereIgnties on the
other. Unjust aggression, rather the threat that
slavery should be circumscrbed and the actual vio
laton Of the Constitution by many of the nonslave-
holding States stimulated this doctrine of secession
at WILL which finally, as in the cases of North Car
DINA and Virginia became secession for cause Par
ty was largely instrumental in creating and setting
these doctrines in motion. If then, mere party
spirit was largely instrumental in destroying the
old government, and in involving the two sections
in war, would it not be wise to Danish this spirit
at least during the war? Next to the abolitionists
blind and unquestioning party spirit is the worst
enemy North. Carolina had and this spirit was
especially injurious in both sections of the old
Union for the last four five years, because 1t par
took of sectionalism which is the foe of compromise
and concord. We Can judge of the future only by
the past Human nature is no better than it was
when Greece was destroyed by internal dissention
or when Rome became the slave of Caesar. Blind
party spirit, and mere devotion to men and to old
organizations without regard to measures or to the
voice of justice and reason will assuredly in the
end if INDUCED, destroy the new as it has destroy
ed the old government
In regard to measures, the question, and the only
question should always be- Is it in strict accordance
Nth the Confederate ConStitution9 And in regard
to men the only question ought to be, Is he honest
is he capable-is he fruitful to the ConStitution'-
With these rules of conduct to guide u.s. we will sell
dom if ever err. But we go further than this. The
principles of free government are being tested anew
in North America. In the States which profess al
legiance to Lincoln those principles have been lost
sight of or trampied down. There is such thing
English American liberty in the States referred
to. All that is left on this continent of Constitu-
tonal liberty must be looked for in the Confederate
States. That liberty, to be enduring, must be based
on the most perfect respect for Constitutions and
laws; and it must also derive It's existence from,
and exist in, q representative Democracy. We be-
licve in the capacity of the people to govern them
selves; and we believe that a government which
represents the great mass of the people, and not
merely favored few of them, to be the only one
worth maintaining This is political creed, call
us what you will. The tendency of the federal sys
TEN has been to expansion, and then to separation
from the centre. The new government is weaker
than the old 1t cannot long survive those
fics between parties and factions which the old one
encountered for the last quarter of century. 1t
should be the aim Of every patriot to strengthen
rather than weaken the Confederate government
Nowadays, when men are spoken of for office,
we hear it said that this one was too slow and that
one was too fast in seeding from the old Union.
This therefore, of itself creates party in all save
organization. 1t also involves the past with the
censures or commentators which belong to it. 1t
is better, we think, to take for what he is
than for what le has been, provided he dis
honest selEseeker or scramber for Office. Is he for
a strict construction of the Confederate Constitu-
ton docs he regard the people capable of self
government, and has he shown this belief by his
acts ?-and is he honest capable, and faithful
These are the touch-st stones by which public men
should be tried.
Toattempt to continue the old party organizations
would be to offer to a. set of guests the rem
nants of former feast All the old issues are de-
funct We shall have new measures based on the
Confederate Constitution and the altered condi-
ton of the country. For one we take our stand by
the Confederate government as a government of
limited, delegated powers. We shall sustain it du-
ring the war, and after the war; and we would be
glad to hear nothing more about the old parties,
and nothing more about those who were too slow
and those who were too fast in dissolving the old
Union. But if the fast men uiU have it so-if
they insist prescribing all those who reluc-
tant to destroy the ola system and launch the State
on the tempestuous sea of revolution and civil war,
then we say we are ready to meet them. In con-
test of this sort before the people, shall not fear
for ourself or for those with whom may act, but
shall fear for the country. We shall not engage
i'll it unless forced TO do so in selfdeience. The
people have retcntive memories as the politicians.
They have not forgotten, nor will they forget
the events of the last twelve months.
But why should zoe urge cessation of party
strife? Simply because We love our country, and
desire to the people of the State a unit in this
great crisis. That is the feeling that governs U.S.
Faction, and party hate, and party injustice have
done their worst on US. We have been pursued
with wolflike ferocty by men who kneoO they were
wrongIng US, and whokneu we were as good Dem
ocrat trod shoe-eather simply because
would not oppose the principle of ad UalOrem, and
because we would not make haste to break up the
Union and bring on war. We have lived to see ad
uaorem adopted by the State, and by the Confeder-
ate government in its first tax bill; and we have
lived also to witness the realities Of "pedcea6le seces
sion." But truce to all this Let US think only
of what is best for the country Let us do what is
right without regard to party. Let US put our best
men in office; and let us all forget at least for the
present. the differences, and in many instances the
animosities which have heretofore divided us. Let
every public man who has future before him re-
member that if he does not receive Justice now the