Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1862-02-19
The G0yernorship.


Governor, which appeared in late number Of
mreiing press Of this City, in substance follows:
FIRST 1t is proposed that all the people Of the State
should stand on the resolutions of Mr. Jones, OF
Rowan recently unanimously adopted BY the State
Convention. To this every one will, OF course,
agree. No voice has been raised anywhere in the
State SO far as know, against these resolutions.
But the second proposition is that the people of
the different Counties of the State without authority
of law, shall proceed to select number Of delegates
equal to their members Of the House of Commons;
and that these delegates shall assemble and noni.
nate q candidate for Governor, and that all the
people shall vote for this candidate The object of
this movement is said to be to prevent party spirit
in the election; but this object be accomplished
in this way? We think not, and we will give our
reasons for so thinking.
In the first place. the newspaper which originated
the proposition has constantly declared that "hose
who made the revolution in which we are engaged,
are alone entitled to conduct it." In the second
place, there would be as much if not more party
spirit exhibited in selecting sscting the delegates
than there would be in regular campaign before
the people preceding legal election. And in the
third place, the patronage and power Of the State,
now in the hands of certain party or faction,
would be used to influence the selection of DELEGATES:
and the result would necessarily be, that the bitter
est party spirit would be engendered, for the people
would not stand quietly by and see the leaders of
faction use their patronage and their power to con-
tinue themselves in office.
But We object to this proposition, because Il would
substitute the action Of an irresponsible body, un-
known to the Constitution or the laws for the voice
of the people at the ballot-box. One hundred and
twenty men, chosen in all probability By minority
of the oters of the State, and chosen too after an
excited and bitter contest in every precinct in the
State, would virtually elect a Governor and Lieu
tenant Governor leaving to the people only the
empty privilege of going to the polls and confirming
what they had dictated should be done What a
monstrous proposition!
Again, by an Ordinance passed by the State Con-
vention every officer and soldier from this State in
the service whether in camp in this State or out of
it, is entitled be should he, to vote for Governor
In Angus: next if the war should continue, We will
have some forty thousand soldiers in the ied-one.
third of the vote Of the State This proposition
makes no provision for them. They could not be
represented in the Convention, for they could not
be present ut their various precincts in the Counties
to vote for delegates; and no one, presume. will
propose that the army shall send its delegates to sit
in political Convention to make nominations for
civil office. This proposition therefore, coolly dis.
franchises and cuts of our brave soldiers in the field
and says to them that although the Convention has
secured to them the right to vote for Governor, yet
they shall have only the poor privilege of ratifyng
the action of one hundred and twenty politicians,
chosen without authority Of law, who have kindly
undertaken to select for them, and for the whole
people of the State, Governor and Commandern-
chief!
We are as much opposed as any one to party
spirit in the midst of war. Party spirit was the
prime Of present troubles and party spirit
is now seriously injuring the Confederate cause
We deplore the existence Of this spirit and We ex-
hibit none it, except in sefdefence in defence
of the rights Of the people. But the party which
makes the above proposition "lives, and moves,
and has its being" in party. 1t rules out Of Office all
who do not agree with it and it monopoizes all, or
nearly all the offices for itself Like the devil, when
questioning the angel of the sun to the position
ofthe earth in space it the beautiful
and entcing shape to carry out its purposes. If the
above proposition should be generally agreed to,
! these very leaders would see to it that who
was for the Union up to the proclamation in April
last, returned as delegate, if they could pre-
vent it; and then, having secured the Convention,
they would nominate candidates Of their own stripe
for Governor aud Lieutenant Governor, and declare
themselves no.party men until the election; but
after the election they would show the coven foot,
and the people would find that the same old swarm
of fes with many new ones of the same kind, would
still be upon them, growing fat from their substance.
Away, then, with irresponsible Conventions! Let
brave soldiers have the privilege of voting for
of their own choice, without being dictated to by
designing politicians
| The European News.
The recent speech of the Emperor of the Ere nch
seems to have set all aback the hopes of those who
have been looking with so much anxiety for the in
reference Of France and England in the affairs Of
the South. The simple declaration however, that
SO long as the Federal government respected the
rights of neutrals, he was bound not to interfere,
really indicates nothing Louis Napoleon is q
deep we'll, not to be fathomed easily, and what he
may say or omit to say, seldom betrays his real
purposes. 1t is evident that the feeling is strong
IN certain circles in favor of the South both Eng
land and France, and the intense manifested
by the Northern press in regard to this feeling is
an assurance that the North looks for early rccog
milton and for foreign interference with the blockade
We have never looked for any help from that quar-
ter beyond ordinary consideration and courtesy,
less we gained it. If We can beat the enemy, they
will extend to us the recognition ordinarily bestow
ed upon conauering people. If We allow ourselves