Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1863-07-17
Peace-When shall we have Peacea


now would save slavery, while we very much fear
that prolongaton of the war will obliterate the
| last yestge of it We are for peace because there
has been enough of blood and carnage, enough OF
widows and orphans heartbroken mothers and sor-
rowing fathers. We are for peace, because with an
implicit faith in Divine teaching we believe that the
sins of nations as of individuals will overtake them
and that God will avenge himself on this American
people, if this unnatural fratricidal butchery is
suffered to go on. We have nothing to advise,
nothing to suggest, but we know we but express
| the truth when declare that the earnest prayer
of all right thinking men, everywhere, is for peace
and that our people, here in North Carolina, now
as several months ago, are in favor OF any peace
that does not enslave and degrade them-any peace
that is honorable and that respects our rights
We earnestly hope that the peace element at the
North will revolt at the great struggle at Gettys-
burg and compel the despotism that is consuming
them to agree to settlement of the whole matter,
| upon terms that can accept. They have to
choose between giving peace upon our own terms,
and fighting on, for we have three or four hundred
thousand men in the field and can fight for years
| yet.
The horizon is dark and gloomy people are
thoughtful and anxious, and men are eagerly asking
| what is to come We have no comfort for any one,
for perils great and our future is gloomy
Let every put himself on a war footing and
nerve his arm and steel his heart for the trying
scenes through which he is to pass"
We agree with our cotemporary in much of the
above But we have no idea that we can obtain
"peace upon our own terms" The most powerful
nations seldom succeed in doing that What the
great mass of our people desire is cessation of
hostties,. and negotiations. If they could reach
that point they would feel that the conflict of arms
would not be renewed, and that some settlement
would be effected which would leave them in the
future in the enjoyment of life liberty, and hap
piness"
1t is great crime, especially at time like this,
to conceal the truth from the people. We intend
to tell them the truth far as we know it. let the
consequences be what they may.
From the beginning of the war to the present the
enemy has slowly but surely gained upon US and
but for the extraordinary endurance and courage of
our troops, his flag would now be floating at the
capital Ofeyery State. We have lost Missouri, Ma
ryand, Kentucky Tennessee, the Mississippi valley,
Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, and considerable por-
tons ofother States Vicksburg has fallen, as VIC fear
ed many months ago lit would Port HudsonhaS fallen
Charleston, Mobile, and Savannah will probably 90
next. Gen. Lee is attempting to retire from Mary
land with his spoils, but no substantial victory has
crowned his arms. We are weaker to-day than
when he crossed the Potomac into Maryland. Our
recruits in the way Of eonscrpts will scarcely keep
our reg gimentS full, and cannot hope to add ma
terially to our forces. Our fighting population is
pretty well exhausted. Every body knows this
The North knows it and so does Europe. On the
contrary, our enemies, flushed with triumph, have
large army in the field, and their President has
just called for three hundred thousand more He
will get them. The movement on Pennsylvania by
Gen. Lee, and the fall of Vicksburg and Port Hud-
son, have hushed all camors for peace in the North
and have banded the people there as one man for
the prosecution of the war. We have nothing to
hope for from foreign nations, and just
is We see no indications that Providence is about to
:nterpose in our behalf The war, then, will 90 on.
One side or the other must conquer. Will five mil
lions of whites conquer twenty millions of the same
race? Will they conquer peace the very soil
of these twenty millions Not, in any event, if
these twenty millions possess ordinary manhood and
will fight They fought at Sharpsburg and at Get
tysburg, and they worsted US at the latter place.
Northern troops are not towards they fight near
ly as well as Southern troops. We cannot achieve
signal victories over them on their own soil.
What then? If the worst is destined to over
take US, would it not be wise and prudent to take
less than the worst provided we could do so CON-
patibly with honor
The Richmond Enquirer recently declared that
there were but two roads before the South-one, to
invade the North and conquer peace and the 9th
er, to restore or reconstruct the old government
That paper was either indulging vain speculations
to the future, it will be prepared to abandon
the contest if Gen. Lee should fail in his efforts to
conquer peace by invading the North. To aban-
don the contest or to attempt to endure the pres
ence of Northern armies on our soil, and to resist
them only by guerrilla warfare, is most probably
to be conquered. 1t does not follow that nation
is not conquered because all its troops, or con-
siderable portion Of them are not whipped or cap
tured Whipped we have never been, and never
will be, but we may be overcome by nero physical
force. Such was the fate OF Poland, Hungary, and
Ireland 1t is no disgrace to people to be over
powered by mere brute force if they resist manful
ly and desperately. No troops since civilization
commenced have fought with more courage, or con-
stancy, or ardor than the Southern troops. Their
future, and the future of the country for which
they are still contending can never be, in any
event, otherwise than respectable and honorable
among nations. We grope in the dark like child
rem looking for the designs, and endeavoring to in
terpret the workings of Providence in the affairs of
nations. The birth of nation on this planet is
great event. The decay and death of nation is a
great event. If it should please Him to build up
and perpetuate this new nation of Confederate
States, He will do it; if not He will not do it
That is all we know about it.
1t is time to consult reason and common sense,
and to discard prejudice and passion. Our people
must look at and act upon things as they are, and
not as they would have them. They must remem-
Der that they are they the masters
of those who administer the government-that the
government was established by them for their ben
eft; and they must not be- afraid to utter their