Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1862-04-30
State Rights.

at is remarkable feature of the present revolu-
ton that it threatens to sweep away in its progress
the fundamental principles for which it was under
taken Its cornerstone principle or doctrine was
the sovereignty Of the States principle which has
been altogether ignored in many acts of the govern
ment, even of the Congress"
The above will be regarded as very remarkable
confession of the Richmond Examiner, when its
course in regard to conscrpon and other points of
political faith; is considered. That paper is an
dent advocate of unlimited free trade, and when
Congress does not proper to endorse its ultra
ism on that point it charges that body with igno-
ring State sovereignty but when it, under the
pressure Of an alleged military necessity, exercises
powers not authorized by the Constitution and sub
versive OF the lights Of the States fthey happen to
chime in with the monarchical and despotic views
of that paper, imbibed by the long intercourse ots
editor with the fetid diplomatic circles of Europe it
is all proper, and Congress is very clever body.
So true is it. that in this day, men who pirate most
about neutrality-suspicious., are found at the pinch
to be devoid of any, except the five loaves and the
two fishes" Sefnterest or pride of opinion are
the chief agents nowadays, to transmute every
thing into gold, or to make any measure right, just
or constitutional
FALL OF FoRr PULAsKI-The Wilmington Joarn-
al referring to the fail of Fort Pulaski very justly
and truly says:
eff this is to be the history of our forts if they are
to be abandoned as soon as there appears 10 be
danger that somebody may be hurt, then they had
better all be blown up at It's strange to read
of the sciges sustained by the hired mercenares Of
European monarchies to see how they have held
out for days and weeks and months until food grew
scarce and they ate their very boots and they were
on short allowance of water and the walls crumbled
around them, and death was busy in their thlnned
ranks and in their emaciated frames 1T is strange
we say, to read these things, and then to read OF
Southern freemen fighting for their own homes and
the homes of all that ought to be dear to them, CIV
ing up fort after thirty-two hours OF hre, m0t
preached and with very few casualties, while the
boyish commander assures the world that he has
"done all that man can do"
Will this sort of thing do? Can it do Either
this sort of thing must be stopped or the war might
as well STOP The time for concealments and " soft
solder is past The thing must be changed. Men
must do better. Mere inexperienced youths must
not be put in such isolated posts requiring strength
of mind, experience and will. The press and the
public must put their face against these unreslstng
capituatons and that will do more tor the country
than any tale of horrors that happened, or any
attempt to Justify what is not susceptible even OF
excuse save upon the ground ofimbeclity, and then
the burden of blame rests on the appointing power
We have too many mere boys in positions Of respon.
sibilitr. We want stern determined men who will
have moral ascendency over their commands, as
we'll as the mere formula of commission, and who
are selEbalanced and prepared for any emergency.