Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1863-01-14

Virginia and North-Caroiina.-The Richmond
Enquirer.
We had intended to continue our reply to the
Richmond Enquirer, but the following, from one of
the ablest and most gifted pens in the Confederate
Sta.cs us the lahar af saSsg one word the
subject in this issue. Our correspondent has felled
the forest of Destructive nquty leaving to US only
the task of rolling the logs gathering the brush and
putting fire to them. Or, to change the figure, be
has taken off all the epdermis of this vaunted organ
Of the administration, and sprinkled plentiful sup
ply Of Cayenne pepper on its shrinking aesh Read
what correspondent says, and hand the paper to
your neighbors.
The Enquirer seems to think that we are not dis.
posed to answer some questions it propounded to
us some weeks since. In this it is mistaken. We
shall meet all those questions in our own way and
time But we are OBTAINING our readers from the
rich treat we have in store for them .
For the Standard.
Is North-Carolina Amy Thing?
1 am led TO this humiating inquiry by recent
and current events in and out Of the State freely
concede that there ought to be no divisions or strife
among the people of any State, among the States
: themselves And he who originates strife, is alone
to blalne for it is not in human nature to receive
ofFnnse without retort, and selfexstence requires
sefdefence. 1t is charged that those who now
govern North Carolina, have caused divisions among
the peOple have organized themselves into party
ard prescribed all others; and have inaugurated
measures injurious to the common cause, and in bad
faith. II these things are so, it is agreat crime
If they are not So it is a gross slander. And the
character of those in power, and the character of
the State ITSELF require that the truth should be
known by all who will judge Justly; and that those
WHO accuse, against the truth, sheuld be exposed.
Soon after Lincoln's election, the propriety of
calling Convention to secede, was, by the Legisa-
ture then in session. submitted to vote of the peo.
pie The people refused to call Convention at all,
and the vote for members, at the same time, ndi-
Gated that twothirds Of the people opposed to
secession for any cause then existing. But in
short time, events occurred which induced these
same people to meet in Convention, and secede by
unanimous vote. Up to that time, the two divis-
ions among the people were called severally, Uni
onists," and "Secessionists." And these names
truly indicated the sentiments of each party. After
it became necessary to secede and the people were
unanimous, the name "Unionists no longer indi.
Gated the sentiments of any party or of anybody;
for all were then secessonists, but not in the
sense for the original secessionists were for seces
sion without sufficient cause, and. together with
disunionists at the North, created the necessity
which the Unionists were obliged to realize. The
secession of North Carolina was not, therefore, the
act of the secessonists for in their attempt at Sc
cession before sufficient cause, they failed but it
was the secession Of the unionists after sufficient
cause existed
So soon as North Carolina declared her indepen-
dence by unanimous vote, those who had been
unionists, abandoned all party distinctions, and
sought to make common cause; yielded to the So
cessionists who had possession of the government
cordial support continued them all in office, and
preserved the State and her institutions as they
were. And thus were verify, Conservatives But
those who had been secessonists, Immediately or
ganized themselves, or what is Che same retained
their original organization as party claimed the
act OF secession as party triumph and prescribed
and aspersed every orc who was not of them.
As proof Of the first proposition mention, that
although, as shown by the vote before the Conyen-
tion and by the vote Of the late State elections two
thirds Of the people were against the original se
cessonists yet, the Convention did not single
act of party character prescribed nobody, and
aspersed nobody At the Presidential election that
same year, they made opposition to the original
secession President, but gave him unanimous vote
As proof Of the second proposition, passing By
much that the secessionists did in the Convention
their proposed ordinance to send every man to the
guillotine who sholld question the immaculacy of
their men or measures. and the like, mention the
fact that although Offices were, Of necessity great