Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1863-09-24
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER.
GOV VANCE ExpLoDEs THE REBELLION

az thu Cpnfeisracy 1t such defence OF the repelon
a. must convince any logical mind that the rebellion
from beginning to end from top to bottom from core TO
skio totally radically hopeessly wrong In other words
he has stated the principles OF civil liberty 30 clearly mas
,sead ,he duty of the citizen with much emphasis
that h words condemn every act and deed OF secession
with an irresistible might. He to use the very
hammer OF 1hor lot KNOCKING hmsch anu MS ioo" w
the head.
How does Governor Vance persuade the macontents
that they ought 10 submit the Confederacy In these
words
The inalenab!e and nvulnerabe right of the people
IN assemble together and consult for the common good
gether with its necessary concomahts-lne iIoeuo -
speech and the press-are secured 20 YOU my county
men by the most sacred compacts They shall never hnd
ds,urber in me- Yet you will remember that the same
instruments which guaranty these great sn's 1sa and
impose upon me the solemn duty OF seeing tnat lnese
bounds be not The Constitution OF the O
ederate States and all laws passed ~ .hs b
are the supreme law of the land Resistance 10 them
combination is treason, and, without combination ngn
crime against the laws OF your country Lo. no quo "
deceived SO long these laws reninin upon mo ''a
book they shall be executed
Let ua change the simple phrase Confederate Staesi
;,o limited States and then how Governor Vance
not only drmolshes the logic of the rebellion but amply
ustifss the action If the Federal authorities in trying to
suppress it by the strong arm.
La The first place he tells his countrymen that their
essential rights Of freedom were secured to them oy inc
strongest of compacs That was true under the laws OF
the United States
In the second place he tells them that the same nstru
mepts which guaranteed their rights demanded also their
implicit obedience That true under the laws OF The
United States.
In the third place he tells them that the Constitution
and all laws made in pursuance thereof are the supreme
law Of the land" and that resistance to them BY com
.Iutr nd nvp
Vance thus brands be violent revolt of the secessonss
against the Federal Government BY its proper criminal
name 1t was nothing less than treason, deserving all the
rsnrobston and all the penalties which patriotic sen
ment and public policy inhict upon an offence SO parrc
dial and h5inous.
Lastly Governor Vance tells his people that 80 long as
the laws remain upon the stautebook they must be exc
euted by the officers Of the law, If they can De- ou
If not BY the force of 1t is sound doctrine put
in adopting and uterDg it the Governor gives compete
ratification the which has been pursued py ne
Administration in its treatment Of the insurgents They
resisted the laws they could not put down by the ord
nary means, and they have been put down by force
Not satisfied with having made strong case against
himself ard bis coaduors in treason, the Governor pro-
ceeds TO strengthen by additional argument as to
the plain easy and constitutional method OF redressing
all grievances" He says:
peryou have that rightsnd instruct your representa-
tyes Congress the State Legislature as the case may
be- 10 Your chosen servants made those
obpoI ons lava they repeal them, II such are your
nsructions II you regard them unconstitutional our
Supreme Court sits ready to decide upon all cases pro-
perly brought before it, Its decisions are final in the
ststs of North Carolina and shall be executed while the
mower remains in our Executive TO enforce any law
There no grievance redress and no proposition to be
made but can be tenefcsly effected in the way our
fathers marked by the baotbox and the other con-
sttutionaly appointed mesns
That lie precisely the teaching which all loyal men, both
North and South commended to the secessonsts when
they frat preached their wild and revolutionary scheme OF
armed revolt Meet and denounce any laws that you hap
pen 10 dsapprove much you please such your IN
right order your representatives IN Congress-
by whom they made TO procure their repeal or II
YOU think them unconstitutional make case for the de-
cson Of the Supreme Court which has ample power and
ability TO dispose Of that question; and lastly remember
that there grievance the redress OF which cannot
be most benefcsy effected in the way our fathers marked
ont by the bsotbox aud other constuonaly appointed
means" Did the secessioniss heed these truths Not
whit They the Constitution Congress- and the courts
To the dogs the wisdom Of the fathers the
sons and took their hands both the right to judge
Of what was and what was legal and the right to apply
the remedy 10 short they appealed from the peaceful
process Of the law the violent methods Of revolutions
tbey not only departed from the established principles Of
civil society but taught their people tie esson and
comes the application
large number Of the inhabitants of North Carolina are
utterly dissatisfied with the Confederate Government
They are both weary Of the which they begin to
il hopeless and oppressed by the depotc spirit in which
il il cuted They say 10 their rulers We will have
no more Of it at all want peace; we want industry
we want an orderly condition Of society we want, in
short that old tranquility and property from which we
have been rudely torn by the wicked ambition of our
leaders What do the leaders answer Why, they COM
mend to the abused and indignant people the very prnc
pies which they had themselves anDued and trampled
npon In order TO escape the threatened destruction,
they forced appeal to the very system of consu-
tonal law which they had just overturned.
Well might any Of these outraged North Caro-
lpisns reply to the Governor that bis words wrote
his condemnation. "Why should who suffer-" they
might retort be governed by political doctrines which
you have repudated If the Confederate Constitution
il the supreme law Of the land, the Federal Con-
stution IL it s treason resist the former il
les. treason to resist the latter If the laws made under
the one are to be executed by force the laws made
under the other ought to be if wrong in rising
mp against your authority and that Of JEFF Davis then
you and he and all your fellow consprstors, wrong
in rising up against Mr. Lincoln. But we have this ad
vantage Of youhat yours the original wrong; yon
made the first departure from The rule Of right while
are only using your own methods returning to the old
path"
Such reply must forever shut the mouth Of the