Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1864-11-21

voice of reason or the ~pleadiDgs of humanity : they
have no thought; no ambition, no sollciJude for aught
beyond our sutl ~dgatlon. Besides, II the people Of the
North desired peace upon any terms that We could so-
cspt, they are poVerless to achieve II. They have Civ
en- up then free Constitution, their right of election,
sl their guarantees OF personal liberty, to recover them
no more.
These has been no period since the commencement
Of the struggle we have not'been willing to treat with
them. What has been the resul. of all our efforts p
B tier. soorn and contempt. Every attempt we have
made TO end this unhappy. struggle nas been considered
as evidence Of cur weakness and our despair. They
wdl not have peace. They have proclaimed that they
will have no compromise, no conventions, no armistce
-~-nuthng but War--War, bloody and terrible. The is
sue ID before Us, and We must meet 10 wish the spirit of
men who can die, but never be slaves. The path We
tread leads to Independence, or Ii leads TO slavery
Nov, indeed, We must gird up our loina. We must start
airesh. We must strengthen our armies-lncrease our
forces; We must infuse more Eigor into the govern
mont display O loftler energy o Iuer conception OF
the magnitude of the crisis ana the perils that threaten
as. In this hall We must rekindle the fires of patriotism,
and tend afresh through the land The inspiration Of
/ libeuy 10 animate ana cheer the hearts Of the people.
| Sir, it may be that We shall go down In this struggle
That alter ell despottam will triumph over Freedom
II that day should ever come, / confess to have one
consolstion-btter, indeed, but still q consolation. We
shall have behind u5 no green spot TO gladden. the eye
Of our foe, bat supreme desolaaon, that will attest to
mankind In every ago that We preferred rather exteImi-
nation than the unspeskable degradation of submission
to Yankee insOlence and tyranny. We shall leave be-
HAD ns monuments Of q Valor mover surpassed, We
shall at least teach mankind q Lesson Of high souled
patriolism-of ~constanoy unshakeA. that viii speak to
the toal5i like a trumpet call, 80 long as freedom 10 dear
ou earth, and revive the example Of antique virtue
among men 70 the most distans generations.
BuI, if We are true to ourselves, God will give us the
| victory. We have resources OF men and OF suppl 70,
wisely ADD economically managed and directed, sufi-
| oisnt for our purposes. There 10 q recuperaflye power
ii h. kL.na Gtafaa a dau0tlaaa In the Horfhaun
heart that will Garry rs through this struggle. Sooner
OF later the end will come. That end may be q pfoa-
trate country; but 1t will be q country whose m~onntainh
valleys snd streams will be swept BY the celestial ar
| Of liberty.
Mr.. III. LEACH defended North Carolina and the
| loyalty Of her representative He stated that she had
/ turn she'd more troops, according to her population,
tuan any State In the OOntederacy. He endorsed every
/ word said BY Governor Brown, OF Ga, Alexander Ste
| pbens, aud Mr.. Boyce, OF 8. v.
Mr. STAPLES asked the indulgence oil the House to
say a few words in reply TO the member from North
Carolina, (ArLIAoHl Tbs gentleman charges me with
| being q cousolidstlcnist. ! will not returt upon him.
No man will accuse hin Of advocating any proposition
/ here tending TO strengthen the Confederate Government
| or 10 Increase its Tesources. He belongs TO that olAss
| OF politicians who Ind in all tue measures Of Congress
| alarming Usprpations Of the rights OF The States. / pro-
/ fess 10 be a States Rights man~rreared aad educated 10
| that faith; but / am nos of the school 20 which the
l gentleman belongs. There Is nothlng Ia the resolution,
or in the remarks / made, to Justify such q charge. II
Is without the slightest foundation.
The gentleman undertakes an elaborate defence OF
| North Carolina. Who attacked bis State / did not.
/ There was not a word said by me that could be cons
/ sttusd into The slightest management Of the 8 ate OF
| North Carolina. / stated q fac. in regard to the nun
| Der of her exemps-a fact Attested by the official re-
| turns Of the Bureau Of Consumption. Does he deny the
| statementS No, sir. Hs contents himself with assert.
Ing that North OasoltnR had furnished more troops thar
- .kk.r Sfaia ar thia aiaIafnanE n frua HouId m
| easion me no modification. i am "a proud Of the glory
| and courage OF the people Of NorLh Carolina as the
| most ardent OF psisous. Bat 1t is q random assertion
! made by the gentleman. II true, II has nothing
TO do with the question before the House.
