Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1863-01-09

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Carolina. The Enquirer already has four articles
upon North Carolina, all of which the State Journal
copies and endorses. In one of which articles the
question is asked of the Conservatives, whether
there was any lurking hope of a restoration or re-
constructonl" plainly indicating by the question,
the charge that such hope is lurking" among
thern-that while they pretending to battle for
independence, they meditating treason. 1t fur
ther asks whether we had "any regrets to indulge
or any wrath to crafty over the secession Of the
State thereby plainly indicating that we have such
regrets.
But the Enquirer does not confine its structures
to the Conservatives as party, but presumptuously
attacks the State ITSELF and denounces her Legisla
ture as Every ungenerouS," and as "actIng in vio-
laon of her duty" and praises Virginia and holds
her up as example for North-Carona-
Now, all this in the "press of Virginia" is par
donabe presumption and vanity; Scarcely but
that the press of North Carolina should join with
the press of Virginia in the praise of Virginia and
the denunciation of North Carolina is insufferable.
would not unprovoked, remind Virginia Of her
misfortunes mortfy her with her faults; but
selErespect requires seEdefence. What is there,
then in Virginia better than in North Carolina p
large portion of North Carolina, it is true, has
been rdCtshed by the enemy; but much larger
portion of Virginia has played harlot, "opened her
feet and called on every passer by to come in. She
has pulled down her old prisons and built new ones
to hold her own suspected" and the unsupported
cause to keep Virginia N countenance. Her press,
the Enquirer ITSELF for hire publishes daily for its
own money obbers the depreciation Of the Con-
federate money, at its very capital 80 per cent be-
low its own bank notes, which are themselves 800
per cent below the specie standard. She is indig-
nant that any body any party should think of
the spoils, or honors of Office or place, CT should
"care bit" for the disgrace Of being denounced or
excluded as unworthy of trust; yet demands and re-
ceives for her citizens almost as many Of these,
as is yielded to the whole South besides She puts
her skeleton regiments, full differed, upon the pub
lie pay, and boasts of her disnterestedness. She
claims Richmond az the vitalS of the COnfederacy,
as.if the South could not breathe without when,
truth to say, she scarcely breathe with Castle
Thunder and could not think without the brains of
the Enquirer, which is so stold as to boast that its
MASTER the President, does not remember" almost
the only thing he ever knew-the existence of party.
She impudently rebukes North. Carolina within
whose territory, raked by the fhe-tooth comb of
Richmond detectives, not traitor can be found for
her want Of devotion to the common cause, when
Virginia herself has yielded almost much strength
to the North to the South. In what, then, is
Virginia superior to North Carolina? Verify, in
nothing except in vanity, vice and vermin
Let the "press Of Virginia" devote itself to the
preservation of her own morals; and when it can
present Virginia, not as a virgin unde6led, for that
were impossible but as woman reformed, and
North Carolina should not then be, as she is now,
WllllOuI OleinSu, We VIII ylelu 10 our HOTe VIZ
tuous sisterD the compliment of copying her refor
nation. But, until then, let her not tlaunt her
forgery. Let her. like an imperious courtesan, af-
feet at least enough of reserve to be sought after
lest it be said of her, as was said Of Jerusalem:
And the contrary~is in thee from other women,
in that thou givest reward to thy lovers, and no
reward is given unto thee"
But what is the ground of this TRADE against
North Carolina? What has she doneI What has
she left undonc? There she stands-draw nearer.
The veil Of her modtsty need be raised to dis
cover that she has furnished as many troops as any
State in the South, to fight for the South, and not
one to fight against it. The "preSs of Virginia"
admits that she had provided for them better than
any othoF-State. They have fought as we'll More
of her territory has been taken by the enemy than
OF any other State, except Tennessee. Less has
been done in her defence than in defence Of any 9TH
State. There is not fortifcation deserving the
name in her whole land. Few troops have been
allowed her, and they have been commanded by Of
ftcers who would not be trusted with forces else.
where. In almost every conflict with the enemy in
her borders, there has been just enough of resist
ance to enable him to boast victory, and to make
her feel the degradation Of defeat. What the enc
my has left of her wealth has been ordered to be
destroyed by her friends and she has no voice or
influence in the Cabinet In such a crisis il North
Carolina call her soldiers from distant fields
to defend her own, who could blame her. But she
has done no such thing She has only called for
lU,UUO OI WHO Ill inc ScTNlCe,
volunteer in her defence. This is ALL This is her
crime!
1t is said that for North Carolina to do this is to
array herself in conflict with the Confcderacy.-
Well be it So What is the Conlederacy but her
servant? And who claims for the Conicderacy the
right to question the proprety Of the Will of
ereign State? | grant that North. Carolina may
owe obligations to her sister SoUerei0nS, but she
owes no duty to her SerUdhG | grant that she is
under obligations to make common cause with her
sisters in this great struggle But does that go to
the length that she must yield her och0te strength
to operate out of her limits and leave herself to be
destroyed? If so, "a bargain broken one side
is not binding on the other" Virginia has her
serve force-SOuth Carolina has hers-the Cover
of Mississippi and Georgia have recommended
them in theirs. 1t is said, however, that Virginia,
South Carolina, and probably other States have
only taken such the COnfederacy did not want.
1t is much more certain that they have kept back
such as the Confederacy demanded-for it is said
that not single State in the South executed the
conscrpt law except North Carolina and she did
execute it to the letter. Georgia and South Caro-
lima openly refused to execute it But what mat
tiers all this splitting hairs The common cause
has the right not to any particular portion class
of the citizens Of the several States but to all the
force which any State can spare. Who is to be the
Judge of what she can spare? Evidently the State
herself IfNorth Carolina can spare moro than she
has already done, she ought to do it-but she must
be the judge If all that be raised is due to
the common cause, then Virginia and the other
States must give up their reserves"
But it is asked, why does North Carolina want
any State troops? Why not rely with confidence
on the general defence? l answer, that we have
conidcd, and do confde. But our confidence has
been abused-I will not say Intentionally. North
Carolina has had no place beside the Commander
in Chief Our claims may have been orsrLooked,
because there was no one by to pull his sleeve. But
that is not all. Mr. Davis is but man. The En-
quirer, his organ, says that he "does not reHen-
Der, care fig, about former party distinctions"
And yet, in thousand appointments TO office l
challenge the Enquirer to count ten who were not
of Mr.. Davis former party" L conccde that this
may have just happened So" 1t is said that this
world was never made on purpose, but just happen
cd so believe that Mr.. Davis is so thoroughly