Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1863-02-25

condition, either by perseverance or concession.
Every effort of coercion was reseated IS an lHegai
encroachment; every couciliatcry proposition on
our side received proof Of alarm and tnnidity,
and as pledge of victory and success to them of
future opposition
Mr. Speaker, do moi. hesitate to say that the,
people of North Carolina are as patriotic, as loyal
and As full of the fire Of liberty as any people on
this continent or elsewhere 1t is true they did not
like some others; propose to follow the example OF
Promeiheus, and steal fire from heaven with when
to kindIe the torch that to set On fire the whole
South. Neither did they propose to put every man
who did not agree with them in opinion, upon a
Proerustean bed, stretching him to the length OF
it if too Short or cutting him Oft if too long But,
sir, when called upon to act, most nohly did our
people respond to the CALI and the very first battle
in which North Carolina troops were engaged, they
illustrated the capacity ability, forttude, bravery,
and all the great qualities Of mind and body when
can eunoble and render immortal any people on
Gods green earth. -
: 1t is said that the battle Of Wagram vas the
hardest fought battle in any Of Napoeons cam
paigns, and that Mcdonald, one of the EmPerors
Marshals, charged the Austrian batteries with
16, 600 troops, and when he had taken them, he had
but 1900 men left. Sir, believe North Carolina
troops would have done the same thing; nay, sir,
90 further-I believe that the $4,000 troops which
North Carolina has furnished to the Confederacy
under the lead of Gen. Lee conld have whipped the
battle of Waterloo. And are these the men whose
patriotism and devotion to the Southern Confeder-
acy has been called in question? Sir, it is an in
suit to our State-t is vile SANDER upon our peo
pie, which can only be explained by piolent pre-
sumption that those who have made the charge
know no better If they have erred, it is god-like
to forgive them If they have erred it has been on
the side of prudence in their error--hey stand just
where the Vice President of the Confederate States
stood. If Alexander H. Stephens is not patriot,
then are we not for our people occupied precisely
the position he did towards this war The 10000
persons 10 this State who voted against Vance for
Governor must answer it to their own consciences,
how it was that fifteen months ago, they voted with
perfect unanmity for Mr.. Stephens for the second
Office in the government but could not vote for
Vance for Governor of this State, man who en-
tertained the Identical opinions Of the Vice Presl
dent whose patriotism is undoubted, whose intel
lectual flight towards the goal of distinction has
been so rapid that he reached it genius itself
came painting behind him. What magical power
has touched and alarmed the whole South in regard
to the fidelity and patriotism of North arolnians,
when the whole South sang pa,ans over the election
of Alexander H. Stephens as Vice President? Did
our people hold back from plunging into this war
So did Mr.. Stephens. Did we weigh we'll all the
chances and difficulties Of protracted bloody war,
before we gave in our adhesion to the measure?
So did your Vice President Did we hesitate and
with bitterness Of sorrow at the prospect of sacr
cling thousands of our young men, hope for reconc-
iation? So did the man that every secessionist in
the country vote for for the second Office of the gov
eminent? Why is it. then, shat North Carolina has
committed grave an offence against the peace and
dignity of the Confederate government, and Mr..
Stephens none!
And who are the defamers of our State? Vir-
ginia, side, and South Carolina on the other;
"the Panhandle Enquirer" and George the Srd,
Courier" These Editors who have been engaged
recently in turning loose their whole artillery upon
North Carolina had better be engaged in looking to
the "hole of the" pit from whence they were dug,
before they assail US. The Enquirer ought to re-
member that it is not beyond the memory Of some
persons in North Carolina, that his State at
period barely escaped the doom of abolitonisn. and
is now so tainted and bampered with proclivities
that way, issuing from the Panhandle region of
Virginia, that, but for North Carolina troops, the
Yankees aided by the Butfaloes," would have dis
manted his office snd laid waste his beautiful city
of Richmond; and the Courier ought to remember
that it is historical fact existing upon record
that the people of his own State exhibited in the
revolutionary war a puerility and imbecility which
has parallel Nay, sir, it was want Of patriotism,
it was flinching from their responsibility as one
of the revolutionary States, which they ought to
have been ashamed Of and which, to say the least
of it. should have silenced them forever in any at
| tempt to ridicule other people.
In order. sir, that my allusion may be fairly un.
derstood, l quote from an old volume, entitled
Memories of the American Revolution,R so far as
it relates to the States of North Carolina and South
Carolina and Georgia.. The author of said book is
William Moultrie, who, according to his own sc
count sent a message to the British Commander
by order of the, Governor, desiring to know upon
what terms he would be disposed to grant capitu
lation. The answer of General Provost, British
Commander, was submitted to the Governor, who
summoned council Of WAT, and the result was thu
following message to the British Commander:
I "CHARLssroS, May IL. 1879.
SR:-I cannot possibly agree to dishonorsbe prop
ostion is contained in your favor Of yesterday but
ynu will appoint officer to confer TERMS will sent
one to meet him at such time and place you Gx ON.
i have the honor to be. &C., DC,
This is to be found on pages 431 and 432, o
Moultrie's memories. o. the latter page Genera
Moultrie says, "when the question was carried 70
giving up the town upon neutrality, l will no
say who was for the question, but this l well re
mesaber, that Mr. John Edwards, one Of the priv
council, worthy citizen and very respectable mer
chant Of Charleston, was 80 affected as to weep, an
said what are We to give up the town at last?'
Mark the result Mr.. Speaker. A message was zen
to the British commander by the Governor in tn
following words: "To propose q neutrality durin
the war between Great Britain and America, an
the question whether the State of South Carolin
shall belong to Great Britain or remain one {
the United States, to be determined by treaty {
peace between those two powers"
But sir, if it be objected that all this oecurTe
previous to the articles Of Confederation or adopts
of the Federal Constitution, and, therefore, nappl
cable to the State of South Carolina. answer
that the war had Communicative were fighting
common enemy ITS with all its glorious associ,
fionc had LIGHTED mn the nolitical horizor of Ri
continent; the South Carolina people were foun
in arms for the common cause and they fought fro,
the year 1776 up to the year ITO, three years. an
were then willing to 60 back to George the 3rd-
But, Sir, I am not done with them yet. We migt
have supposed that after such exhibition as tili
after their faces had burnt With shame for the u,
manly withdrawal from the other members of til