Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1864-02-03

.AsDialosua.

i Z. Il Dialogue. ".
Dsstrxssisa IL understand, Sif, that you ne IN
favor Of Convention to take the State ont Of the
.ConfederscY. -
coaserpdtipe II am in favor Of . Convention, but
not for that purpose believe that in union there d
strength, and 4 should not be for secession until
every other remedy had failed. ..
Destructive, wi hal, then, do you want'with
Conyentionf What good can it doi s -
Conseroatsce-I want it maisly for the purpose
of taking steps to obtain peace. We have besn
fighting nearly three years. Wesre growing weak
or, especially as regards meat and bread, and ceth
ing and though hope<we shall be able to hold
out and beat the enemy back at various points yet
Tam not sure of this, judging BY the past; and d
we keep on fighting and losing, or keep on fighting
and gaining nothing, the time may come when We
shall have to lie down and take such terms as the
enemy may impose upon as, am, therefore, for me-
gotiatiug and fighting at the same time, and would
do SO with the other States they would hold Con-
ventions as hope our State will, and would also
join the common government in negotiating.
Destructive. would you do thatf The
common government alone has the right to nego.5
tiate =
Csnsereatioa.-Admit it but then the States in;
Convention are sovereign, and could withdraw or
modify that power and besides under our Gonsti
tuition any three States can call Cenyenticu Of ill
the States Such Convention would Certainly
have the power to treat or any thing else if
that should not be done, any one State could de-
mand terms for her States apd herself and insist
that the federal government should treat with her
through the Confederate government, she submit:
ting the terms offered and received to the latter
. Would there be any thing improper in thati
Destrnetise-Id do not know that there would
But what sort of a peace do you expectP-
ConaerratiuS very best we can get want
separation and independence. We could have got
better terms twelve months ago than we can now,
and am not sure that the end of the next twelve
months will not find US in q worse condition than
at present. fear it would be hard work now to
save slavery on any terms. We went TO war on &C.
count of slavery in the Territories and We are now
in danger Of losing it in the States
De.traet'es that all you want Convention
fort ~ Z. -
Conoersatius-No. The Confederate government,
which is the agent Of the States has recently shown
disposition to absorb and use the whole power of
the country. The States, with their Legislatures
and Governors, are becoming mere blanks in Ire
system. This alarms Qe. ! want a body clothed
with sovereign powers constantly in existence to
protect the State against the encroachments of its
own agent as well as to aid that agent in all censt.
tutiona ways against the common enemy indie.
pendence without liberty would not be worth hav.
ing:
Destruetioe-But why not wait Z little longer !,
why are you IN such hurry to have Consan.
ton?
Conseroatius.-I am not in q hurry. and am not
unduly exc,ted-I would make ,hsste slowiy:-
Look At Arkansas, and Mississippi, and even Viz.
gsna-could they, in their present condition, oeeu-
pied as they are by armies calmly and quietly elect
delegates that would represent the sovereign will.
NO. Tier condition should be q warning to us.
The day may come when their condition may be
ours. Lincoln's prescribed test oath swears away
our slaves and his proposition to regard tenth of
population as nucleus for q new State organiza.
ton, would subvert our State government and place
US at his mercy. But Convention constantly in
existence could act for the State As . sovereign,
make terms IN the last resort 4a4 tsiiS ureserse
the State from extinction. I Do not fear to trust
the people OF the State as to any proposition or in
any event. and do not fear to trust Convention
Our best men would be Id II and they would con:
sent to nothing dishonorable or degrading.
| .Destructioe. you afraid Of Lincoln's test
oath, and bis proposition to recognize tenth Of
our population as the State?
eonsercatsee-No but I would provide against
them. We were not afraid of his emancipation
prociamations. We laughed at them, yet we have
-lost,nn them not less than five hundred thou
sand slaves 1t is not wise to laugh at powerful
an enemy.
Dstructipe-But what would you do with the
army while ysu were holding Conventions and ne
gotiating2 80
Conservatioe-Keep it up, and Eight on,-fpht
and talk for peace at the same time Whip the en-
envy one day, and offer to treat with him the ncxk
If he refused 10 treat, fight him again. In this
way we would increase the camor for peace. at the
North, and thus add moral strength to our cause.
Destfxctipe-An that sounds very we'll but /
believe in fighting to the last 1 would scosn to
ask terms at the hands of the Yankees Only wait
until the Spring campaign opend, and we wilk roll
back the tide Of INVASION and our flag will ost in
Tennessee, in Kentucky, and beyond the Potomac
am tired of thu, peace talk and tired of sucms-
sionists. ~ -
Conseruatiee Yes and that sounds very well
too; but if mistake not my friend, you volunteer
cd and backed out without firing gun, and m
NOR says that you have made . snug fortune since
the war begun. You were going to whip fftaen
Yankees yourself, but you have not yet seen one.
You are very willing for the war to 60 on to make
good your Confederate bonds, and to protect your
other property, but you want your ieighboB and
your nelghoors children to fight the battles. You.
and such as you are getting rich out of your eoun.
trysruin, and you are therefore, fetted when peace
is mentioned. You talk about submissonists-y
have been . submissionist from the first. II the
tide Of invasion is never rolled back until you help
do'it it will roll on and roll over US -
Destructive. That's your wsy-I can never talk
to you without your beng personal :
Conservative You began it by :nsinuating that /
was subnissionist You called me submission,
list under the old government, because was oppo-
sed to secession; but have done my duty in this
war, which was forced upon me, and Qnr peighbors
can nov judge for themseiveswho sfe sutnis,
sionists. If my advice had been taken we should
have had no WAT = :
J. Destructtue.-Well neghbor, you are rather hard