Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1863-08-25

quesuon would pass, and pass finally into the hands
Of the statesmen of the two sections. 3" Grm-vis-
aged war would smooth his wrnkled front the |
aroltrament of the sword would give place to the
voice of discussion and negotiation-reason would
be substituted for passion and revenge and the ex
separations Of the two sections cooled and sobered
by reflection and calm survey Of the entire situa
tion, past present and future would leave the mind
OF the country in condition to devise some means
Tor restoring peace terms honorable to all. Nor
will these movements by the States depress or dis
courage our soldiers in the field On the contrary,
they will fight and endure with renewed cheerful
ness when they know that their friends at home
emitting no steps that may promise to crown them
with the reward Of all their tois-a just and homo
able peace But it is said that some of the cotton
States are already greatly distressed and that they
may soon indicate wish for negotiations But they
are already subugated and at the mercy of the enc
my. Mississippi and Louisiana are PROSTATE, sulen
and silent They have ceased so far as their peo-
pie at home are concerned, both to fight and talk
for peace. They are powerless. South Carolina
and Alabama may soon be in a similar condition.
Must we await the action of these States And if
we do are we, with arms in our hands, unsubdued,
with the port and spirit of feemen still characterizng
our people, to be bound by wha. they may agree
tor They are in no condition to offer terms, but
Ue are We may interpose to obtain terms for them
and ourselves, but they are comparatively power
less with the hoof of the invader already on their
breasts. The O6ssrver says, I" if we had gained
great victory, series Of victories recently,
"there would be some sense in proposing to nego-
tiate." But when shall We gain even great vic
toryf Still, suppose we should, as we hope we may,
what would be the resultH What is to become of
Maryland, Kentucky, Missouri, and Western Vir-
ginia Does any one believe that great victory
would not encourage our government to insist that
all these States shall go with usG Will one great
victory, or series Of victories, wrest from the enc
my the Mississippi valley? Are wO likely to re-
capture Vicksburg, Port Hudson, Memphis, Match
ez, and Nashville, either Of themp We fear not
Can we even drive the enemy from Newbern, in our
own State2 Will We be able three months hence
to hold the Wilmington and Weldon Road Is
Charleston safe Is Richmond entirely safe These
are questions which deserve the most serious con-
siieraton. Reasoning and reasonable beings must
look ahead, if they would profit by the lessons of
the past provide for the future. The farmer who
pitches his CROP and the mechanic who casts off his
work, look ahead and provide for events. Shall
those who have in charge the affairs of great peo-
pie be less thoughtful and less fOrecasting2 "The
wise man foreseeth the evil and hideth himself but
fools pass on and are punished"
The Observer does US the justice to say that We
are opposed to reconstructing the old government
We are opposed to it and have been from the first,
whatever some of our correspondents may have been
permitted to say to the contrary; but, having put
the whole matter on the issue of the sword
having discarded reason under the pressure of Cir
cumstances could not avoid and appealed to phys
ical force, do not hesitate to say that before
would see our State permanently subjugated and
trOdden down, as Mississippi is, We would consent
to restoration Of the old government or the estab
lishment of Lew common government, with all
our rights guaranteed, as the lesser evil. But we
would avoid this by all the in our power, as
q great political and sectional humiliation; and
hence we are for fighting and talking at the same
time for some settlement which will leave at least
portion of the slaveholding States under separate
common government If forced to choose between
the two evils we would rather live Nth than under
the Northern people. Our resentments as
strong as they can be against those who have
ried fire and sword through our country, and many
of whose soldiers have committed wanton and cruel
outrages on our people; but we could not ra-
tional being sacrifice the happiness aud the lives
of both races in the South merely to crafty hatred
and revenge.
The Observer thinks we have given way before
the assaults of our enemies, and have acted indis-
creetly under numerous provocations. We may
have acted indiscreetly, but we have not been pro-
voked to it Many of the assaults of our enemies
in the newspapers we never read-some of them we
notice in the Standard, and then forget them. Our
course the result of serious deliberate conSidera
ton. We do not regard our enemies. Their as
saults never occasion more than passing emotion
of pity, scorn, or contempt
We confess we are touched by the earnest appeal
which the Observer makes to US to "discountenance
the meetings being held by the people; and if we
thought their tendency as injurious they
sidered by the Observer, we should not hesitate to
beg the people to discontinue them. But we are
not responsible for them. They had their origin in
the policy of the administration at Richmond, and
in the great desire which exists for peace. The
public press may be able to modify the action of
these meetings in some respects; but the public
man WhU denOunooo these meetings, or denies to
the people the right to assemble and consult and
speak freely for the common good will snap like
pipe stem in the torrent We do not fear to
hear the people speak, even amid the thunders
of revolution. The philosopher who attracts the
lightning from the cloud is powerless to arrest
the hurricane which is generated in its bosom
Our columns are always open to the people, and
peciay to those of them who agree with US in opn-
ion. We hope never to see the day in North Caro-
lima when the people will be denied the privilege of
assembling together to consult for the common good
or when, having consulted, they can find no journal
which will give circulation to their opinions Ifthat
day should ever come civil liberty will depart from