Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1863-10-21

We agree with the Richmond Sentinel that it is |
mark ola wise government to respect the wishes
and even the temper of the people. Many mon
arch has lost bis crown and his head by threatening
his subjects with halters and dungeons when they
asked for indulgence, or for what they considered
justice. 1t is the part of wise legislators, in
free government such as ours to listen with respect
and yield as far possible to the wishes Of any con-
siderable portion of the people," This is the doc
trlne We have uniformly held and uttered, and We
are glad to find the Sentinel subscribing to it. If
the people Of this State had received the "indul-
gence," or even the "justice" accorded to other
States, the seventy or eighty public meetings whose
proceedings we have recently published, would pro-
badly not have Been held But the "wishes" Of
our people were disregarded, and their "temper"
excited. We told the Sentinel so about the time
Gov. Vance visited Richmond by invitation of Pres
ident Davis; but our suggestions had no weight
with the administration, and when the obnoxious
Tithingman was removed, and one Of our own citi-
zens appointed in bis stead the Sentinel attributed
the removal-not to the true source, to wit, the
public meetings referred to-but to the advice of
"discreet friends" of the administration in this
State
The people of this State and of all the States,
have right to assemble together-to discuss pub
lie men and measures-to form and express their
opinions in relation to them-and to instruct their
representatives; and the press has right, and it
is its sacred duty, to give publicity to these pro-
ceedngs Of the people. Public servants, from the
President to the humblest subordinate, are the en-
ployees of the people, and are responsible to them
for their conduct. The people have right to pass
upon their conduct; and in doing so they consti-
tute the only really disinterested tribunal before
which public servants can be heard Every inter-
est of the people is tho side of an honest, up
right, Constitutional administration of affairs.
The people of this State do not think that our
common government has been wisely administered.
They do not think that sufficient foresight has been
exhibited or that the war has been prosecuted with
as much energy as it should have been They be-
lieve that the partysm and voritism of the admin
istration, as shown in nearly all its appointments,
have deadened the enthusiasm of many in the COM
mon cause, and injured the country in the eyes of
foreign powers They believe that several members
of the Cabinet totally unsuited for tie places they
occupy and they would gladly see change in this
respect They regard Congress as wanting in the
essential characteristics of coordinate branch of
the government Thus far it has seemed in many
respects to act as the register the Executive
wishes and will and this too for the most part in
secret session, SO that the people have really had
none of the usual opportunities of knowing what
their representatives have said and done Conceding
all that may be justly claimed for the administra-
ton and its Congress, it must nevertheless be ad-
mtted that the Confederate cause owes but little of
Its success to them. Blu: for the unexampled cour-
age and dev oton of our soldiers and the patient and
patriotic endurance Of our people, our enemies would
long since have triumphed over US, and waved their
fas in the capital of every State.
What is the remedy for these and other evils thai
might be mentioned? 1t is to be found in the bal
lotbox, and in appeals to the President and his sub
ordinates to change their policy, and thus really
respect the "wishes" and "temper" of the peo-
! pie. Let the people vote for no man to represent
them in Congress who will. not pledge himself to
remedy the evils referred to as far as he can Lei
them vote for no man who Will not pledge himself
to strict construction of the Constitution and ia
maintain the civil law at all times and in all places
against the usurpations of the military power ani
let them vote for no one who will not pledge him
self open sessions, so that the people may see ani
judge for themselves Of the acts of their representa-
tives. Those, politicians who preferred to dissolve
the old government, and who were instrumental il
punging the people into this awful war, have showr
themselves unequal to the crisis. If they love the,
country better than they do themselves, let then
retire and gice place to oiser and better men, The,
promised US peace when they broke up the old gov
eminent, but they have given US war They ar
impotent to arrest the war on honorable terms,
restore peace and it is but just to expect that the
will get out Of the way, and no longer distress AM
ruin the country by their short sighted, selfish coun
sells. The people want peace on just and fair terms
but many of them fear they will get it as lon
as the original secessonists remain in power.
| We learn that much activity nrevails in arrestin