Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1862-07-30
A Vile Attack OH Col. Russ.


dates shall not canvass and Col Russ returns to his
home, some eighteen miles from this place, than
vile batch of falsehoods 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 armins the people to resist Lincoln.
This is 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
..Statei but the Military Board gave away so many
We r..,,l.-
mot bS hough for our soldiers. Col Russ, though
anxious 10 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 soas right. For, soon after
that regiment after regiment left Raleigh for the.
seat of war without arms, and some Of them bad
arms which were totally worthless. 1t is notori-
Gus fact that the 3lst regiment which was placed in
the front of danger on Roanoke Island, and required
to fight in that condition, had hundreds Of muskets
that would not fire. and the locks of which, in many
instances, would drop to the ground on dress parade.
IL WAS u picFcHt WY otoI0 VI "o w
provide the means for defending own soil, that
Col Russ pursued the course he did. Subsequent
events have vindicatcd his wise foresight Did
Capt. Bledsoe vote to give away our 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
islature "that the soldiers should not he paid in
North Carolina Treasury notes, which was the only
currency with which she could pay her gallant sons.
Now, VIC don't know what vote of Col Russ is here
referred to; but we do know that, at the time men,
TONED, Bank notes were 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 much later period, the Convention in pro-
vidng bounty for the soldiers and not being able to
raise Bank notes. voted to pay in Treasury notes.
and this was considered not SO good provision for
the soldiers Bank notes. but it was the best that
could be done. But the Register says COL Russ
"amed deadly blow at the credit of the State" by
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 oAo refused to take State
Treasury notes on deposit. Who arc 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 raising regiments defend the State Col.
Russ used harsh language against them, and endeav-
ored to stab them in the back and injure 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 slGres in charge
of plantations or their ouerseers from the drgfk-
He regarded this as unjust and as 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
| it This is the way he stabbed" the authorities.
We insist that he was right. The order Of Gen.
| Martin was an outrage 1t was unjust, aristocrati
cal and injurious to slavery. Ifcarried out it would
have arrayed one class of our people against anoth
er and might have produced civil war among u.s.
Col Russ instead Of being denounced for it, deserves