The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1863-02-10

| Raleigh Standard "beeause we kne" tha' - US
injurious to the cause of the South" The stand
ard, in reply to that article, and in better spirit
than it has manifested towards us for many day.
asks us how did we know this, and by what mode
of reasoning or what facts enabled to arrive at
such knowledge!
| We will endeavor to answer the Standard with
the hope and sincere desire that we may succeed
in convincing that paper of the error of its ways
and the certain tendency of its course against the
cause of the Confederate States.
In the first place, know that its course is IN
furious to the cause of the South because the
enemy quote its denunciations of secessonists
and it's fault finding and complaining articles against
the Confederate authorities. The Yankee papers
at Newbern and Washington, N. c., the Balti-
more American and other Lincoln papers, quote the
Standard prove that there is strong Union
sentiment still prevailing in this State. fe"
weeks ago the Standard, rumor, accused
the Confederate authorities of being disposed to DO
a dishonorabe act, in causing paroled prisoners to
do military duty; and, the authority OF the
Standard the traitor Stanly, Lincoln's chief o1cer
at Newborn, demanded an explanation of the mat
from Gen. French. Is it not reasonable to sup
pose that such accusations and complaints against
our authorities, coming from one of our own State
papers. are calculated to do the South harm. The
Standard does injury to the southern cause by
arraying and exciting the feelings Of the people
against the Confederate authorities. The Baltimore
American. vile Lincoln paper, particularly al
udes to the Standards in this respect, and
congratulates the enemies of the South the signs
of opposition to the Government at Richmond as in
Dictated by the course of the Raleigh Standard. Our
northern enemies specially point to the complaints of
the Standard about " breaking up the old govern
ment," as evidence that the people Of North Caro-
lima are in favor of. reconstruction of the Union
Any one can now begin to understand how the course
of the Standard has injured and is nuring cause
And just here might ask, why is it that no
other paper in the State INDUCES in complaining
and fault finding like the Standard! Is the Stand
ard better friend guardian of constitutional
rights than all the balance of the press of North
| Carolina! Certainly not.
In the second place, the Standards bitterness
towards those it calls 'origina secessonists" has
no bounds-t assails them for breaking up the old
Government, and stignatizes them "Destruc-
tives,'' thus leading enemies (and many of our
frends) to believe that that paper at least is OPP
posed to the In this way, again, is it's
injurious to the cause of the South. If it is not
opposed to the war, why does it denounce certain
men for bringing it on? The Northern people, by
all true Southern men that the Union was not dis
| solved day too soon. and instead of condemning
those who favored dissolution, they should be COM
| mended We not original secessionist-
all who have read the Western Democrat know
this-and it has So happened that We have not
| voted for original secessionist since the
| commenced-but we have been careful not to utter
one word against secessonists for fear that the
Yankees and tories might misunderstood and be
encouraged to continue their efforts for the biu-
cation of the South. Suppose original secession
lists guilty of all the mean things the Standard
charges them WITH is this time to be stirring up
divisions among our own people? Does it do the
cause of the South any good to be eternay abusing
secessonists and complaining Of their past
duct! On the contrary, contend it doe harm,
not only by encouraging the Lincolnites. but by
| misleading some of our own people who have lmi-
| ted means of information. causing them to form
erroneous ideas of the condition of affairs, and
making then: believe that the secessionsts alone
are the cause of the war. We knoac that some
people, when they read the Standard, conclude that
the Editor is opposed to the and to the cause
contendng for. We are not led to this
conclusion yet because know the Editor of
the Standard. and believe him true to the South and
/ his native State; but if did not know him as
well as we do, confess that from the tone of
some of his articles, should be inclined to form
a different conclusion. But, however true he NAV
! be, we tell him that his course has done and =
doing harm to the Southern cause, and for his own
sake. if nothing else, he ought to stop and reflect
! before he continues to denounce secessionsts and
! disparage the Confederate authorities.
Again: The course of the Standard has been
Injurious to the of the South by dividing the
people of the State into two parties. Passing by
its conduct during the canvass for Governor last
summer. refer particularly to its advice to the
Legislature to turn out of office every man who was
original secessionist. The Standard called upon
its friends in the Legislature to prescribe those who
did not CO operate with the so-called conservative
party and acting this advice, its friends in the
Legislature having the majority, turned Mr.
Page from the Office of Secretary of State to make
room for party favorite, Mr.. Russ, man who
had abused and cursed the Confederate authorities
Mr. Page old whig, and was appointed to
Office by democratic administration because he
was better qualified for the post. by experience,
than any other man in the State. But the Standard
advised his removal on party grounds alone and it
was DONE Mr. Courts. the old and faithful Public
Treasurer; George Davis, Confederate Senator;
John Kerr Superior Court Judge; Robt. Strange,
VIM j. Houston, Solicitors, and other faithful and
competent officers, were all prescribed simply on
party grounds. Not of them were charged