Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1861-12-14
% SPEECH oFIRoBERr p. DICK IEsQ,,F

Il u
this session of the Convention, but sense of JUS
tce TO myself, my people, and my country compeIs
me to speak out against this bill Of denominations"
The history of the past has taught me- that sedtion
laws and test oaths have ever been the engines of
tyranny, and justly odious to every free people.
Free speech and free press important parts of
our heritage of liberty, and if we give them up, We
will longer deserve the name OF freemen and our
great sacrifices and suferings in this mighty strug
gle will BERN vain, the only fruits of success will
be change Of masters. -
Does, any stern necessity demand such an ord
nancet Where is there any manifestation Of dis
loyalty to the State or Confederate Government
among the people of North Carolina? There
marry men who arc dissatisfied with and bitterly
opposed TO the prescription and partzan spirit
which too often characerizes and controls the poll
cy Of the country bat they have shown themselves
to be true and loyal men, and they will not quiety
submit to injustice and wrong For whom was this
ordinance intended? If it was intended only to
reach traitors, it will not accomplish its purpose;
for the man who is untrue and dsloyal to his coun
try in this time of her trial and peril will be dis
loyal to his God and will readily blacken his infa
nous soul with perjury. l cannot, and will not be-
lieve, until have the evidence before me, that any
large part Of the people Of this State the friends
of Lincoln and his horrid despotism. North Caro-.
lima is not the mother of traitors. If she has such
children, her curse is upon them,-they deserve to
die and ought not even to have grave within her
| bosom.
Mr.. President: THIS ordinance implies that there
| are many diSlOyal men in North Carolina. The in
plication is untrue unjust and it is libel upon
| native State The conduct of North Carolina DUR
| ing the whole of this revolution is worthy of the
highest admiration and is Just source of pride to
| all Of her people. She has acted with prudence
Justice and calm elaboration. She has been infln.
enced by no wild and reckless ambition or desire of
| self glory and advancement. With unwavering f.
deity she kept her pghted faith to her sisters of
| IL H., ~.
| record of her vow,-was rudcly broken by despotic
! power; and then, with her whole heart and with
all her and energies she entered the fore
front of the ranks of her Southern sisters in this
| mighty struggle for the great principles of Ameri-
can liberty. She called upon her children to stand
| by her in the hour of danger, and with wonderful
| unanimty they have responded to her IL. Now
! thirty-fve thousand of her in arms and
| they as loyal, true, and brave ever
trod battle field. Her daughters, too, have shown
themselves equal to the crisis. Like their mothers
of the old Revolution with injefa.gable toll they
have fitted out their husbands, brothers and sons
for the field; with fearful eyes they have bid them
go where duty calls, and their high and holy pari-
| oSm has nervcd with fresh courage the hearts of
the brave. With munihcent li5erality North Caro-
lima, has poured out the accumulated treasures of
long years of economy and industry, and still she
| is willing to toll on, undaunted and undsmayed.
Is it possible that after such high herosm such sac
rifceS and SufferingS, she must 6e the frst State
called upon to take test oath to prove her loyalty
to the Confederate States of America? Others may
do as they will, but would die at the stake before
| would cast such reproach upon the fair fame Of
my noble and glorious old mother. ..
Mr.. President: | am opposed to this ordinance,
because it is an unwarranted usurpation of power.
! This Convention has already trespassed far enough
upon the rights and liberties of the people We
have adopted permanent government, and refused
to allow them 10 ratify it; and without their con-
sent we have elected delegates to the Provisional
Congress. We have thus violated two great princi-
! pies Of American liberty. The people of the etst
cried unto us for protection from invasion on the
coast, and that cry was diSregarded The enemy
came. The defenceS were insufficient and unavail-
! ing. Now many of our brave boys are captivcS in
! distant prisons; women and children fled terror
! stricken from their homes, and millions of property
/ exposed to robbery and devastation. Former
1 usurpatIOnS of power may in some degree be ex-
| cuSed by the emergency OF the occasion, and the
! neglect of our coast defences, in charity may be
I called, an Of judgment; but there can he no
excuse for our wrongs, if arraign the whole peo-
! pie Of North Carolina at our bar upon the charge of
suspected loyalty.
Is this time 10 call upon our fellow citizens to
: take a test oath? Now the hand of industry reaps
not its accustomed gainS,-all ordinary business is
FRUSTRATED nearly every channel Of commerce is OBJ
! structed the common luxuries of lie have been
taken away, and the articles necessary for sub
sistence engrosSed by soulleSs specul TORS Who
! like the ocuSts of Egypt consuming the sub
7 stance of the land, or like hungry vampires, are
sucking out the lfe.bloOd Of the poor.
! Is i: time to suspect the loyalty of our patriotic
! people, when in the public defence every nerve is
strung to its highest tension every energy taxed to
| its utmost endurance, every heart throbbing with
ETY., but not with fear when every hand rs
gagged III toll and every house is workshop of sup
plies and more than ALL when every house Is tem-
pie from which the incense Of prayer is rising up
to Heaven for the protection of soldiers and the
! success of our arms? The world has never wit
! messed more grand and sublime spectacle of
united people struggling for liberty, and shall We
now cast the dark shadow of suspicion over its glo
! riouS brightEcSSl ..-
Mr. President: What will be the efec. of this or
dinance upon our enemies? 1t would give them
more laid and comfort than would the defeat of
! our army upon the Potomac. Throughout the
limits of their vast empire the news would spread
| like wld-hre in autumn among the mountains, and
, it would be said everywhere that North Carolina
desired to return to her former allegiance, and her
people were only restrained by sedition laws and
test oathS. Their hopes would be encouraged their
efforts redoubed and with renewed energy and
power they would prepare for the conflict They
! would eagerly pour out their treasures and the
"drum call" would summon new armies into the
field, and their tens Of thousands Of bayonets
would be briStling upon our border. b.. ..
What will be the effect of this ordinance on the
| great powers of'Europe? North Carolina has OBJ
tanned high reputation abroad for her integrity
and conservatism, and soon it would be said at the
| Courts Of St James and Versailles that the people
of this good old State opposed to this revolu-
ton. North Carolina is calm and quiet old State
no longer. Her rights have been violated and her
people threatened with subugation, and now like
cchvalric warrior, she has glrded the panoply of
justice and her power and earlessly sprung the
vanguard of the contest. '..' - 49,. ---.s
Mr. President: regret to detain this Conven-
ton by any personal defence, but hope that shall
receive It's kind indulgence. During a recent can
for Congress in which was defeated my 10y
atty was often questioned, and many Of the little
inc Il h,I h., non