Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1862-11-04
MIR. Longs Card,

ton, we publish his Gard in full, as folloy
A Card-"The Council of STAT
The Raleigh Standard of the Oath
the above head states:
"The Governor notified the Council
meet in this city on Saturday last" L
per of to-day says:
Had Mr.. Long attended, as he could
have done, the necessary steps would
taken to repress speculation, to clothe
and to defend the coast"
To plain man, whose ambition is FIJI
by discharging every duty, any defence
gracious task, but justice demands that
be known and stated.
was notified to attend meeting of til
of State on Saturday, the 18th inst
Mr.. Ferguson, one of my colleagues, en-
Raleigh, that family reasons Of imperious u
ty demanded my presence at the time at I'D
that presumed a quorum would be present.
having heard of Mr.. Graves resignation but t,
If my presence was necessary for Quorum to telsv
graph E. N. Peterson, at Weldon, who would send
it to ME here promptly, and that would obey forth
with.
A telegram, dated the 18th inst, at Raleigh, to
me at Weldon, was received by me here, on Mon
day, the Goth, too late to attend.
Another telegram, dated 10th inst, to meet on
the 21st,. was received on that day, the 2lst and
l telegraphed in reply to Pulaski Cowper, Esq,
Secretary of the Council, that would leave home
L
l received immediate reply that "my presence
was unnecessary as the Council had adjourned"
wrote to the Governor the goth inst, in re-
lation to the failure of the due reception of the tele
grams.
These facts will prove my willingness to do all
my duty.
Any measures that can be suggested to repress
speculation in articles of prime necessity, to clohe
our troops, and to defend the coast" would have
met and will meet my hearty approval; and the
anable threat that 1.-THE present Council must
give place. in e0sry instance, to wiser and better
men" will be source of real qualification to
JNG JOS. LONG.
Garysburg, N. c., Oct %, 1862.
Mr. Long, it seems, was notified three times to
attend-frst in writing and then twice by tele-
graph. He says he informed Mr. Ferguson, one Of
his colleagues, en- route to Raleigh, that "falnily
reasons of mperious necessity" demanded his pres
ence at home at that time. But Mr.. Long does not
state what those family reasons" were. He does
not say that any member or members of his family
were sick If they had been, and if their sickness
had been serious, he would certainly have so stated,
as such reason would at once have been regarded
satisfactory. Will Mr.. Long state the nature of
this "lmperious necessity" Did he not tell Mr..
Ferguson that he could not leave home because
regiment Of our troops Uas stationed near his resi-
dencS and that he feared that, during his absence,
they UOuId plumber his prOperty' Was not this
the "imperious necessity" that prevented his at.
tendance?
He says he was "willing to do all his duty"
His own Card shows that he did not intend to at r.
tend under the written notice of the Governor
He presumed" quorum would be present. yet
he admits that he was negligent in not aiding him
self in forming that quorum. He admits that he
pould have done so, if he had received the tele-
grams in time; and this shows that the "imperious
necessity" was not of such character as absolute
ly to prevent his attendance If all the Councillors
had presumed" as Mr.. Long did, and had awaited
a second and thirl summons. not even the three
who were here would probably have attended.
But it is not necessary that we should discuss the
matter further Mr.. Long could have obeyed the
first summons, as his Card shows He did not do
So and was, therefore, involved in the first false
stem which led to his subsequent insufficient ex-
cuses for not attending public officer who ex-
cuses himself from the performance Of duty by
"presuming" that others will be true to duty, and
that he will therefore not be needed will find him.
self unsustained by all just thoughtful, and fair
minded persons.
The truth is, this whole matter.is in nutshell
Gov Vance, in the outset of his administration,
summoned his Council, to advise with him as to
measures of the gravest character. A majority of
the Council failed to attend and in consequence
those measures could not be considered. Excuses
and "reasons" for on-attendance were to be ex-
pected, but still the fact is plain that meority
did not attend
We are surprised to find the Spirit Of the Age,
of this City, apologsing to newspaper called the
State Journal for its article on the subject in which
the editor spoke out in just and plain terms as to
this dereliction of the Council The Age says it
"burnt its fingers by "relyng too implicitly upon
statements that it supposed based upon well anthem
ticated facts" OF course the Age refers to our
first article on the subject That article contained
facts, and nothing else. Subsequently we gave
other facts but no fact has yet been stated which
relieves Mr.. Long. The Age thinks to the con-
trary, and is satisfied with Mr.. Longs "reasons."
We fear it was aided in arriving at that conclusion
nv its we'll known partizan secession proclyites.