Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1864-04-06

80 Ps"Stpt0 upSku WHICH tuen own gOVeTu-
ment re.ts-the sovereignty Of the States, and let
cor own people bold our own government to a strict
! principle. 1r'' ,.'
| hlsa. ''''sA VI GA '''s'' "'@'
II there bs.ny doubt, or any ,,e.tion Of doubt
q to the sovereign win Of any one OF Il. the Sates
Of this Confederacy upon the subject Of ,Se;r nre
seat or future alliance, let all armed force be rifh:
d.a.n and let that sovereign will be fairly express
ed at the ballot box by the legal voters of the State
md let all parties abide By the decision
Let each State have and freely exercise the right
to determine its own destiny, in its own way. This
is oil that We have been struggling for from the be-
ginning; 1t sa priccikj tbas secures "rigA,s, in.
only"
Let both governments adopt this mode Of settle.
ment, which was baqueathed to them by the great
neHof the Revolution, And which has since been
adopted by the Emperor Napoleonsss the only just
MODE for the government of States, or even pro-
vinces, and the ballotbox will soon achieve what
the sword cannot accomplish-restore peace to the
eounsry, ana uphold the great doctrines of State
sevsse'gnty and constitutional liberty
II It is question Of strife whether Kentucky or
MARYLAND or any other State shall cast her lot with
the United States or Confederate States there is no
mode OF settling it so justly with so little cost and
with so much satisfaction to her own people, as to
withdraw all military force from her limits, and
leave tho decision, not to the sword but to the bal
lot box 1t she should decide for herself to abolish
slavery and go with the North, the Confederate
government can have no just cause of complaint for
that government had its origin in the doctrine that
all its just powers are derived from the consent of
the governed" and we have no right to insist on
governing sovereign State against her WILL But
IT she should decide to retain her institutions and
60 with the South as we doubt not she wilA when
the Question fairly submitted to her people at the
polis the Lincoln government must acquiesce or it
must repudiate and trampe upon the very essential
principles On which it was founded, and which were
carried out IN practice by the fathers of the Repub
lie, for the first half century of its existence.
What Southern man object to this mode of
settlement? 1t is all that South Carolina, Virginia,
or Georgia, claimed when they seeded from the
Union. 1t is all that either has at any time claimed
and all that either ever can Justly claim. And
what friend of Southern independence fears the re-
sults What has the Abolition government done
to ause the people OF any Southern State desire
to reverse her decision and return ngloriously to
its embracef Are we afraid the people of any Sc
ceded State, will desire to place the State back in
the Abolition Union, under the Lincoln despotism,
after it has devastated their fields laid waste their
country, burned their Cities slaughtered their sons
and degraded their daughterss There is 10 reason
ior such fear.
But may be told that Mr.. Lincoln has repudiat
ed this principle in advance andtha it is idle again
to tender settlement upon these terms. This is
no reason why should withhold the repeated re-
newal Of the proposition. Let it be made again and
again, till the mass of the Northern people under.
stand it; and Mr. Lincoln cannot continue to stand
| before them and the world, stained with the blood
of their sons, their husbands and their fathers and
insist when proposition so fair is constantly ten
/ dered that thousands of new victims shall still con.
tnue to bleed to crafty his abolition fanaticsm,
satisfy his revenge, and serve his ambition to gov
erh these States upon the decision of one.tenth Of
the people in favor against the other nine tenths
Let the Northern and Southern mind be brought to
contemplate this subject in all its magnitude and
while there may be extreme men OH the Northern
side, satisfied with nothing less than the subjuga
ton Of the South, and the confscation Of our pro-
perty, and like extremes on the Southern side
| whose morbid sensbilites are shocked at the men
tion of negotiation, the renewal of offer by
| for settlement upon any terms, I cannot doubt
that the cool-headed, thinking men, on both sides
ofthe line, who are devoted to the great principles Of
self government and State sovereignty Including the
covered veterans of the army will finally settle
down. upon this as the true solution of the grea
| problem which now embarrasses so many millions
! Of people, and will find the higher truth between
| the two extremes
If. upon the sober second thought, the public
when he proposes, 10y the power of the sword, to
place the great doctrines of the Declaration of lnde
pendence and the Constitution of his country, un
der his feet and proclaims his purpose to govern
these States by military power when he shall have
obtained the consent of onetenth Of the governed,
how can the same public sentiment condemn him,
it. at the head Of his vast armies he shall proclaim
himself Emperor Of the whole country, and submit
the question to the vote Of the Northern people, and
when he has obtained as be could easily do the
vote of one.tenth in his favor be shall insist on his
right to govern them their legitimate sovereign
If he is right in principle in the case he would
unquestionably be right in the other. If he may
rightfnlly continue the war against the South Il
sustain the one, why may he not as righ,fully turn
his armies against the North to establish th!
! other1
But the timid among us may say, how are We t
inset and repel his armies, if Mr.. Lincoln shall con
tinue to reject these terms rs he claims not only
the right to govern us, but he claims the right Il
take from us all That We have.
The answer is plain. Let every. man do his duty
and let US as people place our trust in God, ane
we shall certainly repel his assaults, and achiev
Intlepen lsnce and Il true to ourselves and pos
terty sc shall maintain our constitutional loert.
| also. The achievement of our Independence is
great object, but no greater than the preservatio
Of constitutional liberty.
| The good man cannot read tha late p,oclamatio
ofMr. Lincoln. without being struck with the rt
semblance between il, and similar one, issued sey
raj Thousand years ago, BY Bsu-hadad, king Of Syr
That wicked king deaisdin others the right OF sci
government and Wanting, ,himselfin numbers, an
putting bis trust in chaiots and horses he invade
Israel, and bessiged Ssmaria with an overwhelmin
force. When the king Of Israel, With small ban
resisted his satrancelnto the city, the Syrian kir
sent him this message: "Thou shalt deliver me tn
silver AID. thy gold, and thy wives, and thy chill
rem yet willsend my servants unto thee tome
row, about this time, and they shall search II
Aouse and. the houses Of thy servants, and it sh
BE-, that whatsoever is plea,ant in thine eyes tn
/ stall put iii their hands and take it away" I
" king sf Israel consulted the Elders, sfer receiv'
, this arrogant message and replied: This thing
may not Do" Ben. .hsdad enraged At this reply, a
!. confident of his strength, sent back and said:
|. 'sThe Gods, do SO to me, and more also, if
q dust Of Samaria shall suffice, for handtuls, tor
y the people that follow me-" The king Of Israel
swered and said, "Te him, let not him that gird'
ION his harness. boast himself as he tast pa.tetf