Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1862-07-26
A Vile Attack on Col. Russ.

A Vile Attack on Col. Russ.
No sooner is an agreement made that the candi-
dates shall not canvass and COL Russ returns to his
home, some eighteen miles from this place, than
vile batch of alsehoods is concocted against him and
published in the Stalled papers of this City, and
circulated in hand-bill form throughout the County.
1t is charged, irst that he was opposed, in the
Legislature to armng the people to resist Lincoln.
This false. Col. Russ voted men, money, and
arms without stint
1t is also charged that he voted against carrying
arms out of the State. North Carolina had more
arms, when the war commenced, than any other
State; but the Military Board gave away so many
of them, that people began to fear that we would
not have enough for our soldiers Col. Russ, though
he anxious to help the other States all he could
participated in this fear. lie felt that his first duty
was to his own constituents and his own State
The sequel prOred he aodS right For, soon after
that, regiment after regiment left Raleigh for the
seat of war without arms, and some of them had
arms Mhich were totally worthless. 1t is notori-
fact that the lst regiment which was placed in
the front of danger Roanoke Island, and required
to fight in that condition, had hundreds of muSkets
instances would drop to the ground on dress parade
1t to prevent this very state of things and to
provide the means for defending own soil, that
Col. Russ pursued the course he did. Subsequent
events have indicated his wise foresight Did
Capt. Bledsoe vote to give away arms TO other
States, and to leave our brave boys on Roanoke
Island without arms to defend themselves against
the Yankees? This attack, made on his behalf
against Col Russ, would leave the inference that he
did
1t is also charged that Col Russ voted in the Leg
isature "that the soldiers should not be paid in
North Carolina Treasury notes, which was the only
currency with which she could pay her gallant sons"
Now, we don't know what vote Of Col. Russ is here
referred to; but do know that, at the time men,
TONED, Bank notes more acceptable to the sol
diers and the people than Treasury notes. and the
Banks were furnishing the State with money with
which to pay our troops. We remember distinctly
that at a much later period, the Convention, in pro-
vdng bounty for the soldiers and not being able to
raise Bank notes, voted to pay in Treasury notes.
and this was considered not good provision for
the soldiers Bank notes, but it the best that
could be done. But the Register says, Col. Russ
the vote referred to. This is not true. Col Russ
is better friend to the credit of the State than the
Bank officers in this City Uh0 refused TO take State
Treasury notes on deposit. Who are they Mr..
Syme? Don't you know them? We refer, of
couse, to those who control the Banks ard not to
the officers who simply obey instructions
1t is also charged that Col. Russ advised his neigh
bors not to volunteer in Col. Rogers regiment
This is false. He did advise them to volunteer in
this very regiment
1t is also charged that while the State authorities
here were raising regiments to defend the State, Col
Russ used harsh language against them, and endeav
ored to stab them in the back and inure the cause
in which they were engaged" This is another in
sidious falsehood. Col. Russ, as commander of one
Of the regiments of militia in this County, was called
upon to execute the draft He did so promptly, but
meanwhile he received an order from Gen. Martin
and Gov. Clark to exempt OWnerS of SlGues in charge
of plantations their OverSeers from the drgtt-
He regarded this unjust, and injurious blow
at slavery ITSELF He wrote to Gen. Martin in terms
strongly condemnatory of the order, and no doubt
in private conversation he condemned the order in
strong terms; and soon after Gen. Martin revoked
L.
We insist that he was right The order of Gen.
Martin was an outrage. 1t was unjust, aristocrati
CAL and injurious to slavery. Ifcarred out it would
have arrayed one class of our people against anoth
er, and might have produced civil among us
Col Russ instead of being denounced for it deserves
the thanks of every man in the County for remon-
strating against this order. But, because he stood
by justice and the people, he incurred the ill-w of
Stalfeds in the capitol who are joining their brother
Stalled, Capt. Bledsoe, in hunting him down. and
now we will go further and state another thing that
Col Russ did: During the session of the Legislature
Gen. Martin, acting for Gov. Clark, issued order
that all volunteers, soon as they got into camp,
should be stripped naked by the surgeons and cram
ined 10 see If Mey aOere sound. This was another
outrage, which the volunteers resented. Col. Russ,
as the matter was brought to his notice, in