Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1864-10-11
The Position of the Standard in 1868.
Extract from the North Carolina Standard, of date
august z5th 1868.

Seceded (t0r they b0utd pass mr. OTalBes SeCeeS1H
ordinance,) from the old government, that act was
Hfnal" So it was to all human appearances, and
we hope it may be. We hope the State acted
finally" and we still think she acted wisely -
When two evils before u.s. and there is no escape,
true wisdom is shown in choosing the lesser evil
Our State did that Her people cid not desire to
secede. They were wiling TO try the admnlstra-
ton of Abraham Lincoln, and to rely meanwhile on
the great body of the American people to rescue the
government from sectional conflicts 70 restore tolt
national administration, and thus perpetuate it if
possible, for all time. They felt that, having with
them both branches of the Congress and the Su-
preme Court President Lincoln could not seriously
injure their property in slaves, nor deprive them Of
their rights in the territories even if he would
They intended if he attempted such thing, to re-
sist him in the Union, aided they would have
been by million of national men in his own sec
On. II, during this trial, he had driven our peo-
pie with their slaves from the common territories,
or attempted in any way by an overt act to impair
our right to our slaves in the States, they would
have succeeded, with the help of their Northern al
lies, not only in checking him, but in Furnishing
him for such maladminstration and corruption in
office. But the precptate and wicked action Of the
cotton States on the one hand, and the cruel and
wicked policy Of President Lincoln on the other,
left US no alternative We were Obliged to fight
our full brother of the South or our half brother of
the North. We chose to do the latter, and We acted
wisely" = If we had not done so, we should have
civil war among ourSelves-the North would have
deSpised US for want of manhood, and the South
would have regarded US as false to. our own in
stiucts and our own blood. We repeat our State was
not q free agent-She was O5iiyed to pursue the
course she did Thoughtful and sagacious men,
/ while they trOd unshriskugly the path of duty,
saw before them the fires OF civil war, but beyond
these fires all was darkness aud uncertainty. Act
ing finally IS they hoped, they put every thing
TO the arbitramenI Vi arms. The result is partially
before US. The abOtionists Of the North and the
original secesSionsts Of the South acting and react
ing on each other, have in all probability proved
themselves the most Skliul architects of ruin that
any age has produced" Slavery has suffered moro
injury during tho last two years tnan would probs-
bly, have befaen it III the long sweep OF fifty years
under the old government The peculiar champions
of the institution have placed it weear, on the high
road to extinction And just here, We Ueg leave To
say to the O5Serrer the Of Of the most
serious apprehensious of our people The sudden
emancipation Of cur slaves in our midst would be
the greatest blow which could be inflicted Oh South
ern society. 1t would ruin this generation beyond
redemption, and its effects would he eit for ages
come. Nor would TINS ruin Ge p4rtIsi. Ii would
include the nou-slay ehOlGer we'll lhe slayehO-
der, and finally the slave himself Su6jugation, if
1t should be in reserve for US, would be emancIpa
ton. Hence our people, While they are for cUntIn-
uing the struggle aud while they are stl anxious
possible to make good their "tinAl" separation,
nevertheless disposed pry into the future, to
see if IN the last resort, something better than sub
jug1tIon cannot De obtained. Ii tie worst should
stare them in the face it does not now, but it
may, they would have peace under certain clrcum-
stances; yet if the worst should come, and they
could see no honorable mode OF escaping II, they
would oil die together with their slaves and their
little ones, Gghtirg with a desperation which the
world has never witnessed
The OJSerucr is disposed to twit US on our decla
rAti on in May, 1861, that his State had pledged to
IL. AL. i n.
see fthis pledge has not been redeemed This State
has sent %. 900 men to the field This comprises
all her Tghtiag population, (of course We did not
mean to include the old men and yearliag boyS,)
save those between 40 and As, now being cOnscrpt-
ed, and about 10 900 able bodied original secession
lists, who refused to redeem the pledge which they
authorized US to make in Nay, 1861. So much Tor
the last man." Our debt, County and State, is
equal in amount to one tenth Of what the whole
State would bring in market in silver and gold
The last dollar in specie or in convertible paper,
has long since disappeared The State could no
doubt borrow Confederate moneJ at = premium Of
two for one-that is, she could sell one Of her one
hundred dollar bonds for two hundred dollars but
ten dollars in gold will purchase hundred dol
lars in Confederate money and it follows that she
could sell her bonds for only ten cents in the dollar
in specie. So much for the last dollar" We re-
gret TO have to make these statements but We are
obliged to do so in self defence.
The Observer, very ingeniously, and very Justly
in one sense, says that negotiations for peace
be instituted only through the Confederate govern
ment But we must look at things as they are, and
not as we would have them. Ii Mr. Lincoln should
so far recognize Mr.. Davis as to open negotiations
with him, he would surrender the whole question
of the war. To treat with the Confederate govern
ment for peace is to recognize that government.-
Will Mr.. Lincoln do that7 No. Will he ever do iti
Not unless the Northern Governors and Legislatures
shall rise up and command Lin to do it. Is that
SintIIS
We may rorry the Northern people to such point,
or we might so interest foreign powers as to induce
them to take steps which would lead to such
suit; but are these things probable? Not just
now-not, We fear, for some time to come. What
Lhenl Shall We again mvade.the Northern States,
and so distress them by fire and sword ss to COM
pei them to sue for peace ? Can We do that2 Are
we able to do itP We fear not What then? Ii
the federal government will not hear the Confcder
ate government, it may hear the sovereign States.
The people Of the States, North and South, by mu
tua CO operation, may obtain GrmiStce. If that
can be done, the todr WiH be at an end Is it not
worth the trial? If the two armies should once
rest to listen to the voice Of negotiation, word
for it hoStitieS would not be resumed. The whole
question would pass AMI pass finally into the hands
! Of the statesmen Of the two sections " Grimvis
! aged war would smooth his wrinklCd front the
aTbitrament of the sword would give place to the
| voice of discussion and negOtiatiOn-reaSon would
be substituted for passion and revenge, and the ex
ASPIRATIONS of the two sections, cooled aud sobered
by reflection and = calm survey of the entire sItua-
ton, past, present and future would leave the mind
Of the country in condition to devise some means
for restoring peace on terms honorable to all Nor
will these movements by the States depress or dis
couraged our soldiers in the field On the contrary
they will fight and endure with renewed cheerful.
ness when they know that their friends at home are
emitting no GtspS that may promise to crown them
with the reward Of al their toilS-Ajust and honor
IL. DIT, - C. H. ~ al.
States are already greatly distressed and that they
may soon indicate wish for negotiations. But they
are already subugatsd add AT the mercy of the enc
my. Mississippi and Louisiana are PROSTATE sullen
and silent. They have ceased, so far as their peo
pie at home are concerned, both to Eight and talk
for peace. They are peWerlels. South Carolina
and AlahanA may Aoon be in = similar condition. -
n Met thr a-4ion NJ theEa nd II