Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1862-06-18
The Conservatives.

Our correspondent " Middle Greek has explained
correctly the meaning of the term Conservative"
Yet those of our people who are conservative in
this crisis falsely charged with being enemies to
the Confederate government! Why, the very term
implies the strongest devotion to the government,
for, to conserve means to preserve and perpetuate
If the Conservatives were opposed to the govern
ment they would seek to destroy it, instead of Ia
boring, as they are now doing, to preserve and
strengthen it, by reforming abuses in its admins
tration and putting purer and better men in Office
No, the Conservatives are Destructves only in one
sense, and that is as against the enemies of the
South
Those among US who have the public teat in their
mouths, and who squeal and complain at the bare
idea Of having to give up the teat and with it the
privilege which they are abusing of purchasing
their coffee, and sugar, and SALT and molasses and
bacon at government prices, while the soldiers and
other people as good they are, are compelled to
pay full prices for these articles aboring under
the absurd delusion that they are the only true
friends which the government at Richmond has
They call themselves Confederates and the Editor
of the Register, dropping the name of Southern
rights which he adopted sometime since and gloried
in as the name of his party now says, Col. john
ston is the Confederate candidate for Governor
Now, those who have been living on the govern
ments at Raleigh and Richmond, and who are so
averse to any thing like reform, because they know
that reform would at once turn them out of Office,
have been aptly termed, not COn-federates, but
StalL;t ted crates. They have been stalled until
they have grown fat at the expense of the people,
and during all this period the public defences have
been neglected, the war has languished, and the
enemy has gained upon US at every point These
StdlLtederates care more for themselves and for
the honors and Offices than they do for the coun-
try; and, fearing that the people will cast them out
and put better men.in their places, they invent
ing all sorts of stories, in the hope of prejudcing
the public mind against the Conservatives. But
these stories will produce no other effect than to
expose the selfishness of their authors fully
to the people. We repeat what we said few weeks
since, and what has been emphatically endorsed by
the Charleston Mercury and the Richmond Eram-
iner--both original secession papers-that the best
friends of the State and Confederate governments
ara those, who, while they support them with their
treasure and blood, at the same time insist that
they shall be properly administered. What the
old Union of this State-the Conservatives of
this State in favor of Lincoln'sgovernment! Why,
thirty thousand of the friends of the Conserva-
tiyes-thirty thousand of the late Union men in
arms against Lincoln, give the lie to this charge
Zeb. Vance, who is fighting against Lincoln, and
who is the Conservative candidate for Governor
lie in favor of Lincoln, and in favor of a recon-
struction of the Union What monstrous false
hood
Those who claim to be Confederates are no more
entitled to the than other citizens of the South
ard the truth is the proper designation Of those
who thus assume that they truer to their coun-
try than their neighbors, is that of Stall tede rntes
As for neighbor of the Register, he is a Corn
federate.. We state this on our responsibility
"hote keeper"
In conclusion ask the attention Of our readers
to the following from an original secession paper:-
From the Richmond Examiuer.1
Who ARE THE True FRIENDS OF THE GOVERN
MENT ?-Let those who preach the infability of our
rulers, and who brise up if one dares to find fault
with the administration OF our government read the
following paragraph from editorial in the Raleigh
! q. c. Standard We think with the Standard
| that this cry will be found if traced up, to come
| from those who have the public teat in their
! months"
The best friends ofthe State and Confederate Gov
crnments are those who, while they support them
! with their treasure and blood at the same time
| insist that they shall by properly administered
! Every one feels and knows that public affairs have
/ been grossly msmanaged, and that reform is ex-
! ceedingly important. The framework of govern
ment is all that could be desired and it is the right
and the duty of the people to to it that the gov
crnment is conducted in the spirit in which it was
founded. The cry that those who demand reform
are enemies of the government andare aSsallng the
government, has no foundation in fact but is mere
subterfuge of those in power to escape fair inves
| tigaton of their conduct. This cry is raised by
those who have the public teat in their mouth
They squeal like pigs when it is proposed, for the
good of the country to pull them away from the teu
Let no one be deceived bv this cry. The govern
ment must be reformed and those who demand re-
form are among the best friends which the govern
! ment has.