Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1862-09-18
INAUGURAL ADDRESS
GOV. 4. B. VANCE.
Delivered an front Of the Copitol Rnlsigh Stptem
Der 8h 1862

tory the powers of hef MAJ israte
in tho midst of revolution but feel oppressed
By of the great weight OF responsibility which the
ottbs Of Office ost by respected Chief JUS
tee, imnOsa Indeed there is mach before me and the
oath OF my dnY must lead through anything but p asan
fields and beside sill! To hold during this
great storm-to manage our increasing uubie iab:iea
search the taet worth of the county ing
i nto III service Of the taeto co he eqni2 org
ze ps and to do ju tjce the field might
well pail the with har grown white u the pub
ic vice. To confess my inability, ard that enter
upon the tak with trt NIB woud not be custom ny af
ectati"n. bu the simple truth. But will bear wit
hat sought he POSITION. preierred that place
srmies which held, the one in which could
% ti; best couutrV. could bot esy however,
tnat woud be content With the peoples will end would
their voice should assign nd here have
heen ssgned in return for hls great expression of
Dfdeucs car promise onlV that bring will and de-
te'rnaon to The performance OF my cuies which
t,hov -czens. have but the one, great and allah
bing thrm. The which fighting fer
bert ard der is indeed the whi ectiV
every stream OF thought How it prouc d, wheth
ud safely have been avoided and who's shoul
ders TIE blame it than idle n070 to
qure. At the proper tim it discussed, and
argutnen pro and given to the peo0le. Huree it
say that it forced upon by dominant aud
croachng Oy and is evidently but the pent fires of
for forty years The of the United states
great cCn!ede alton OF independent comnunltfs held to-
THIS fnst1ept the veTT life and soul was the grea. axiom
THAT all governments derive their nst powers from tie
% no o g ood ,f With 1on %, r
fathers aksened the An Of july l776 and the nstru'
ment in which they set forth and pledged their lives
their fortues and their sacred honors maintain it, has
rendered their names immortal.
When Abraham Lincoln elected by the votes OF the
North only embracing among supporters all of the fierce
ard anacA enemies of slavery on the continent several Of
these ndependent Stses which were slavehodng refu ed
their administration which threatened
destroy them We in North Carolina after fair debate
solved to wait and see and TO trust get awhile longer
the safeguards of the Consituon In the mesntie,
mplOred the North to offer violence, but 70 allow the
people to resist secession by the only constitutional means
given them@dscussion and public opinion Many southern
States followed example While thus honeaty engaged,
the mask was thrown of and souls sickened with
a President,
to slaughter Southern States into consent pro-
portonate shsre OF these troops demanded North
Carolina, who thus required in dealce Of the first
principles of liberty to step across the State line, and
hand in hand With The of Northern cities and the
refuse of degradation to cut the throats of kindred and
friends.
Then and not till then did controversy cease in North
Carolina. He and her daughters of all shades of po
tical opinion, from the tops to the everlasting
tides the sea- shocked by the monsrous proposition
with wondrous unanimity forward resist the des
The delegates Of people convention
semb ed without one dissenting voice ordained our sepa-
ration from which had thus at blow sub
vered the chief ends of its creation and before this
thousands of our citizens had seized their and were
rushing border make good The patriotic resolve
This is brief history of our separation from the govern
meDt of the United States 1t not Whin sudden
freak but the deliberate judgment of people. ANY
other would have involved the deepest
the VieSt dshonor, and the direst calamity We also
pied with the act all of its inevitable Consequences
long and bloody We were not deceived either by the
hopes of foreign protection We were wide awake to ali
the results, and gaahy, goriousy have our people met
them.
