Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1862-10-07
Raleigh, Sept. 1862,
A CHAPTER ON THE FREEDOM OF SPEECH.

A CHAPTER ON THE FREEDOM. OF SPEECH.
The Metropolitan Recorder, at New York, has an
article protesting against the of the govern
ment in locking up" those who do not agree with
it in every thing it does. 1t says:
1t is an easy way of getting rid of an argument
that one cannot answer; it is far easier than con-
vincIng an opponent in fact it is "as easy as lying"
But is man Secessionist because he desires peace
or deprecates subjugation, intImates wish that
personal liberty was less restricted? Is he SeceS-
Sionist because he is not blind to the discrepancies
in official reports, or the shortcomings of govern
ment, the incompetency Of General, or the blum
ders of statesman? Is he Secessionist because
he abhors the idea Of conquerors and conquered
taking the places of fellow citizens in this republic
because he wishes for such Union as that of Ire
land with England, or Poland with Russia, on this
broad continent? Is he Secessionist because he
is alive to the wickedness and absurdty of ensaving
white men in order to set negroes free? Is a man
Secessionst who does not believe our government
infable or invncible, and resources llimtable?
Is it seceSSiOnism to hint that our Southern breth
rem are human being still, that they have rights
which it would be dangerous to disregard and feel
lngS 1t would be wise TO take into account? Is it
secessioniSm to admit tina: they are brave and wary
or to doubt that they so destitute and dcspond-
ing as IT is the fashion to represent them? Is it Sc
cessoniSm to shrink from taxation to wish that our
government was more frank in dealing with the
people, more DESTROYS of relieving them from the
horrors OF suspense, chary of interfering with
the liberty of the press and freedom of speech,
more economical of public money? Is it secession
ism to long with longing of which these people
have no conception for the reconstruction of the
Union on the basis of the Constitution, on the good
old guaran tees that satisfied the men of '76?
What better are we than they, or what better is
the negro now than he was in their day, that he
should be made the bone of contention between the
sections, wedge to split up the Republic? Our
revolutionary fathers never thought Of egislating
negroes into equality with white men their sense
OF right was no more shocked by their exclusion
from political privileges than it was by the exclu-
sion of the idiotc, and they were right for if in
the case OF the latter nferiority or intellect is judg
ed sufficient to place the individual below the level
OF the race, why is not the cause sufficient to
place an inferior race below the level of superior
Is belief in this, secessionism? We think not,
but We have heard men accused of secessionism for
less 1t would be we'll, therefore, to know what
constitutes secessioniSm. 1t would be well to know
II men are to be dubbed secessionists because they
cannot think as Government thinks, or as every in.
diVidual officer of the Government from the Secre-
ary OF state down to the lowest patrol in police
district thinks. For this is what we are COMING
to. Meet abolitionsts or las thew prefer to be calf
ed just now emancipationsts where YOU will and
presume to assert your right to think for Yourself
to criticise with your lips what YOU condemn in
| your heart; proceed the ASSUMPTION that vour
right to differ from them is clear as their right is
TO differ from you refuse to accept their say.so as
an article Of your political creed and they discern
at once that you are secessionist
In our opinion it is not wise to handy about such
charges recklessly; disloyalty to the Government
snoniu never be assumed, for in a land like ours,
under government elected like ours, to say that
tne people are dsloyal is to say that the Govern
ment is unworthy.