Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1864-10-05

Conssrvstius il an important one, and well timed.
The third paragraph will please the people gsner-
ally. Let it be rigidly enforced. /
The Wadesborough Argus Of the 22d asks It our
statement that Gov. Vance is pledged not to sur
render the State officers, is true We answer en- I
phatlcally, it ss He pledged himself in the most
solemn terms on tho stump, in Johnston County |
and elsewhere; but the following extracts from bis
last message to the Legislature will show that he is
on record on the subject In that message he !
said:
"In this connection would mention that the |
same act Of Congress has again conferred upoR me-
without reference to the Legislature, the power to
claim the exemption of such State officers as may
deem necessary for the due administration of the
laws. Not wishing to take so important respon- |
sibility upon my shoulders without consulting the
Representatives, of the people, have 60 far claimed
the exemption Of all civil and military officers of the
State together with the indispensable employees Of
the different departments of the State government
enumerated by your body at its late extra ses.
sion And now respectfully ask that you indi.
cate to me by resolution those persons you regard
as proper subjects for exemption.
have taken the ground that exemption OF State
officers from conscription into the Confederate SER
vice IS not by favor of Congress, but is matter Of
same reason the State has indisputable right to
tho service Of laborers and other persons who are
necessarily in her employ, though they be not off,
eers within the meaning Of the acts of Congress-
Should You again agree with me in this opinion, I
would oe happy to be sustained by resolution to
that effect
Should you conclude to combine the Home Guard
and Militia organizations recommend that the
latter be preserved. should regret exceedingly to
see the militia abolished, and its organization de-
stroyed. 1t is the ancient and time honored mill
tary institution of the State her main dependence,
in ordinary times, for the suppression Of rebellion
and repelling Of invasion, and though shorn Of its
strength BY the raising Of great armies and despits
its many short comngs it has cen of great service
both to the State and Confederacy during this war;"
Here be distinctly states that he had refused to
surrender the State officers but had left the whole
matter to the Legislature; and he goes further and
enters bis earnest protest against any measure that
would abolish or destroy the militia organization
The Legislature responded to the Governor by ex.
empting the militia officers and magistrates, and
others; and that body did this, not because these
classes were not as much bound under ordinary cir
cumstances as others to enter the regular servc but
because to conscrpt them would be- to that extent,
to abolish the State government; to sweep away the
to deprive the State Of nearly every civil and mill.
tary officer of = subordinate grade, without whose
active and constant services every nsighborhood in
the State would soon be at the mercy Of deserters
and slaves, and persons of desperate character.-
The Legislature believed, and acted on the belief
that magistrates and militia officers and constables,
and others who were exempted, were As necessary
and as useful in their Spheres and indispensable
to the preservation Of society, as the Chief Justice
and the Judges and the regular troops themselves.
The question is, will Gov. Vance redeem that
pledge! We do not believe he will Will the Leg.
isature surrender the State officers That question
is to be decided. We apprehend that all the i'm.
mense patronage and power Of the two governments
will be brought to bear that body, to induce or
compel it to make the surrender and that it will
be quite fashionable in the course Of four or five
weeks, to dcnounce every one who may oppose the
surrender as Lncolnite and traitor to bis country
These are our opinions-let them 90 for what they
are worth.
The impression in this City sssms to be that the
Legislature will bo convened on Monday the 18th
oflOctober. Tho request 70 do so no doubt pro-
ceeds from Richmond, and the ordsr as to what
should be done by the Legislature when assembled,
appears almost daily in the Raleigh Confederate
! We cannot better conclude these hurried obser.
vations than by the following extract from Mr.
Stephens speech, delivered before the Legislature
| Of Georgia in March last:
"If all the white labor of the country, from sew
enteen to fifty-e1cept the few exceptions stated
be called out and kept constantly in the field, We
must FAIL sooner or later, for want Of subsistence
andother essential supplies. To wage war success
fully, men at home are as necessary as men in the
field. These in the field must be provided for, and
their families at home must be provided for. In
my Judgment no people can successfully carry on
long war, with more than third of its arms bear.
ing population kept constantly in the field, espe.
cially if cut of BY blockade, they thrown upon
their own internal resources for al necessary sup
phes subsistence and munitions of war. This is q
question Of arithmetic on well settled problems, Of
political economy. But can we succeedagainst the
hosts of the enemy unless all able to bear arms up
to fifty years of age called to and kept in tho
feldf Yes, thousand times, yes, answer, with
proper and sklllful management If we cannot
without such call, we cannot with it. if tho war
last long. The success of Greece against the nva.
sion by Persa-the success of the Netherlands
against Philip-the success of Frederick, against
the allied powers of Europe-the success Of the
Colonies against Great Britain, all show that it
can be done. II our only hope was in matching
the enemy with equal numbers then our case
would be desperate indeed Superior numbers is
one Of the chief advantages Of the enemy. We
must avail ourselves Of our advantages We should
not rely for success by playing into his hand An
invaded people have many advantages that may be
resorted to to superiority of numbers.
These should be studied, sought and brought into
sctve cooperation. To secure success, brains
must do something well as muskets. Of all the
dangers that threaten bur ultimate success con-
slider none more imminent than the policy embodied
in this act if the object really be- as its broad terms
declare to put and keep in active service all be.
tween the ages Of seventeen and fifty, except tho
cxempts named. On that line we will most assofed-
ly, sooner or later d. what the enemy never could
| do snonu.r o,,r