Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1864-05-20
% the Conservatives of North-CarOlina.


pu,,ow. CITIZENS Il understand plan is on foot
81 ;oduce or require me to withdraw from the con-
j 49,. f,- Governor. and this fact will furnish my
noIoov for addressing you in this mode and on this
.psasinn Tshall speak plainly, and deal with pro-
-oUitions. facts, and events as understand them TO
arist. and while shall not assail the motives OF
/ ,Losa (ontside the circle of Executive inttuence)
-bo have suggested this plan, shall nevertheless
! ,,f,rd nv own motives and views, and shall show
that anv attempt to rally the Conservative party on
i Gov Vance would fail and that, even if it could
succeed it would PROSTATE the party at the feet OF
the Destructive leaders, and thus sink Its principles
and destroy its usefulness.
In ,JuIv 1863 perceiving that fighting merely
,ronId not end the war, and believing that the
Southern States could obtain better terms then
than t5ey could when they should be still further
exhausted took grounds in favor Of negotiations for
| noace I was not mistaken as to public sentiment
in the State The great mass of the Conservative
partv entertained the same views that did, and
thev spoke out in numerous meetings for negoua-
tons My competitor, Gov. Vance, was opposed to
these meetings, and did all he could by letter and
otherwise to dscountenance and put them down
At his special personal request stated in the Sta7
dard at the time, that he was opposed to these
meetings and to negotiations for peace. Having
taken my position, and the people sustaining me
in it maintained it. Soon after, the Fayetteville
Observer, a paper avowedly neither Conservative
nor Destructive, moved no doubt by Gov. Vance or
one of his Aids, Col. George Little, assailed my
peace views, at first moderately and by argument,
but at length passionately, and by misrepresenta-
ton, invective, and abuse. The Observer was sus-
tanned by the State Journal, the Richmond Enguir-
sr, and other Destructive Journals and then we
had the so,caled "army Convention" which have
reason to believe Gov. Vance encouraged and ap-
proved Then came the mobbing of my Office BY
certain Georgia troops, acting under orders. Gov
Vance said to this mob among other things that he
and differed politically, of on the subject
of peace; and he also said had not get committed
treason, but that if did, he would have me arrest
ed and punished. In a conversation had with
him on the 22d of September, thirteen days after
the mob of public official character, he declared
to me, after having lahOred in vain to induce me
to change my course, so fixed and bitter was his
repugnsnce TO the peace movement that if persist
ed in publishing the peace meetings and enceurag-
ing the peace movement in the South, my property
would be laid in ashes by an armed moi, and [
would meet violent death. Meanwhile the Ohser-
ger, known in this City as the organ of Gov. Vance
ian effort having been made by persons near the Gov
ernor to induce the Editors of that journal to re-
move to Ralelgh) continued its assaults on me, de-
,caring that Gov. Vance had no more personal sym.
pathy with NE than he had with John Spelnan-
mat the mObbng of my office, though it was wrong
IN ITSELF would turn out a good thing in its re-
suits If it would only induce me to change my
eourse-that the peace meetings were unpatriot.
and dangerous and that the proposition to hold
aSate Convention to pave the way to peace, was
garalleied in infamy only by the Hartford ConVen-
gOn In December, 1863, orJanuary, 1864, Gov.
1ance was invited to deliver a speech in Wilkes
borough on the 22d of February. 1t is my opin-
ION from information in my possession, that De-
SuuctlVe leaders first suggested or got up the invi
@on to the Governor if be did not suggest'it him
@l; and th4t Conservatives acqueSced in the
invitation as matter of courtesy to the Governor
VI the Stare. Previously to this, however, he had
written letters to all portions of the State against
.tae peace movement, and had buasted especially
gat be would nip DE Convention proposition in
Inc O1di and in the election for members of Con-
sreSS IN November he took AZ SSsstlo part, throw
t%g MS influence in theScale against N N4s Logan,
EHlfEtlan, and Rev. Mr.. Smith, and sy,npathising
% 'u' htue 1t to any extent with Dr. Leach
rTaS'lSI COL McRae He seemed to prefer Dr.
TSAgSay, peace candidate, to Mr.. Lander, and Mr..
.on. a~,Her peace candidate, to Mr.. Arlington, on
T,OS TCOan OF some particular antipathy to MesSrs
NV-NGTr T and Arlington; and although Mr. W.
~ n H. Smith agreed with him in his views
.si a. oe subject of peace and Dr. Warren differ
with him, ndagreed substantially with
bas,S bS Logan, Christian Turner, and others, yet
Rs n eelep to prefer DR.. Warren, probably because
TIIas,a wins member of his Staff But he went to
snsaS and made his speech 1t was war
resco VI Ine most ultra character. The friends of
ConsoI"ere we're falsely charged with design to call
N,ta 'l'oa To secede from the Confederscy and the
.shS "as I'M eatened, il such event should occur
Conc .'s'c0H by Confederate troops The act Of
sOhS'. SuSpendng the writ of haBea8 corpus was
led tN endorsed, and the people were exhor-
And o. S'aau up to IT as constitutional measure
to ne.Oo Ar rom advising, negotiations with a view
anderv '.u az ne pointed to the examples of the
The Ene Prussians and the Scotch to encourage
wep JiS to fight indefinitely. HIS next speerhis
most u1T,'eTed to the army, and were alse of the
Speech war Character. But in his Fayetteville
the changed his tone, claiming the credit of
.reCea m a movement in favor of peace: aud in his
grOunjq u age to the Legislature he takes strong
IN bis maSsa iaVor OF peace He also> takes ground
pending III" IN favor of the repeal of the act sus.
ne makes ~ WITT VIII OF habeGS corpus And generally
On the to place himself fairly and square.
This is tSo serVatiVe platform
ior negOtot; peace man, fellow citizens who nants
the autboS and who endeavors to show that he
'Surance! the peace movement What as
aS'l have shown, commenced TO DIG