Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1862-10-08
Raleigh, Sept. 1862
y CHAPTER ON THE FREEDOM OF SPEECH

y CHAPTER ON THE FREEDOM OF SPEECH
The Metropolitan Recorder, at New York, has an
article protesting against the course of the govern
mcnt in blocking up" those who do not agree with
it in every thing it does. 1t says:
1t is an easy way of getting rid of an argument
that one cannot answer it is far easier than con-
vinclng an opponent; in fact it is "as easy as lying"
But is Secessionst because he desires peace,
or deprecates subugation, or irtlmates wish that
personal liberty was less restricted? Is he Seces
sionst because he is not blind to the discrepancies
in official reports, or the shortcomings of govern
ment, the incompetency Of General, or the blum
ders of statesman? Is he a SecesSionist because
he abhors the idea Of conquerors and conquered
taking the places Of ellowc citizens in this republic
because he wishes for such Union as that of Ire
land with England, or Poland with Russia, on this
broad continent? Is he Secessonist because he
is alive to the wckedness and absurdity of cnSlavng
white men In order to set negroes free? Is man
Secessionst who does not believe our government
infallible, nvincblc, and resources mitable?
Is it secessonism to hint that our Southern broth
rem are human being STILL that they have rights
which it would be dangerous to disregard and feel
ings it would be wise to take into account? Is it
secessionsm to admit tina: they brave and wary,
or to doubt that they destitute and despond-
ing as it is the fashion to represent them? Is it Sc
cesslonsm to shrink from taxation, to wish that our
government was more frank in dealing with the
people, more DESTROYS of relieving them from the
horrors OF suspense, more chary of interfering with
the liberty of the press and freedom of speech,
more economical of public money? Is it secession
ism to long with longing of which these people
have no conception for the reconstruction of the
Union on the basis Of the Constitution, on the good
old guaran tees that satisfied the men of '76?
What better are we than they, or what better is
the negro now than be was in their day, that he
should be made the bone of contention between the
sections, wedge to split up the Republic? Our
revolutionary fathers never thought of egislating
negroes into equality with white men; their sense
OF right was no more shocked by their exclusion
from political privileges than it was by the exclu-
sion OF the idotic and they were right, for if in
the case OF the latter nferorty or intellect is udg
ed sufficient to place the individual below the level
of the race why is not the same cause sufficient to
place an inferior race below the level of superior
Is belief in this, secessionism? We think not
but we have heard men accused of secessiouism for
less. 1t would be well, therefore, to know what
constitutes secessionism. 1t would be well to know
if men are to be dubbed secessionists because thew
cannot think as Government thinks, or as every in
divldual officer of the Government, from the Secre
tary of State down to the lowest patrol in police
district, thinks. For this is what we are coming
to- Meet abolitionsts or (as they prefer to be cali
ed just now eInancpationists, where YOU will and
presume to assert your right to think for yourself
to criticise with your lips what you condemn in
your heart; proceed on the assumption that your
right to differ from them is clear as their right is
10 differ from you; refuse to accept their say-so as
an article Of your political creed and they discern
d. once that you secessionist.
III our opinion it is no! wise to handy about such
charges recklessly; disloyalty to the Government
shoula never be assumed, for in land like ours,
under government elected like ours, to say that
tne people are Glsoyal is to say that the Govern
ment is unworthy,