Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1863-08-19
Salem Church, Randolph, Aug. 8, 1858.
For the Standard.
TREASON AND THE RICHMOND ESQUIRER

TREASON AND THE RICHMOND ESQUIRER.
We have rarely been astonshed and Thoroughly dis
gusted than recently reading an article taken from the
for attempts excite mob against the Raleigh aadard
for counseng peace whilst have it in our power to
make peace on just and honorable terms The whole tons
to every principle of liberty and of free government and
completely in unison with the Machave'ian principles
selves if it were possible that the writer freeborn
American citizen? Or he brought up IN the regions
of old despotsms accustomed from his youth to breathe
the infected air Of tyranny Of absolute power and of
ec slavery? Without knowing we cannot but that
the authoy the piece referred to is aen born
and oregnbred whose tastes and principles and ideas of
political freedom have all been moulded under the dc.
pressing influences of the despotisms of the Old World
This conclusion is forced upon us from this fact:
In the fret place, that his idea of "teoson is simply
to have and express opinion different from what is
supposed to be the opinion of our rulers and
No American ctizea would ever have thought OF
such an idea. 1t is evidently exotic.
In the second place, plain that he knows nothing OF
the Constitution of government which guarantees the
right citizen to have and to express a On
any and all subjects whatever, military POLITICAL religious
and social, otherwise he could not have been gmty
silly blunder, pronouncng the simple uesrapce OF
candid aud deliberate opinion as to what would De LOT
the best interests of the country under present emegen
cies, "treason!"
In the third place. be imagnes that the government be:
longs the rulers and that the people their se'oants
whreas the goxcrnmen is the creature of the people, and
rulers masters, but our s~cants conse-
quenty the people who made the and to whom
ions they please to the best method OF conducting
to modify it-change it-and reconstruct it. if they in
he TO DO Ana b he
In the fourth place. he endeavors to excite the moo to
destroy the Raleigh Sandard! "To destroy it. says be-
."would hurt Norh.Carolins than the cutting
out of an ulcer would hurt a living man." Again ho
says "why is the Raleigh Standard suffered to exist
This appeal to odocray instead Of to reason and logic
points Enthusiastically to the land of riots and shaahs
In the fM place. he, in utter ignorance as 1t would
SEEM Of our Constitution, which guarantees free speech
free press, and the assembling OF the people together Tor
discussion all subjects whatever attempts to excite the
strong arm of power "gag free speech and to muzzle
free press lie says There ought to be some remedy
for the evi-some arm powerful enough to gag the GRIM
inal" Could this abomnable sentiment have been writ.
ten by any who not himself fit to be the mnion OF
tyrant? The freedom of speech is not only political
right guaranteed by the Constitution, but it is more it is
natural rgbt-a heavenborn preroga,ive bestowed by
that God who made the brain TO think and the tongue to
speak, and endowed man with the gift of language to pro-
mugae the fruits Of his thinking and reasoning faculties
The first act of yrant TO suppress the liberty OF speech
And he who lends his aid towards bringing about result
disastrous to liberty and human is the craven
Species and ought be regarded and treated such.
From the foregoing facts and considerations we are
PEELED to conclude flor have no other means Of know
ing that the Editor of the Richmond Enquirer foreign
burn and bred with the principles OF foreign des.
potisms indelibly impressed upon his servile nature
But what has the Raleigh Standard said done, that
tuny to bet.ay his origin? 1t ia simply this Us quoted
from the Enquirer, for we have not seen the Raleigh
Standard and therefore have no means Of judging bow
much has BEEN garbled and misrepresened the Editor
of the andard in the exercise of his Judgment with
the lights before him and actuaied by sincere love for
his country, says: "But have idea that OBJ
tain peace terms" This the head and front
of the Ofence-ths is the "tredSon And yet there is
not thinking, dspassouate, candid man in the entire
Our TERMS that is the terms OF the densgngues mot of
the people, not only to have this slavery turmoil set
tied according to honor and justice but the separate in.
dependence" of every one of the Southern States
claimed BY and in the Congress of the Con-
fedeacy besides that Maryland shall have the right 70
decide by popular VOTE to which side she will belong
These are our terms" that is the terms Of dema-
gogues And yet there is not sensible rejecting man in
the whole land that dreams thrt these terms feasible
Where is the candid who will honestly say that be
believes that peace be obtained with Ken
lucky and Missouri integral portions of be
cy? But this foreign born takes it upon himself to
Rs %afs
knows that desire peace; bat on terms o sepa
rate independence. On any other terms peace would be
for granted that the primary Of separation was IN
dependence which is amisake Whatever may have been
the secret designs Of politicians and demagogues who "pre
cpitdd disnnion contrary the desires OF the great
majority of the people, independence not the primary
object Of the revolution This denied twice ten thou
sand times by the politicians themselves. Had this been
announced they could have led the South into Sc
cession. The great majority of the people loved the Union
aud proud Of their great and glorious country But
the ua necesstyof secession was argued BY the dema'
gogues as means to end viz: The obtaining OF our
just and honorable rights the subject OF SLAVERY and the
territories This what the people fighting for-and
not for independence per seno for the politicians and
demagogues but for Constitutional rights, and against
Lincoln and obolionism Sir, am an Ofhcer IN tue Con-
fed,te ARMY have frequently sustained the hazards Of
bate-and my life has often been in am
firmly resolved to lay down my sword until Lincoln.
ism is overhrown But when this is achieved then Shall
proudly exut and thank the God of battles for giving us
the victory. Sir, not fighting for the politicians
and demsgogues who would be masters instead Of our
fighting for liberty, and our Just
rights under the Constitution Let there be war and we
vctorous it matters whether have one government
substantially the views Of the great majority Of the people
both in and of the army The Enquirer de1ades the
people, might expect from one Of his aneceden ts
when he represents them fighting for the dsagogues
irrespective of their rghts-and would use them as
tools of disappointed ambition and hate to accomplish
their aggraudizenent VOA POfohl.
Columbus, Mss, Aug. LIST, 1858.
For the Standard.
Mr. EDITOR have been watching the newspapers ex-.