The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1864-07-29
North Carolina.


Perhaps all the readers Of the Press are not
( aware OF The growing extent and Importance
of the Union demonstrations in North Carroll
! ma. A very large portion of the Inhabitants of
I that state have never been cordially with the
secession movement, and their dislike TO that
! miserable abortion which calls itself the Con.
federate Government has steadily increased.
Desertions from the army have reached point
which excites the alarm OF the rebel authori-
ties, and their efforts to check this drain upon
their strength have higherto been powerless.
These deserters find refuge and concealment
In the more remote districts, especially among
the mountains. They exist often in large and
organized band, well armed, and able in those
businesses TO cope with any force which the
Coniederates are likely to bring against them.
Nor are these men obliged to lie concealed.
On the contrary they have an open and cor
dial intercourse with the inhabitants, who are
so far friendly to them, and hostile to the des
potsm from which they have fed that they are
ever ready to assist them with supplies or con-
cealment. Indeed a person from the North
would be surprised to note the extent OF the
sentiment of attachment to the old Union
which exists among these people, and which
Is having marked effect on the politics ofthe
state. In the elections. which are to take place
during the coming month, they have, in fact,
made this an open and deliberate issue. or
the two candidates for Governor now in the
field, one stands pledged to do his utmost for
the restoration of amicable relations with the
Government OF the United States. 1t is very
possible that this party may not prove snf-
GENTLY strong to carry the. election in the face
of all the influences, legal and illegal, which
will be brought against it. Still its strength
is daily increasing; aud the mere fact of its
existence In such numbers, and such open
guse is of tremendous importance. 1t shows
what immense strides the loyal sentiment has
INA lie since the time when fraud and violence
I'd power TO stife the voice of patriotism, and
enact the miserable farce of stalking the state
out of the Union.n
Numerous journals, devoted to the adyoea-
cy of this good cause, are urging it onward
with zeal and ability, and public discussions OF
the questions involved are frequent and large
Iy attended. The Richmond Examiner ofJuly
18th, has long article on this subject in which
it pl ,inly reveals the anxiety with which the
movement is regarded by the rebel leaders.
The Examiner admits the weight and respect
ability of the movement, saying that 1t is use
less to pretend that i, is made up mainly Ct
tories aud deserters, since no party in any state
could sussist altogether on that sort of basis,
and there must be and are large Numbers of
honest citizens who are actually deluded by
the loud and constant outcries of those who
call themselves conservatives" &c. The state
OF things is evidently very painful to the Ex-
| amner, which wakes eloquent in its warnings
to the people of North Carolina of the dangers
they win incur by Withdrawing themselves
from the protection of the Confederaey, and
deeply regrets that there should be $50 large
a proportion ofsimple and credulous people in
that state" who really believe that they would
be better OFF in a return to the old regime than
under the blessings of jeff Davis rule.
We must however, beg of the writer in the
thence. This is a movement which neither his
warnings nor his regrets can have weight with
The people of North Carolins have weighed
secession and the Coniederacy in the balance
and found them wanting. They are not like
~ to be a second time deluded with glowing
words. And they are not alone in their awak-
ening. Throughout the entire Coniederacy,
the scales are falling IRON mems eyes. They
see their infatpstion and the ruin il has brought
them, and they begin 10 discern the remedy
These things, and others like them, are The
beginning OF the end. The return to reason
loyalty aud peace must come, and we believe
it is not very far off. EPSILON.