Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1864-07-12
Questions for Gov. Vance.

canvass. Have you acted so badly as Governor
and with so little faith towards the party that elected
you, that you find it necessary to put yourself on
the defensive before the people2 We understand
that you tell the people that your competitor is
afraid to meet you, and that ne is too proud to
canvass Governor, you know that is not true.
Such trash may do for your newspapers in Raleigh,
but Governor ought to be above it. Why do you
not remain in Raleigh and attend to your duties,
and leave it to the people to vote as they please in
calm and quiet wayf Do you think that the peo-
pie, being against you as you know they are by
large majority, can be changed by your eloquence2
If so, what vantyl Why, Daniel Webster, when
in 1850 his precinct Marshfeld, turned against him
on the slavery question, could not change the senti.
ments of his own neIghbors. They were plain far
mers and workingmen but they thought for them.
selves even in opposition to Daniel Webster. The
difference is, that on that occasion Mr.. Webster
was right and his neighbors wrong; and on this
occasion yOu are wrong, and the people whom you
are striving to change are right If Webster could
not change seventy votes at Marshfeld, can you
change thousands upon thousands North CarolinaH
Why do you not, like Gov. Brown of Georgia, in.
stead Of harangung the people, organize your State
troops thoroughly, arm them, and by your personal
presence among them prepare and encourage them for
the conflict that may await them? You said in
your letter of acceptance that you would consider
it the crowning glory" of your life to "lead the
gallant sans of North Carolina against their foes
Suppose the foe should threaten the capital of the
State while you are hundreds of miles away beg
ging for votes, how could you redeem that pledge?
2. You profess to be friend to free speech and
a free press. Is press free which is obliged to
advocate your election? You tried to purchase a
part Of the Progress establishment so as to make
that paper your mouth-piece; and you authorized
gentleman to say to the Editor that if he would
sell to you or your friends you would make him
foreman Of the Office and thus save him from con-
scription. Will you deny this? If you do it will
be proved upon you. You are also party to the
combination Of men Of wealth by which the Con
serratice paper established as one Of your or
gans. 1t was established, not by subscriptions by
the people, but by few wealthy men to control
the opinions of the people and influence the elec-
tions. Is such press free Can it tell the TRUTH
the whole truth, and nothing but the truth You
know it cannot Our Bill of Rights, which you
have sworn to carry out, provides that the
of liberty" it "shat never be restrained" Is
there any difference between the restraint of force
and the restraint of money? Is the Conser0atire-
| your newspaper-any more free to speak the trrth
than if armed soldiers stood at its door to
: aud control it!
= g. On the night of the 9th September, 1852, the
flee Of the Standard was mobbed by some Georgia
: troops. The freedom Of the press was stricken
down in Your very presence by an armed force, and
the army so far as this body of soldiers acted for it
constituted itself Judge jury, and executoner in re-
a,ion to the rights and property of the Editor You
made many promises as to what you would do to
vindicate the freedom of the press against this out
rage You knew, and still know some of the off,
GERS who led this mob. You said you wculd de-
mand them Of the Governor Of Georgia, to be tried
in this State for their crime. Have you done it :
No. Have you done any thing on the subject p
| No Do you intend to do any thing9 What IN
fuenced you in this matter? Were you willing 70
see free press trampled down. because that press
,cas the outspoken allocate Of peace' Were you
even then, while protesting to be our friend, cher
ishing hatred and malice against us, because near
ly all the peace-meetings had endorsed our course
and omitted to compliment endorse you? Gov
ernor we could not help that. We were sorry to
see the Conservatives giving you the cold shoulder,
even though they endorsed us, for we had some
confidence in you then and we then hoped you
might be saved to the party; but the people who
held :he meetings referred to had minds and wills
of their own, and acted to suit themselves.
Soon after this mob took place, an able writer in
the Progress gave account Of 1t, with the causes
that had produced it, and concluded as follows:
1.-THE writer has no knowledge of what Gov.
Vance has done, but he thinks he knows him yell
enough to guess If have formed a
right view of his character, he sees in this affair
something far above the griefs of the indvid-
uals injured. He sees the dignity of the State
ard tue freedom of the press asSaled. He ought
to have demanded, and l hope has demanded the
leaders in this military mob, in order to their trial
according to Jaw. The citizens OF Raleigh snoui0
have relied on the law and Governor who has
thus far been its resolute champion. If he has
made or shall make such demand, and the Presi
dent shall directly decline to yield to it. indirect
ly decline by cool and diatory references it will
be time to look for redress to mob law. There is
no excuse for resorting to it while there IS any
hope of law redress.
God forbid that North Carolinians shall ever for
get that the freedom Of the press is the palladium
of our liberties 1t has been assailed by an armed
mob in this State. 1t ought to arouse every free
man."
4. We informed you last September, that oui
sick and wounded soldiers in the hospitals of Fir
ginia when they scuffled up from their beds of suf
ferIng and went on the streets to get little frest
air, were accosted by Richmond detectives as t.
! their opinions about the peace. meetings in thi
State; and if those opinions, thus cunningly drawn
out did not suit these detectives these brave men
reduced by sickness suffering from their wounds
,oere arrested and put in the guard house. w
laid the proof of this statement before you in let