Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1864-12-23

OF the TWO HOUSES Vi tue UeucIal 4u0
oaths of Office were administered by Chief Justice
Pearson. The Governor delivered quite brief In
augura.
Gov. Vance deliberately separated himself from
the Standdr when became the open advocate of the
so-caled paace meetings, in which sentiments were
advsSe7d 1friehdly and disloyal to the Confeder-
ate government He has had no afilation with the
Standard siEce. The Conservative party through
out the State took the same positions with Gov.
Vance They alike condemned the called peace
meetings and the proposition ofthe Standard to call
convention, in order that North Carolina should
take her own affairs in her own hands. The late
election fully endorsed Gov Vances positions on
this subject and condemned the views of the Stand
ard and the "straitest sect" Gov. Vance holds the
same positions which he held then. lie is peace
man. q peace to be obtained bv legitimate and hon.
orable means, BY the maintenance Of the Confeder
ate and State governments, and BY determined
resistance to the foe He is Conservative
as he was when he first came into oiice-ss true
as when the StdndH'd lauded him to the skies and
called him model Governor. Ii the SGHdard saw
twelve months ago that he had abandoned the Con-
servative party, why did it not give the warning?
Why did it continue to endorse Gov. Vance. except
TO the "peace meetings" until within a few
days before its editor became a candidate?
The truth is, Gov. Vance suspected the fidelity Of
the Standard to the government which he had sworn
to support and he separated himself Iroi0 it. but not
from the Conservative party. He afiliates with no
one who does not support the government in Its le
gitimae efforts to carry on the war. But utwhcu the
Confederate government departs from its legitimate
course he more approves it than the Standard
does -C0nSeruGtice.
The Conservative, as is well known is the Gov
ernor's newspaper. II was established on his mo-
ton, by money raised for the most part by persons
who hold Office under him. and it is mainly sustain
ad hv IN tha
State Treasury. 1t is not therefore, mportant who
prints writes for it, since the Governor is the
real Editor or Director of it. and it can utter no
views but such as are held or authorized by him
We SHALL therefore, regard him the author of the
above extract and reply to it accordingly.
1t is not true that Gov. Vance separated him
self from the Standard when it became the open ad-
vocate of the called peace meetings" These peace
meetings commenced in July, 1868, and continued
untilt September succeeding. The Standard ap-
proved Of these meetings in July. 1863, and during
the next month, August it took ground for the
first time in favor Of peace through the iaterrentiOn
Of the States. About the last of July, 1868 Gov
Vance visited Richmond to confer with President
Davis. Before leaving Raleigh he consulted US free.
y as to the demands he should make the President
in relation to North Carolina. We concurred as to
those demands, and be committed them to paper in
our presence On his return, he gave full
count of his conversations with the Secretary of
War, with Gen. Winder and other high officials, but
he said little as to what took place between himself
and the President, though he told US they had long
and earnestconversations. He told US, among other
things, that when our loyalty was impeached in his
h,,h ofG ,;o 10 h. n1oJ
it in becoming manner, and defended US, for which
we thanked him. Soon-after his return from Rich
mond, he prepared letter for publication, address,
ed to John H. Haughton, Esq, of Chatham, in
which he took the most radical and inflammatory
war ground, ignoring, as we thought, some CT the
essential principles of Conservatism. He submit
ted this letter to US, and after reading it carefully
We advised him in the most earnest terms not to
publish it. We told him among other things that
in opinion it was neither expected nor needed
by his friends by the people Of the State and that
in short if he published it it would produce divi
sion in the Conservative party and most probably
end in his political destruction. He hesitated,
when we advised HIM to enclose it to Mr.. Graham,
at Hillsborough, and obtain his advice as to the
propriety of its publication. He did So Mr.. Gra-
ham replied, very clearly intimating, according to
our recollection, that its publication not neces-
sary, but that if published, he would respectfully
suggest that certain portions, to which he called
the Governors attention, should be omitted. The
portions referred to were of the radical and in6am-
matory chazaeteT above mentioned. The letter was
not published. But soon after this, we were inYit.
ed by Gov. Vance to meet Mr.. Graham, and Mr.
ifa Eat tIa Man
sion, to consult to the state Of the country. The
consultation was held, Mr. Graham and the writer
of this mainly conducting the conversation. Dur
ing the late campaign for Governor this consuta
tion was referred to by Gov. Vance's organ, the
Conservative and its character and results misrep
resented. We bore this Misrepresentation at the
time in silence 1t is sufficient for US now to state
that this consultation revealed the fact that Mr..
Graham, while he did not entirely agree with US,
was not more favorable to Gov. Yances views
than he was to ours. The result of this consulta-
tion was the last proclamation of Gov. Vance urg-
ing the people to submit to the laws, but assuring
them that the "soealed peace meetings" should
"neyer find disturber in hun" We approved
this proclamation in the Standard and about that
time--the 9th of September-our Office was mobbed
by some Georgia troops
We have stated these facts in self defence, and
with the view Of exposing the mstatemenis of the
Governors newspaper. From these facts it appears,
that while the $50 called peace meetings" were be-
ing held, Gov Vance, so far from having "sepa-
rated from the Standard" was in constant consul
tation with its Editor. IfGov. Vance suspected"
our fidelity to the government" why did he con-
suit with US before visiting Richmond 2-wby did