Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1862-12-24

10Th to express its surprise at the course contem-
plated by majority of the Legislature of this
State and to lecture that body to its duties. We
cannot therefore, be longer silent, if We would.
Our duty to our friends, as we'll as to ourself
quires that we should meet the points made by the
Enquirer correct its errors and vndicate the Con-
servatives of the State, whom it has so unjustly
assailed We shall 60 further, in this controversy
thus forced upon u.s. ana shall thoroughly expose the
faction and the administration of which the En-
quirer is the exponent and organ.
The Enquirer in its lecture to the Legislature of
this State charges that the bill to raise ten thou
sand State troops, pending in that body, is in d.
rect conflict with the Confederate government
This is not true. The bill provides that the Gov
of eighteen years. not now in the actual service
of the Confederate States" and when organized,
"shall tender them to the President of the Conted
srate States, for special service and local defence
to serve only within the limits Of this State except
in cases where the Governor shall deem it advisa-
BILE, for the defence of the State, to remove them
into contiguous districts" Is there any conflict in
that? The troops are to be rendered to the Presi-
dent to be accepted by him, and to be under the
rules and articles of war, as the bill further pro-
vdes, of the Confederate States but they to be
"subject to the command Of the Governor as the
Constitutional commander o. the military forces Of
the State" But it is answered, they would not be
subject to the command of the President. Granted;
but it is to be presumed in all fairness, that the
Governor and President would act in concert, as
they are now DOING in defending the State, and, if
sent out of the State into contiguous districts, the
troops would of course be placed at the disposal of
the President. But, it is further answered, the
Constitution of the Confederate States has vested
the war-making power in the Confederate govern
ment and the inference is that the raising of troops
by State would necessarily produce conflict with
that government The grant of the war-making
power is clear, but the inference by no means fol-
lows. The States have expressly reserved to them
selves the right to keep troops in time Of scar."-
The States are the sovereigns, and the common gov
ernment is the agent or creature. If, therefore,
there should be any conflict at all this subject it
would be by the common government wiM the
States. Which should give way? Must the SOW
ereign in vital matter, yield to the creature ?the
principal to the agent?
But the Enquirer is quite sure that conflict was
intended, because "a preamble declaring the alb
sence of any purpose to conflict with the Confeder-
ate authorities" was voted down in the House of
Commons That preamble was voted down simply
because it was unnecessary. The DILL itself avoided
conflict, and it would have been surplusage to say
that 1t did We heard the debate on this point and
we know what we say to be true.
South Carolina has large force of State reserves
now on her own coast aud Virginia has State re-
serves under Gen. Floyd But the Enquirer is 81
lent in regard to these There no conflict between
those States and the Confederate government They
have not deed Confederate authority and paved the
way to anarchy and the triumph of the enemy.
They have set no ''untimely precedent" to be fol-
lowed by ''the ruin and degradation of the South.
They have turned no page in Confederate history
which our people "would blush to read" They
have not been called upon to bow their heads in
humiliation and shame, as the Enquirer bids our
people do, if the bill referred to should become a
law. And Texas-what of her? On the mere mo-
ton of Mr.. Wigfall, the confidential friend of the
President and probably of the Enquirer, thousands
of her able-boded shepherds and herdsmen have
been released from the CONSUMPTION law; and yet
Texas is loyal and devoted to the cause. We believe
she has State reserves also, yet the Enquirer has
no rebuke for her.
1t is North Carolina that has offended, in attempt
ing to do what other States have done! She has
already sent to the field more volunteers and more
conscripts, in proportion to her population, than
any other State. She has not only done this, but
she has given larger bounty to her men than any
other State; and not only this but she has Clothed
and shod her own troops, and waited with the COM
mon government for the money, some six millions
of dollars now being due her on that account Some
of her Western Counties, where there are but few
slaves, have sent more men to the field than they
have voters The ten thousand State troops which
the common government; and as their ranks have
been thnned by battle and disease, she has filled
them up with conscripts. Hertroops drew the first
blood in Virginia and South Carolina. Patient, in.
domitable;; accomplishing unpretending, devoted
to the cause, her children have fought in the fore
front Of every battle from Great Bethel to Fredercks
burg with steadiness and courage which have ex
torted the admiration of those who would sneer al
her even nov, if they dared. Meanwhile her OWL
coast has been betrayed or abandoned. Her East
ern plains-one of the finest regions of the earth
and teeming with abundant supplies for her Con
federate sisters and herself-have been virtually
surrendered to the merciless invader, and the Will
Woldop Pail &ho linz of1 do
fence. East of that line is either present or pros
pective desolation. Along that line uncertainty