Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1864-07-08
Fer the Standard.
The seces,iont.ts OF Johnston.

Mr.. EDITOR The original Secessionsts held
their meeting in Smithtield yesterday. 1t was none
of your milk and cider affairs, nor did they claim
it as "ConserVatiVe" meeting but real last
man, last dollar meeting"
About ~ o'clock, proclamation was made by the
Sheriff that the people Of Johnston were invited to
assemble at the Court House. Eight or ten went
up-some officers from the army, who are at home,
and the balance, men who had sbirked the war
from the beginning by swearing they had go ne
groes, hiring substitutes, &c. They hallooed and
bawled aloud for everybody to run there, but 1t
was no goa dead failure. They then sent out
strikers and tried to drum the people up,-but an.
other failure. They therefore gave it up as bad
Job and adjourned to a certain grOgshop and its
byway, and you never saw such caucussing. About
o'clock they made another break for the Court
House, all of them pretty well eorned There was
about fifteen assembled
w. Wright Blow, Esq, moved that COL Il.
B. Watson of the militia take the Chair, whereupon
he took it Esq. Blow then requested Capt carp
TO otficiate as Secretary. The Captain declined
Esq. Blow then asked Capt Pike of the Home
Guard if he would act as Secretary. The Captain
declined. Esq Blow now requested several others
to act as Secretary-but all declined. Thereupon
was a dead pause, then a voice said Why don't you
act rs Secretary yourself Squire Blow All, said
the Squire, l would, if l could, but can't write;
and thereupon the meeting appeared to be In
peck of trouble. About that time however Mr..
Abel came bustling up stairs. Squire Blows
face was wresthed with smiles, and says he, Mr..
Chairman, we are safe, for here is Lawyer Abel (;
he can write, and move says he, Mr. Chair
man, says Squire Blow, move that Lawyer
Abel be appointed Secretary, for he write and
fix it up all right COR US. Mr.. Abel, who | am
bound to say is a mighty clever man, took O few
long strides and was suddenly seated Immediately
under His Excellency, Col. Henry Bulls Watson,
of the militia Mr. Abel however remarked that
he wanted to know what the meeting for If
it was for Vance merely because they choose him in
preference to Holden, he out but If it was for
Vance on principle, then he was in. Mr.. Rhenfrow
who seemed to be the main leader and who is the
leader of the Destructives in this County, said why
certainly, Mr.. Abel, we go for Vance principle.
Mr. Abel became satisfied and took his seat
Squire Blow was perfectly delighted. He moved
that a committee be now appointed to draft reso.
lations The Chairman appointed Squire Blow
and 1t Col Sanders Of the ll7th N. Z. Militia, and
also 1t Richardson. Squire Blow and the com.
mittee retired, bat soon returned and delivered
their resolutions.
Squire Blow now moved that a committee be sp-
pointed to wait upon Capt Q. B. Sanders, of the
4lst Regt N. c.. Militia, Col. Heath commanding,
and 1t Woodall of the same, and Lieut. VIM. II.
AVera, of the ll7th n. c. Militia also, and ask
them to come up and give in their experience.-
A COiee: We know that Capt Sanders will do
without coming in. Whereupon, Squire Blow and
Squire Jack Williams started down stairs for the
other two. A Voice: Come back Come back -
The Squire appeared a Uoiee: Tell Cap'n San
ders 10 come too Thereupon, the Squire retired,
and in few moments came back and said that he
had told them.
Silence now reigned-all was still, even Squire
Wright Blow was still-but no Captain Sanders,
no Lit Woodall no 1t. Avera appeared The Chair
man however again despatched Squire Blow and
Squire Jack Williams and out they went and
stayed and stayed, until everything in the house
got into an awful confusion. Presently Squire
Blow and Squire Jack Williams returned 'Hur-
rah' says Squire Blow, 'nurrah' says Squire Jack,
We've got one of them this time here's Capt.
Sanders, of the 41st Regiment N. Q. Militia" 4
uoice from the Chair: Where's the other two p
Squire Blow says, says he, 1t Ayera has runaway
and gone home, and Lieut. Woodall says he won't
come into any such meeting, don't know whether he
will be candidate or not says he thinks it hard
after 1t: Avera and himself has turned the county
for Vance, that original secessionists should en-
barrass them with nomination. Thereupon, Perry
Rhenfrow snorted and said let em gol" Squire
Blow now called for speech from Capt. Sanders
Of the 4lst Regt n. q. Militia, Col. Heath com.
manding, to see if the Captain was far enough ad
varced to take the third degree of SeceSsI0nism,
Destructiveism, &c. He spoke, and Oh, Mr.. Editor
L could see the fire "bilin" right out of his
mouth. He was for going with South. Carolina to
people to beware any peace unless President Davis
and South Carolina, Alabama, &c, said amen to it.
He took the position OF Messrs. McRae, j. w. B.
Watson, and others. Oh, it was one of those pa
triotic speeches that are made by Generals on the
eve of battle. After he finished, 1t COL Willis
Sanders of the 1l7th N. C. Militia, was called upon
He said he wanted good and true men to their
country nominated and after that he pitched into
Holden" called him all sorts of bad names, and
then wound up with flourish, exclaming at the
top of his voice, "buckle on your armor, buckle
on your armor and let's 60. | am hopes when this
meeting is through, all Of you will go and fight, yes
fight until the last man is deadW An old man in
the crowd, and by the way Holden man, who
has been trying to raise a company to fight the
Yankees, was delighted at such talk, for he thought
that he had gotten at least two recruits and that
the 1t Col and Capt Sanders would volunteer af-
ter the meeting was over, but he was Mistaken
They didn't nor they wouldn't go and fight for
what they profess to love, but force their poor
neighbours off to bleed suffer and die, while they
stay home holding the offices, luxu-iating in the
fat of the land, and making war speeches, &c.
After the Lieut.. Colonel got through, ESQ. Blow
moved that a committee of one from each district
be appointed to name candidates. The Chairman
thereupon appointed Squire Blow and 1t. Col. j.
R. Whitley, of the 41st Regt N. c. Militia, who
was at the bogus Convention at GolGsboro', in
1851, to throw the State out of the Union, and
three others. They -etired-they came back and
recommended Capt c. B. Sanders, 1t. II. h. Finch
OF the Home Guard, now committeeman under 1t
Holmes, Enrolling Officer, and W. H. Joyner, ESQ
The meeting voted Sanders received all the d..
structve votes and was duly declared to be nomi-
mated. Whereupon, Capt Jos. Whitley, of the
41st Regt N. @. Militia, moved to put in Mr.. JOY
ner's place. Capt. Jesse Hinnant, Of the 4lst Regt
N. G. Militia A Uoice: Send out and see if Mr.
Joyner will run. Out went Squire Blow and Squire
by them, that he would not run, and so Capt
Jesse Hinnant of the 4lst Regt n G. Militia was
put in the place of Mr.. Joyner. Whereupon Squire
Blow and the meeting adjourned. TON.
The WHEAT CsoP.-Fron a prominent gentle.
man who has had the finest opportunities for as
certaining the fact through farmers in Southwes.
tern Georgia, we are gratified to learn that the