Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1862-01-18
Madness of the Hour.

Violent changes in the political as in the natural
world, are always attended by eccentric unusual
andsometimes unnatural developments, which fail to
excite the wonder or the dread of those who throw
themselves into are caught within the whirl Of
events. The excitement phrenszy Of the hour, en-
chains the feelings, and waits the mind upon the
current mperceptibly, not needing the rocks on the
one hand against which they may be driven, or the
quicksands on the other in which they may be
foundered. The cool, calculating locker on, away
from the whirl and tumult may foresee the danger;
but those immersed in the revolution perceive
it until they are dashed against the boulder and
ruined.
Such has been the manifest effect of the revolu-
ton which now RACES with unmitigated fury in the
Northern States. Blinded by the remarkable de-
severed forever may be mended-phren=ied with the
fanatical ideas of abolitionism-maddened by the
stalking ghosts of ruined commerce, idle spindles
diapidated merchant palaces and absolute aEuihila
ton as great nation, the one idea of whipping the
South into terms, subjugating her body and soul
to their rule seems to occupy wholly the imagina-
tioni and the entire North utterly obvious Of its
own danger sees not that the letters of subugation
which it is forging for the South fast manacling
its own people, which the future Developments Of
this revolution will rvet forever. For what be
left to the North if this binding natuation much
longer drive her on but the loss Of every attribute
of free people and abject subsection to iron dcs
potism?
In the madness Of their zeal against the South the
Northern people are submitting to their own rulers
with the obsequiousneSs Of slaves. In few short
months the demon of military despotism has ridden
rough-shod over every barrier which guarded the
rights and liberties of the people, and they have
tamely yielded under the false delusion that now
"we are in revolution, it is best. Best for what?
What can compensate for the loss of the rights of
conscience, the liberty of speech and opinion, the
freedom of the press and the great chartered right
of the writ of haJeds corpus?
But what have been the effects of the revolution
upon the South? We have steadily maintained that
the revolution has been beyond and external to the
South. The change in our political condition has
been slight and easy that the great body of the
people have felt it only in the sacrifices which they
have made for the defence of their rights. For the
most part, except the friction which the war has
occssoned, by the mastering of troops and the en-
barge upon business, matters have gone on much as
they did before. We are get q people liUing under
UritteR constitutions and wholesome h1cs respected
and reUered by the masses. This, thank Heaven,
has been the sheet anchor Of the South, which has
kept the ship to her moorngs and WILL if made
fast, enable her to outride the storm.
Yet ever and anon, upon this broad, smooth sur
face of Southern waters there has appeared eddy
or a breaker, which, for a moment disturbed its
bosom. There have been found few among us,
who have contended palliative excuse or JUS
LITIGATION for lduleSs act, that I'VE are in the midst
of revolution, the crisis demands this or that"
Where, where is the revolution within our borders,
except in the distorted brain of some mad-cap who
has become infected with the madness of the
hour?" Under this lawleSs monomania here and
there poor citizen may have been deprived of the
of his property without and above law, for the
assumed Of the State because, as the executors
of the military mandate said, 1--WE are in a revolu-
ton, and the State needs it." A citizen may have
been arrested for opinions sake and incarcerated till
relieved by ha6eas corpus; or some ignorant crazy
unfortunate who happened to fall under the ire Of
some self constituted vigilance committee, was made
to feel it until relieved by the of the law. But,
thank Heaven, law and justice have triumphed in
every case, and the South is still free