Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1864-01-22
"wHITHER ARE WE DRIFTING p
"This is true liberty when fTee-bOrn men,
Having 10 advise the public, may speak free"

"This is true liberty, when fTee-bOrn men,
Having 10 advise the public, may speak free.
The question: "whither are we driftingY' is one
that is frequently seen in the newspapers of late,
and it is, doubt more frequently pondered by all
the thinking men of the country. 1t is an all i'm
portant absorbing, and vital question, and, in fact,
has been since the passage Of the conscrpt act
two years ago. But lately, it seems to be for
cling itself on the attention more than formerly.
We were told at the commencement Of this war,
that we were in revolution, that the North wouldn't
fight consequently, the strife would be short We
were told that the blockade was of paper, and Of
course, of no account; that England and France,
account of our great staple" would soon be our
allies, &c. True, all were not gulled by these as
sertions, but too many were; enough to conduct US
to toheTe zoe are.
We had, adopted for US, the Constitution of the
United States, with few alterations The vital
parts we're proposed to be kept intact The attempt
was made to impress the people with the idea that
in substance, the old revered document was to be
enforced in its true spirit We were not told that
who enlisted for year were to be conscri5ed
and kept in the army for many years. We were
not told that part of the governments promises to
pay" to be repudated in less than three years
by the few who manage the issues. We were not
told that custom, which prevailed among the Is
raetes centuries ago, was to be revived among Us
in land boasting to be the '.freest of the free"
that the few pounds of meat and wool which the
Wl0OW might Oe so fortunate as 70 naFe Will WHICH
to feed and clothe her little ones, were to be partly
taken away to pamper those in power, and their
minions. We were not told that men who had
hired substitutes to be declared liable to mill
tary service We were not told that thousands of
bushels of North Carolina corn was to be made in
to whiskey, with which to moisten the dry jaws of
of place-men, when hundreds of little children in
the country were crying for bread But most of
these things we have seen, and those We have not,
it is proposed to exhibit to US. One or two moro
strides in the direction we going, and we will
have passed into as complete despotism as any in
the old world. Give to one or two men the power
ofexemptioA and suspend the writ of hGbeGS corpus
and We need not ask, "whither are We drifting y
DO these things in addition to what has already
been done, and we are under military despotism
oftbs darkest stamp.
The sober. minded thinking men of our country
are peuderng another question, as well as the one
that heads this article, namely: How much longer
is this state of things to continue? Will the people
the great mass of the voters of the country, who
have been nearly all their lives accustomed to the
sweets of lberty-will they continue to look on,
supinely, and the last vestige of freedom swept
away, and not attempt to stay the hands of those
who would utterly ruin US? Will NIT the people
of North Carolina especially, rise in their might and
demand and assume their lost rights
Let the Governor and Legislature Just anneunce
70 the people Of the State they are to have Con-
yention if they wish it, in order to consult concern
ing the "greatest good of the greah,st numoer,
and there will be upheavng of the people, such
as has not been witnessed for years. We should
work whilo it is to day, ;" lest the night cometh
+ when no man can work." CALAMUS..