Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1863-02-17
"wa,chman, what of the Night q"

Waterman, what of the Night"
1t is night The sun OF peace seems to have set
in blood. The moon and the stars glimmer family
through the smoke of war. The daystar of indie
pendence saunders in the clouds, forgetful OF the
voice of the morning" The people of the South
seem to be fighting in just cause with the whole
world against them. The Emperor OF the French,
supposed by some TO be their friend hampers through
his Consuls with the State of Texas and lays his
hand OH Mexico Great Britain has thus far shown
no disposition to and u.s. Recognition seems to be
as distant and dubious now as it was twelve
months ago. 1t is natural that the rulers Of the
British people should be indifferent to struggles
They think they see, of the results OF these
struggles the abolition of slavery on this continent
abolition had its origin in Exeter Hall, and for forty
years the destruction of slavery in America has
been cherished object with the British govern
meut. The abolition of slavery here would place
England on the same ground with us in the cult
walton of tropical plants by voluntary labor. AL
ready the mistress of the seas she seeks to produce
those articles for herself which will make her COM
merce more profitable and at length UNIVERSAL
Besides, the success of free representative govern
ment in this country, based it was on the Demo
cratic principle of the right of the people to govern,
was highly obnoxious to the British throne and
aristocracy. 1t was standing rebuke to them for
their excusiveness, their orders of nobility, their
class legislation and their denial of political equall-
ty to their own people; and the example itself OF
selEgovernment was fraught with danger to the per-
manent duration Of their power They rejoiced,
therefore, as sectionalism made progress in our
councils They famed the flames of aggression on
one side, and of resistance on the other. They
filled with joy when aboliticnism assumed the
form and the proportions Of great sectional party
and when, by way of retaliation or from fixed de-
sign portion of the Southern leaders sundered the
last tie that united the States and launched out into
the sea of revolution. They hailed the proclama-
ton of Lincoln calling for troops to make war on the
seeded States, as the beginning of the work of
RUN which is now upon us, for they knew that the
seeded States wouldresSt and that the border States
would join them. They have US now just where they
wanted us. If they intervene at all they will do
only for the purpose Of dividing the spoils among
themselves. Turkey was the sick man." and so
are We. The injunction, put not your trust in
princes" is specially applicable to the Southern
people in this iuncturc.
! Nor do we much to cheer us in the United
States. \ large majority CT their people would no
doubt be glad to the war cease; but even those
most clamorous for peace to be for the war in
their way, and opposed to it only as waged by Lin
coin. They profess to be for the Union as it was,
and the Constitution as it is" They forget, CT
they will not see that Doth have been destroyed
We ardently hope that something may occur to
stop the war before the expiration of Lincoln's
term but we feel bound to confess that this hope
has but little to rest upon. We must make up our
,.nds for still further fighting, privat;on, and suf-
frring We fear starvation more than we do the
Yankees. But the people of this State were b
free and they will die free. They will never wear
any yoke. Happen what may they will decide
their own destiny. They will never surrender their
right to govern themselves.
1t IS night. Oh, that we could see, even dmly,
the star of peace How it would be hailed and
blessed if it should rise now! But in nature
the thlckeSt darkness always precedes the dawn,
NAV it be in this awful strife We can only fight
and suffer, and hope Our foreathers of the old
revolution dark days as these, and were al
last blessed with peace and independence