The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1864-03-08
GOV. vANcE's SPEECH.

boro, N. c., on the 22d Of February, and repeated
at Taylorsville and StatesviHe succeeding days,
is published in the Raleigh papers. The whole
speech occupies more space than we are willing to
devote to it, but we extract the most Important
parts, especially that portion in opposition to
State Convention and separate State action.
The Governor, after allading to the sacrifices
and suferings caused by war, says:
In consequence of this continued suffering which
experience had not prepared the people to endure
with the fortitude possessed by some nations who
have been nurtIred to the shock OF arms, certain
discomfort has perSaded and funeral gloom hung
over the community, engendering, if We credit
wide rumor throughout the State, notion that we
must have a Gonvention-that We must secede
from the Southern Gonfederacy; that We must re-
pudiate the whole thing and 60 back and do our
first work over again
Now, permit me to ask you what it was that got
you into this scrape? Why, you all know it was
the fact of your secession in the first instance
lApplause.l
Suppose you were sick of typhoid fever and had
been close to deaths door; and becoming GONZALES
cent, the physician should gravely inform yeu that
the only plan to effect your entire recovery would
be to take another spell of the Internal fever -
Would you not think he was fool? (Laughter)
Or, suppose surgeon should say to a soldier with
ball in his leg "My dear fellow, don't see how
it is possible for you to obtain relief unless call
for musket and put another one in the other leg"
That would be curious surgery, would it not p
Would system based on the same principle be
less absurd when applied to the healing of the
body polite !
Secession was tried after it had been considered
For period of forty years, and the whole country
understood it completely an abstraction could
be understood. We were promised it should be
peaceable. WHAT'S the result ? Why, it has been
everything else, 1t has involved us in war that
has DO parallel upon the pages of history. Do
you expect to find remedy by a repetition of the
dose that brought you to bed 4? You will pardon
me for funny illustration of so serious subject,
but | am somewhat like the cid lady, who in COM
pany with her t'old man" used to visit a country
store kept by one Major Smith Gas there
Majors and Smiths in this section, there is no
danger Of identifying him) The Major kept some
fine samples of wet goods in the cellar to which
he treated his customers before displaying his dry
goods up stairs for he knew, you do, that man
in & certain state of exhilaration imagines he
buy two three counties, to say nothing of goods
and groceries. Uaughter) And the aforesaid old
couple were about the best customers he had On
one occasion, after repeated going up and down
stairs, they got in such a good humor, that when
they started home the Major could barely lift them
ON the saddle-the old lady behind in the good
odd fashioned style. She was in ecsacies with the
Major. He "the finest storekeeper she ever
saw in all her born days. Bless that Major. what
nice samples he does put up to be sure, and how
he sweetens" Gripping the old man with one
hand and jestculating with the other. she proceed
ed to expatiate on the Majors charming qualities,
until they came to a branch up the opposite bank
of which the old man managed to ride, while the
old Lady unconsciously slipped off quietly into the
stream. The old fellow rode some distance before
be discovered he had lost something, and rode
back to the stream when he ascertained what it
vas. There she lay in the branch, fiat on her
back, and had damned up the water unea it had
just began to run into the corners of her mouth.
She imagined she was in the cellar, talking to the
Major, and "sampling" Rolling her eyes, pursuing
up her mouth, she would say every now and then,
"not any more thank you, Major not another
drap, Major, unless it is sweetened." Continued
laughter) just with your humble servant in
regard to secession:-Not another drap, Major, if
you please, sweetened or not sweetened. (Laugh-
ter and applause.)
Our destinies, my fellow citizens, have now been
cast in another government; and although, as you
all know, regretted to go out of the former gov
eminent, and was one of the last to lay it down,
and did Ia it down with the same mournful feel
ings with which l followed my dear father to the
grave, never expected, and do not now expect to
see it resurreeted again. Our Convention, COM
posed of delegates fresh from the people, by the
most solemn ties that can bind an honorable peo-
PIE to cause, have pledged their all to its sup
port. May God aid us in the fulflmeDt of this
obligation in the future in the past to the letter.
The act was deliberate expression of public sem
timent, though it may have been wrong. The
government We selected is ours, as much so as are
our children. The spirit of patriotism is akin to
the love OF our offspring which God has implanted
In us-the highest, hottest sentiment of humanity.
A man should love his home if for nothing else
but because it is his and shelters him he should
love his wife if for no other reason than because
she is his wife he should love his State because
it is his, part it were, of his being he should
love his country, right or wrong, (when in the
examine all aspects Of the question: because in
its destiny involved the welfare of State, CON-
munty, home, wife, children, self. But if you
have no other reason to give for defending it, say
you do SO because it is your country.
Now, gentlemen, l desire to present to you all
the various aspects of this question. You have
placed me in position that enables me to gather
from sources of information beyond the reach of
the public generally, facts which are necessary to
a solution of the difficulties and problems which
agitate your minds; and if you will only have
charity enough to believe that l am honest in
what say, possibly you may, retiring, be able
to quote the passage of scripture 1T good
for me to be here"
Now, what is it you desire above all other pres
ent earthly good (Voices-'peace," "peace,"
1--WE all want peace.') 1 know you do Every
body wants peace. Peace, blessed peace Why,
the man who does not desire peace is unworthy of