Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1862-06-21

The People of our Eastern Counties.
We presume there is not man in the State of
ordinary sympathics who does not feel deeply in
terested for the people of the Eastern Counties who
have been so unfortunate as to be within the enc
my's lines. Their situation is a trying one, and
yet we hope they are bearing their isolation from
the rest of the State which we trust is temporary
with the courage and fortitude which becomes true
men, who are resisting the tyranny Of their Op-
preSSors
In such circumstances they need the sympathy
of their feow-citIzens. Their condition is one
which they could not well avoid Thousands of
them arc non-combatants, compelled to remain be-
cause they had not the means of escape,-their
fighting men, we presume, are mostly in the Con-
federate service, and others remain purely to pro-
tect and preserve their property. Whether the
thousand and one statements of the cruelties and
savageisln Of the Yankees be true false their
dition is bad one, and one which we hope to see
'soCh relieved. That they are and will continue to
be loya! to the State and to the Confederacy, we
have no reason to doubt Ignorant debased and
bad men, well as the tirnid and those who regard
little property of more value than character and
country, may be swayed from their fidelity but
the masses will sacrifice neither.
OF the state of things in the Eastern Counties we
have 20 means Of knowing. We have no CORES
pondence to keep advised of the department. of
our people or of the Yankees, or what Mr.. Lncolns
Governor, Mr.. Stanly, is doing,-hence, we do not
publish much that we see in the papers or hear,
simply because have no responsible authority
for the statements rumors afoat, many of which
how hoo III R,,t fol-
! for granted, that the population are in the main
loyal and will continue to 5e. We should be glad
to receive true and correct accounts from that quar-
ter, but as we do not send the Standard there, We
have no means of getting information.
Let our friends therefore in the East, who may
by chance see this article bear in mind that they
have the sympathies of their brethren Let them
keep their spirits up and hope for better day
In the meantime, we hope they will resist all the
persuasons or threats of the Lincoln authorities to
take the oath of allegiance to the Lincoln govern
ment or the oath of neutrality. The Yankees have
no right in law or in reason to demand it of them.
They have ever been loyal people to the govern
ments under which they have lived. They were
not disoyal to the Federal government, until Lin
coin forced North Carolina out from it. They have
never taken an oath of allegiance either to the Fed
eral or Confederate governments, and what right
has Lincoln to demand of them oath of allegiance
to his government They are in no wise under
that government, only rs the chances of war have
! thrown them within the enemys lines and COM
mon humanity and the laws of nations claim that
they be dealt with non-combatants.
But our forces in the East and the people of the
State ought to manifest their sympathy. Many, we
fear are too ready believe the false and injurious
statements gotten up and circulated by personal
and political enemies in regard to them Indeed,
from what we have heard, it would seem that some
of the officers of the army and many people, regard
all or most of them as traitors Even persons
siding this side the lines of the enemy have found
too little protection or sympathy from some of our
| officers. Can any one justify such a course2
When Neybern Washington and Beaufort were
taken by the enemy, our forces retired from them
because they could not hold them We have not
attempted to retake them because we could not hold
them against the enemy's gun-boats. Now, it does
seem to u.s. tina. the wise policy was to have drawn
our lines as closely around the enemy as possible,
and while any attempt on our part to go over the
line to worry and destroy them, could only nhict
! slight injuries and make the enemy more oppres-
sive towards our peOplein their power which ought
| to be avoided, we ought to have kept him in his
lines and prevented marauding parties from pill
laying and damaging our people on this side of
them. The acts which have come to US do not
warrant the belief that this policy has been pur-
| sued in all cases.