Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1863-09-04
For the Standard.
TUT tH5 SIaUuaIu.
The Peace Conventions and Gov. Vance.

The Peace Conventions and Gov. Vance.
The ultraS within and without the State are at
tempting to make the impression that the Peace
Conventions are held by those only who favor re.
construction submission but such is not the
fact While acting in these conventions, there may
be few who favor reconstruction, a great major
ty of those who compose them are as free FROM de-
string peace upon terms dishonorable or incopsis.
tent with the independence Of the South as the most
rabid, fight to the bitter end, last man and last
dollar" partzan Of them all.
1t may be true that these meetings are injurious
to the common cause, though it must be confessed
| cannot perceive what harm there is in attempting
to negotiate peace while fighting for it, yet they
uUuId nUI, Ur themselves prove half so Injurious
will the efforts which are being made by neWspa-
pers and political military army officers, to use
them as evidences Of dsloyalty and backing down
among our people. What induced these meetings
in the first instance? Evidently general and well
grounded resentment at the repeated insults and in
lures which had been heaped upon our State, and
especially upon that portion of our citizens known
as Conservatives. long series Of affronts, either
accidental studied, had been put upon our State
FIRST people alone ordered to give up their
arms then a military prison was established in our
midst, to which our citizens were dragged, without
rghtGul authority and either without having charges
regularly preferred against them, when so pre-.
ferre1, not having due notice thereof and when
they sought relief through the regularly constitu-
refused them the opportunity of obtaining remedial
writs or refused obedience to the wrts when ob-
tanned and there in the loathsome prison house
they suffered to languish and die without law
full warrant to arrest and without lawful charge to
detaln them. Not content with such injuries as
| could be inflicted upon US our own SOIL some of
our people seized and dragged to prisons with.
out the State and forced to stand trial before unau-
thorzel and irresponsible tribunals.
We were glad to See the prison house at Salisbu-
ry tumble into ruins before the outspoken resent
ment of the people, or the firm remonstrances of
| our present Governor, and we hoped that the day
of those outrages over but scarce are we rid
of one class Of expressions before we visited by
another. When the commandant of our Camp of
Instruction was disabled, by wounds received in
gallant service, from dischargng his duties, his
place was supplied not by North Carolinian. not
| by one of those who have rendered such worthy
service in enforcing law in many respects object
ionabe to people, but by native of another
State-a foreigner. After awhile certain of our
citizens feeling themselves aggrieve1 and injured
by the military authorities, called to their aid the
Judges and courts Of the State the regular const
tutional expounders of the law The orders of the
| judges and courts are disqualification decisions
set at naught and evaded and thus the military
overrdcs the civil authority and North Carolina
receives not only another gross insult but the lib
critics of the people are stabbed in the most vital
| part
To crown this long list Of insults and outrages
Yankee by birth, and Vrginan by residence, is
placed over us to control property and collect
the taxes, as though no native resident of our own
State could be found, having sufficient ability and
+ honesty to fill the Office.
1t was then that the cup, already full, began to
run over. Then were held these meetings now being
magnI6ed into such formidable demonstrations Of
dislOyalty, but, in fact originated in nothing but
strong of the ndignities which had been heap
ed upon US, and desire to have them discontinued
1t is true, that, in these meetings sentiments IA
voring peace uttered, but only in one of them
| Gf my memory serves mel was such thing as re.
construction limited at, and no doubt the many in
juries received under the existing order of things
hau inAamed the passions Of the people composing
that little meeting in Surry, until their judgment
was drowned, and they began to consider a return
to the evils of the past preferable to the injuries of
the present
As the repeated insults and injuries to the State
were the prime cause, the avoidance of them was
the main object of these meetings and people consid-
cred that speedy and honorable peace was the
most direct method of accomplishing this result
And they, perhaps, enormously think that peace
can be most certainly and speedily secured by treat
ing for it while fighting Not that they are willing
TO cease fighting until peace is secured. Not that
they are ready, as falsely limited at to submit to
any terms. But believing that force was resorted
to too soon they would not postpone all other eff
forts until too late. Is there any thing reasonable
dsloyal in this? 1t may be mistaken but it GER
tainly cannot be criminal policy If there is any
thing criminal growing out of all this it was first
In those who introduced this state of feeling by
persistent course of injustice 70 the State and next
IN those who, 10 sight and hearing of the common