Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1864-07-13
Questions for Gov. Vance.

q calm and quiet way? Do you think that the peo-
pie, being against you as you know they are by
large majority, can be changed by your eloqusnce y
If so, what vantyl Why, Daniel Webster, when
in 1860 his precinct, Marshfeld turned against him
on the slavery question, could not change the sent
ments of his own neighbors. They were plain far
mers and workingmen, but they thought for them
selves even in opposition to Daniel Webster. The
difference is, that on that occasion Mr. Webster
was right and his neighbors wrong; and on this
occasion you are wrong, and the people whom you
are striving to change are right. If Webster could
not change seventy votes at Marshfield, can you
change thousands upon thousands North Carolina!
Why do you not, like Gov. Brown of Georgia, in
stead of haranguing the people, organize your State
troops thoroughly, arm Them and by your personal
presence among them prepare and them for
the conflict that may await them? You said in
your letter of acceptance that you would consider
it the "crowning glory" Of your life to "lead the
gallant sons of North Carolina against their foes
Suppose the foe should threaten the capital Of the
State while you are hundreds of miles away beg
cling for votes, how could you redeem that pledge
O. You profess to be friend to free speech and
a free press Is press free which is obliged to
advocate your election? You tried to purchase
part of the Progress establishment so as to make
that paper your mouthpiece; and you authorized
a gentleman to say to the Editor that if he would
sell to you or your friends you would make him
foreman Of the Office, and thus save him from con-
scription. Will you deny this? If you do it will
be proved upon you You are also party to the
combination of men of wealth by which the Con-
serpatioe paper was established as one of your or
gans 1t was established, not by subscriptions by
the people, but by few wealthy men to control
the opinions of the people and influence the cleo
lions. Is such press free2 Can it tell the truth,
the whole truth, and nothing bu: the truth ? You
know it cannot Our Bill Of Rights, which you
have sworn to carry out, provides that as the
freedom of the press is one of the great bulwarks
Of liberty" it shall never be restrained" Is
there any difference between the restraint of force
and the restraint of money? Is the Conservative
your newspaper-any more free to speak the truth
than if armed soldiers stood at its door to coerce
aud control it?
3. On the night of the 9th September, 1852, the
flee of the Standard was mobbed by some Georgia
| troops. The freedom of the press was stricken
down in your very presence by an armed force, and
the army, so far as this body of soldiers acted for it.
constituted itself judge, jury and executioner in re-
laton to the rights and property of the Editor You
made many promises as to what you would do to
vndicate the freedom of the press against this out
rage. You knew, and still know some Of the off,
GERS who led this mob. You SAID you would de-
mand them of the Governor of Georgia, to be tried
in this State for their crime. Have you done 1t :
No. Have you done any thing on the subject p
No. Do you intend to do any thing? What in
Huenced you in this matter? Were you willing to
see free press trampled down, because that press
uas the outspoken allocate Of peace? We're you
even then, while protesting to be our friend cher
ishing hatred and malice against US, because near
" all the peace.meetings had endorsed our course
and omitted to compliment or endorse your Gov
ernor, we could not help that. We were sorry to
see the Conservatives giving you the cold shoulder,
even though they endorsed us, for we had some
confidence in you then, and we then hoped you
might be saved to the party; but the people who
held The meetings referred to had minds and wills
of their own, and acted to suit themselves.
Soon after this mob took place, an able writer in
tho Progress gave account of IT. with the causes
that had produced it, and concluded as follows
"The writer has no knowledge of what Gov
Vance has done, but he thinks he knows him W ell
enough to gfess. * If have formed q
right view of his character, be sees in this affair
something far above the griefs of the individ.
uals injured. He sees the dignity of the State
and the freedom of the press assailed. He ought
to have demanded, and hope has demanded the
leaders in this military mob IN order to their trial
according to law. The citizens of Raleigh should
have relied on the law and Governor who has
thus far been its resolute champion. If he has
made or shall make such demand, and the Presi-
dent shall directly decline to yield to it. or indirect
ly decline, by cool and dilatoy references it will
be time to look for redress to mob law. There is
no excuse for resorting to it while there is any
hope of law redress.
God forb that North-C arolnians shall ever for
get that the freedom of the press is the palladium
Of our liberties 1t has been assAed by an armed
mob in this State. 1t ought to arouse every free.
man."
II. We informed you last September, that our
sick and wounded soldiers in the hospitals Of vir-
ginia,t when they scufied from tRsh Of suf
fpg and went on the streets to get little fresh
al, were accossed by Richni5ha rastestfscs as to
their opinions about the speacemeetings in this
State; and if those opinions thus cunning,y drawn
out did not suit these detectives, these brave men,
reduced by sickness or suffering from their wounds,
s'srs arrested and put in the guard house, We
laid the proof of this statement Before you, in let
ter from leading citizen of Northampton County,
whose character for veracity one of your Aids, as
we told you at the time, would say was above sus-
prion. Did you resent this insult to North Caro-
iiha' Did you take the part of these injured SOL
eaers If you did, the pubic does not know it.
No ano'on to it appears in your correspondence
WIN the President. We appealed to you at.the
time ID tneaost earnest terms, to prevent detec-