Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1862-10-08
Desperate Measures.


The proclamation of Abraham Lincoln, which we
published in our last assuming the right to emanci.
pate the slaves of the South, is one of the most
monstrously wicked documents that ever emanated
from human authority. 1t breathes ia every line
the spirit and the purpose of the Internal regions
If this proclamation could be carried out it would
consign the whites and blacks of the North Ameri.
can continent to one common ruin. And this is an
abolition measure, designed to benefit the black
race! 1t would extinguish that race in less than
ten years. Emancipation once effected, struggle
would commence between the two races for the mas
terry. Every one knows how that struggle would
terminate. Four millions of blacks would soon be
reduced to mere handful-they would be slaugh-
tered by the whites until every hill and valley in
the South would be stained with blood. They
would disappear like the mist of the morning, even
before any well-directed attempt could be made to
colonize them. And this is the doom to which the
abotion;sts, with Lincoln at their head, would con-
sign the slave.
Great Britain and France, in their acts of eman-
cipation, exhibited some forethought and some of
the principles Of Christianity, though they commit
ted fatal mistake as to the welbeing and prosper
ty of both races; but here is an edict by the head
Of so-called Christian people, which not only VIC
lates papably and grossly the Constitution of his
country, but which if successful in its operation
would make four millions of innocent creatures par
ties to bloody struggle, and, by arraying them
against their masters, who are their best friends
would inevitably lead to their destruction the only
means left of preserving the white race Such
measure would make Hayti of the South and q
Pandemonium of the North. 1t would utterly desc
late the former; and if the latter could stand by
and command or permit such measure to be con-
summated, with all the horrors which would follow
it would write itself down in history as worthy of
the worst eminence among fends Its defed
Union, thus cemented by smoking blood, and found
ed anew on piles Of human bones, would stand out
as the greatest moral and political monster ever
known in the history of mankind. But will the
Northern people consent to this measure? Will
they approve it! If they do, we may look for an
indefinite continuance Of the war, and for still great
er sufferings and sacrifices. Twenty leading North
ern statesmen like Pierce and Fillmore, if they would
secretly combine, and simultaneously assail this
proclamation at different points, might rouse and
embody spirit which would hurl Lincoln from his
place; but We fear that there is no prospect that
such movement will be made. Aboltionism in
its worst form, appears to have absolute control Of
the Northern mind and Northern councils
| We observe that some of our members of Con-
gress, as the result of the natural indignation and
| evaporation occasioned by this proclamation, are
disposed to advocate the hosting OF the black flag
by wav of retaliation. If under this proclamation,
any of Lincoln's officers or soldiers should encour-
age insurrection among our slaves, or should take
| part with them such work, they would place
themselves outside the paes of civilized warfare and
would certainly be dealt with pirates and outlaws
They would be slaughtered like Sheep with their
misguided victims. But the people of the Confed-
crate States will agree to ignore,er or war
fare and raise the black flag in battleS"ep. rs
to be Christians, not savages. If the North should
raise such flag, We should be compelled to meet
them in the same way; but war Of this sort would
promise no beneGcent results to or to humanity.
The sun of humanity and of human hope would 60
down in blood on this continent never again to rise.
Our doom, and the doom of the North would be
dated from the moment when
"Hope whitening fled, and Mercy sighed farewell.
Providence Himself, though he would still send
his rain and sunshine, would withdraw from US the
light of His countenance and would leave these
North American States to that swift destruction,
and to that certain obliteration from the map OF
nations, which would follow mode OF warfare
adopted only by savagcs and devils. 1t would make
no difference who began 1.-THE result would be the
same.