For seventeen months has this quail progressed;
the many against the few the powerful against the weak
bers led by vaunted Napoeons and armed from the work
shops of Europe, have been hurled back from Capital
win daughter sna & t many cases
of the old government According to their reports
so ders svarmed into our borders desperate with
fanatcsm and ust-fred by confscaon laws; where
they new? How have we beaten them beck1 Skilfol
Genera1 and brave soldiers have undeubedy fought our
Heaven in great deliverence? The bush has Indeed
burned with re not consumed because of the pres
ence Of the Lvirg God.
North Carolina has forth $4,000 men, ard can
send many more. Are there any among us who faint
despair? Oh, my country have any in midst
st look back tothe fsshpots Of vassaage and for
the sake of peace would leave hir children heritage OF
shae to feed upon the bitter Rnsks of snb agaton Is
there yet the gallant historic State of North Ca
oina iEbe6ded in political dogmas &c be unmndfu
shaking the continent for him and his children
if So let beg of judge of the fate that awaits
the Constitution it is Let HIN behold the
procession gray hal d men, little Chi DIRE q
sister state If Virginia. thu If their homes be-
they wOud not take the oath Of allegiance wander
with weary feet and bleeding hearts into 1eess
e! m see ng homes and desoIatea feds which
marx the track OF tbar the murder of unamed CIT
.aust he chastity sisters New ur. ans we
encatd murder OF prisoners taken IL battle and last
v the to arm br{ ades of African slaves agai
il wbo~e hands mothers and sisters would ud
"e irded messenger relief If all his shou1 fail
ns then ndee he dead
oi shame, and deat to h.s cIuatfy's voice.
To prosecute this war with success, there is quite
much people fer soldiers do. Of tht
rn,s vital elements of harmony tbn
great OF exis'euceAhse let there pray you be
dissenting be dtrs. Let the
wcrcs which divid u.s. divide us forever
Let order things take place ami while
at ie st. lat not hi 6, hear nothing know NJ
.Dg bu country and its huterlngs.
Congress- April 'ast passed act OF Con- crpti N
whereby III ebie' ooGled men, WIN ceft1o eAcepohS "e
ween the aes OF eihhteeH aud thirty yeas are en-
rolled for military duty Many OF you thought ha sh al
su+ion. though many OF our abesI Statesmen though
To stop no to argue could ony produce he great
ed upon fOur. of those subject Howeve
econabe ID its conception, let ua, at least. be nst
impartial in Its execution but am sure that If every ma
who has his county gooo at eaTb but Knew OF The D. ces
sy which existed at the time he would render it cheer
sage hundred AID forty seven of our best trained
regiments would have been dsbanded and
tered to their homes. And this during the very darkes
days in the history of the War. Fort Doneson and Nasl
vile had fallen Gen Haleck, with overwhelming
victorious army followed by yss heet OF roncad boats
magnfceny equipped army OF Mcclellan VAS II the &C
OF sprngng as tiger upon hcnmond ana 20 mase d
doubly sure, waiting for this very thing OF d
banding regiments Roanoke Island ard New bern wit
al their dependencies our coast were possession
the enemy as was much Of Soath Carolina and Georgia.
imagine the result The Confederate Government hay
ing failed provide in time for this emergency,
was at the door anc must 6e aVered the law was passet
and the country saved. 1t fell hardest upon the
riOc soldiers the feld-they had already served wev
months most of them without turOugbs and they had lool
ed forward counted the days. slowly revolving
seemed to the time whenthey should home and all tbs
was dear TO them. Sorely they disappointed, bI
how did they behaves Resist law as with the
hands and doubling its onaly, they could
1t done No, indeed they swallowed down their bitter SO
SOW they dismissed all hopes of ssei u their homes
IL ames grasped their muskets again their resolu
fac toward the flashing of the guns bless
it! An exhibition of pure patriotism has not been seen
the continent, and our government sufficient
appreciate it,
is liant men SO lately hoDored by commanding. The
ii too, Disconnected and spoke loudly and bitterly
gainst the hsrshness OF the law called them togeth
and simply before them necessities of their
try and appealed to their patriotism to sustain It MAJ