Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1862-03-08
sc An Wrong.D

The Wilmington Journal, in some comments on
the surrender Of Roanoke Island, says:
1.-The frequent change of commanders, the want
OF a permanent responsible head and a continuous
system, seems to have been most in fault Nobody
appears to have stayed long enough to do any good
Gen. Wise had 10 time to have organized any sys-
ten, even coneedng him military skill and ability.
Ihe talk that attributes the removal Of Gen. HILL
and other matters and things of that kind, to the
operation of State party politics Confederate par
ty politics, strikes US as being all wrong"
We concur with the Journal, that much Of the
disaster is TO be attributed to the frequent change
of commanders, and the want Of continuous sys-
TEN of defences on the island It is not pleasant at
any time to complain of the authorities but we can
do better in the future only by avoiding the
of the past and it is the duty of he.press to point
out those errors, so that they may be avoided here
after, and caamities like that of Roanoke Island
prevented, if at all possible
The alluson of the Journal, in the last sentence
of the above quotation, is unmistakabie 1t is the
Standard in the Judgment Of that paper, which
has been "all wrong in its illusions to the reno
val of Gen. Hill. We now repeat, that Gen. Hill,
who was admirably qualified for command on the
island, and who would have put it in a complete
to orders from the authorities at Raleigh he called
out on a certain occasion the militia belonging to
the Counties composing his department This call
created excitement and discomfort Judge Biggs,
of the Confederate Court, and then a member of
the Convention, was especially excited. What
agency he had in the removal of Gen. Hill, we do
not know but We have heard on good authority,
that several gentlemen from the Albemarie country
who waited on President Davis to represent to him
the defenceless condition of the island, and of the
region to which it is the key, were told by that
functonary that he had removed Gen Hill because
he had been informed by the highest authority"
in this State that he not acceptable to peo-
pie, on account of the call made by him the mill
tia in the Counties referred to; that he had been
informed by the same high authority" that Col
! Branch was the very man to succeed Gen. Hill
and that accordingly, not having been able to ac-
| quire higher better nfOrmatOp the sub ect,
| he had removed Gen. IL. and appointed Col B. a
| Brigadier IN his place. The President also I'M
derstood to evince anxiety in relation to the matter
and the inference drawn from what he said, was,
that if he had erred, he had done relying the
| thigh authority" referred to- Who that high
| authority was we 90 not KNOW out we 40 Mo"
that Gov Clark caused it to be stated that Gen. Hill
had called out the militia without authority from
him, and that Gen. Iill replied, and proved, by Of
fetal documents that he acted under full authority
from Gov Clark and Gen. Martin. Soon after this,
| Cen H. was removed.
But 1t is "all wrong to complain of any one who
belongs to the Journals faction The Journal can
| reflect on such men as Graham and Brown, when
they offered by their friends as candidates for
Elector not up with the times or in other words
not Trustworthy this crisis; but stubborn facts
in relation to the conduct Of those who agree in
opinion with the Journal and which stated only
in order that past may not be repeated, and
that better and wiser steps may be taken to pro-
mote the Confederate cause, are all wrong" We
have no wish to continue this discussion but if The
Journal insists upon doing so, it will be met, and
those whom it is attempting to wh;tewash will bt
still more thoroughly exposed.