Il! would not justify thar, or any other STATE,
Ia the retention of more men than are ne-
! cssaary for the purposes of the Government
| The CONSUMPTION embraces all the able bodied men
in each State. If any one s ate furnishes more
| soldiers than another, 1t must be because her popula-
ton ia greater, ard the true, rigid enforcement OF the
| conscription laws, The gentleman talks abou. Vfr-
| Rinia. Nov, sir, l said not q word in regard to Vir-
| Rinia but slnce he has alluded 10 the State, I can tell
| him what che will not do-she will not follow his Cx
| ample or his teaching; she will stand by her sister
| States TO the end of this struggle. II she Ia destined
10 still greater i~f1ictions, she will meet them with un-
| shrinking courage. Though all her peaceful valleys
| and happy homes should be Wrapt In flames, the spirit
| of her people will not be broken. Having taken I'D
arms in a just cause, she will not lay them down until
here, upon hOr blood stained soil, truth, freedom and
j Justice are Triumphant
Mr. NILES advocated the adoption OF the commiae q
| r5 port. He could not understand why there should be
such a dsproportion IN the lumber Of Sasts oficers n
the fevorsl states, and could sea no objection TO sub
hitting the matter to the revision OF the State LsRisla-
turss. The tsbls before him from the Oontcrpt Blu
rsau showed that Virginia had 1890, North Oarolira
over IA 900, South 0srOli9a 400, Georgia from IL to
/ 10 600. Alabama 1914, N ssissippi ITO. Oongreas has
no r Rht to conscribs State officers but it seemed be-
ter that the Legisa'u es should decide who are Sta
| officers necessary for carrying on the1nachineTy of The
| State COVER lment, rather than leave tie decision to'the
| Go7efnora Toe legislatures Of the respective States
| create and sbclsh Safe officers, and gro therefore the
| besl Judges of the quss lon of e~xempting ITEM. Cor
z esa never has claimed the power 70 ooatctibe State
| fioers. As the discussion had taktn o vide range, Mr..
n. said he would express his views on some Of the points
I touched upon. He vas amsz d that any gentleman
upon this floor cculd advocate lbs making propositions
of peace TO the United STA es. Il only encouraged
| the enemy to renewed edoFts-iDspired them with
the belief that the South wss d~sspliring OF being
able to maintain herself By arms, on1 produced disler-
| sion, perhaps ~miEgivipg and dependency, smong ouI
| own people. 10 sluded to tho latteg OF Vice Presi-
| dent St. piers, the message OF Gov. Brown, and the l. :
| ter OF his ~colesgne, Mr.. BoTce, a. most unfortunate and
| irjurious in their effect. The lse election in the North
| had shown that the Northern people we're unwilling to
| accept any terms of peace exosps upon the basis Of our
| submission AID subjugsiion. Even Vsllaudigham snd
| Pendletcn, who were thought cur best friends Of tie
North, nsvsr vontured to aTow themselves in favor OF
any adjustment except up1n the restoration Of the Old
Union. There vas no peace psrty st the North wiling
to recognize our Independence. The South would have
no peace on shy other terms. They were determined
to establish themselves as 8 irea AMI independent peo-
| pie, at whatever cost of blood and treasure.
Mr.. SMITH, Of N. o., called attention to The e7idant
| injustice which had been done his State by the tabular
abatement used by the gentlemen from Virginia and
| South Car5liDs, purportDg to give tho number OF s ate
| oficsrs exempted ia North Carolina. DO called par
/ ticular attention 70 tie fact that the came ins quality
| was also Observable in ths estimate Of disabled eX-
| emp!s, p~hytio6n Sc. How could it be, be would ash
| gentlemen ia gil osnior, that Georgia, with a larger
| population, bsd cot more than a fraction Of the NUM-
Der Of phy slcians exempted that North Carolina hss ?
Hs could coma 10 no other Oonoilsien than that the
state ment 10 q eation was grossly inaccurate and erro-
ueous. Mr.. smith then proceeded 10 pay O glowing
| tribute to the patriotism and ~eacriicsh OF "Ihe cid
i NIL ataLa % and n.nmisad that .hiLa OLE L.a da,a