Newbern weekly progress., 1862-09-27
Union War Meeting at POrtsmO OWtIl,
North Carolina,

Union War Meeting at Portsmouth,
North Carolina.
On Friday, 10th inst, a large num-
ber of citizens of Portsmouth, N. c.,
assembled at the church to listen to an
address in favor of enlistment in the
ranks of the North Carolina Union
Volunteers. Although little more than
an hours notice had been given, the
attendance from the neighborhood was
general, many ladies gracing the oc-
casion by their presence.
The meeting was opened with prayer
by Rev. VIM. O. Whitcomb, Chaplain
Of the US. Hospital, after which Mr..
Foster took the stand and proceeded to
speak for about two hours. He showed
the utter hopelessness of the rebel
cause, in spite Of the occasional and
temporary successes Of their arms, and
plainly demonstrated, that even in the
most unfavorable event to the Union
cause.-the ultimate partition Of the ma
ton into two Confederacies, North
Carolina must continue within the ter
ritorial limits of the Union. If the
Federal Government should obtain no
further military advantages whatever,
but merely hold its own, and foreign
mediation came in to enforce q cessa-
ton of war, and run boundary line,
that boundary line must 90 south Of
North Carolina and Tennessee. Such
a mediation, although from present ap-
pearances unlikely to occur at all,
must, if it did occur, be equitable, and
exact only an exchaDgeof equivalents,
territorial or military.
Difference to the common sense
and justice of the world that great
Aulic Council whose Judgment all ma
tions must obey-would require that
the abandonment by the Federal Gov
ernment of its present complete mari
time control of the South, in its block
ade of the Atlantic and Gulf Coast
and its mastery Of the waters of the
Mississippi, together with the surren
der of Florida, New Orleans, Corinth,
Port Royal, and other important points
and of the foothold it has obtained in
'act, in every seeded State, should be
compensated by the withdrawal of
the Confederate forces from all the
Border States, including the relin-
quislment of all claim to Tennessee
and North Carolina. This argument
was strongly enforced and illustrated,
and produced profound impression.
Acclimated men-natives of the
South-familiar with tho topography
and people of'tireir neighborboods-
were needed by the Government to
hold the territory recovered to its ac-
tual jurisdiction. Unless white men
: volunteered this service, which was
, an indispensable one, the blacks, though
30 far refused, would at length be ac.
| cepteds No North Carolnian, loyal
, or disloyal to the Union, could desire
!, such consummation as this.
t The following resolutions were ther
/. unanimously adopted:
ResOlred, That our gratitude is, a.
g it ever has been, due to that strong anc
, benefcent Government which has re-
stored 10 us our liberty of speech and
action, and the untrammelled exercise
: of the sacred franchises, including thu
freedom of the ballm-hox. which were
E bequealhed to US by our fathers.
:, Resot0ed, That the Union should be
u maintained at all hazards and 1t what
+ ever cost, and that the efforts OF th'
n Administration should not be remittet
d until the territorial integrity of the Ma
tion is reasserted, and treason every
;, where suppressed.
. ReS01ved, That we will cheerfully
$ cooperate in The organization of th'
l. First Reg. N. G. Union Volunteers
n and we pledge ourselves to use our in
n duence to fill its ranks to the maxi
. mum standard.
The effect of this meeting was mos
i encouraging, and Portsmouth will fur
=, nish at least twenty Union volunteers