Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1863-10-07


chosen to fix it on their foreheads The people Of
Greene County held q meeting in which they COM
planned in strong terms of the injustice done this
State and demanded the removal Of the Tithingman.
Their proceedings were instantly caught up, and
some seventy meetings were held, in ali Of which
the partyism of the administration at Richmond
was rebuked, and justice was demanded for North
Carolina This was the origin of the so.called
"Union or "peace meeting" in this State. Not
of them would have been held but for the course
Of the administration at Richmond towards North.
Carolina. If it be.true that causes will produce
effects, then Is the administration responsible for
these meetings But it is answered, some Of these
meetings called for peace on any terms, and some
I OF them proposed reconstruction of the Union.-
1t is true few of them called for peace the best
terms that could be obtained, and few Of them
proposed reconstruction. published the proceed
'hgs, but MY whole course both as man and an
Editor was against reconstruction and against un-
conditional submission to the federal government.
published the proceedings Of these meetings be-
cause portion Of the people had held them-not
because approved them. At least sixty out of the
seventy meetings breathed spirit of devotion to
the cause and the proceedings of many of these
meetings met my approval, especially those of the
people Of Johnston County. Forty odd Counties
IN Virginia go about to reconstruct the old Union,
and actually do reconstruct it as far as they can,
and no denunciations are heaped on them; yet,
when the people in few precincts in North Caro-
Ina, worn and wasted by war, express desire for
peace, and favor return to the old government not
as matter OF choice, but as they think, of stern
necessity, great tcatcry is raised d-theState itself
for publishing the proceedings, though every intel
ligent person in the State who reads the Standard
knows did not approve them.
But it issad that to talk for peace at home while
our troops fighting for it in the field operates
against the cause. do not believe it. What
sort Of peace "A return to the old government!
No. Submission to Mr.. Lincoln? No. What
then? A peace based on the separation Of por-
tion Of the Southern States from the other Stctes
and t'oo or three Independent governments. That
Is what would call ian honorable peace" How
is this to be effected? By invading Maryland and
Pennsylvania, and by claiming Maryland, Missouri,
Kentucky, and Western Virginia as Confederate
States think not Who knows but the North
ern Congress would consent to let US go, I'VE would
give up those States majority of whose people are
against us? Why not say to the North, take those
States-take the public lands-take the navy and
all the public property within your borders-oaly
let us 60, and let as alone? Why net say to the
North, we were once friends-we ere now enemies
we may be friends again under different govern
| ments; let us reason together, and make treaty
offensive and defensive the subject of the Chesa-
peake and the Mississippi and against the encroach
ments of European powers! That is Sshat call
| L
admire the zeal which says conquer peace-drive
the enemy out Of Kentucky, Missouri, Maryland,
} and Western Virginia demand, insist upon, and
have at all hazards, fair share of the public prop
erty with indemnity for all that has been destroyed
but my judgment tells me this is hardly possible
As the French say, whose breath is that Levolu.
| tion, "accept the situation, and will make the
most can oft If it be treason to think thus and
-eason thus, then is free speech dead IN North-Car
olina, and we committed to whirlwnd of pas
sion which may destroy every interest But it may
be said that it would be submission on our part to
offer such terms to the North, and concession of
| what justly belongs to u.s. What, submission to
obtain independence? If they should let US go on
these terms, on any terms, zoe aoouM be indepsn
| dent That is the answer. We would start the
World anew, as the young man Of twenty-o leaves
his fathers house to make name and fortune
| We would not be poor long If we could only re-
main united with government Of eight ten States,
we would soon be III condition to command the re-
spect of the world.
! But suppose these terms, some terms should
be offered to the North and rejected and the an
| Swer should be, lay down your arms, ye rebels
submit to territorial condition, return to the
old government deprived Of your slave property
with your slaves set loose in your midst, with the
loss of all your currency and your bonds to be
saddled with the payment of the federal war debt
and yourselves the interiors Of the Northern States
ip the federal government What would be the
effect of this? 1t would reunite our people as one
man, and boy and grandsire would fight to the bit
ter end side BY side with our veteran soldiers Is
there any treason in that?
But am told if l talk for peace, while our brave
soldiers are fighting for it, aiding and comfort
ing the enemy n this be so, when will the time
come to talk for lt9 Next year, or the next2 We
shall see. Bat what meant that mission of Vice
President Stephens to Fortress Monroe and Wash
ngton City? Surely the second officer of this great
government was not deputed merely to make ar.
rangements about the exchange of prisoners No,
that mission meant peace proposition of some sort
from President Davis to President Lincoln Was
it rejected9 Mr. Stephens was not heard, but who
can say his proposition would not have been enter
tanned if he had announced the real character of his
mission? If he went to talk about peace those who
sent him did not adopt direct and manly course
in their instructions to him, for he was told to pre-
sent himself in one character and then act in an
other.
Every battle is an argument for peace, and every
improvement by statesmen and people at home 0
the results of battle, is an argument for peace
! Negotiations, to have an end, must certainly hav
beginning The battle of New Orleans was Tough
after the treaty of peace had been signed by en-
Commissioners at Ghent The statesmen of tina
day did not think they were lowering the characte
of their country, or njuring the cause giving ali
and comfort to the British, by sending Commission
ers to Europe to urge on their enemies honora5l
peace IF those officers in the army, and those ol
fce.holders in our midst, some of whom are maxim
fortunes out of the war, whose bitter and unius
deuunciatiens of me were partly instrumental i
causing the late mob, will only change places fo
three months with the privates in the ranks, an
with the great mass Of our laboring people at HON
who are feeling the pinch of war, and then say tha
they opposed to negotiations for peace and tha
anv suggestion Of the kind would bexnjnrious
| the cause, then for one will never utter the wor
/ 9-eace again as long as live.
T. It has been charged that the course Of the Sta1
.lard has caused desertioas from the army. Soldier
will look in vain for any thing in the Standar
which jus!i6es desertion. I have called on ou
soldiers as frequently any Editor in the State
remain true to their .colors and have sustaine
! every measure designed to improve the condito
of the soldier and render him satisfied with mis- COZ
dtion. voted in the Convention for the fifty do
lar bounty to all our soldiers, conscrps included
) I drew up and voted for the ordinance securing
o,r soldiars the riyht to vote in canp. And hay