Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1864-03-10
ADDRESS OF GOVERNOR VAsCE,
ON THE CONDITION OF THE COU"TRY, DELIVER
ED AT WlLKsBORO', N. u, FEBHUARY 22D 1864
IA SHORT HAND REPORT, G. CLIFTON sTEDMAN

T
know ho" it is possible r me to make myself heard
this large audience unless adopt hs plan of the
arou and forced to chalk TIE distarce ud
ossf on 6 then to aOd hTs as far
. you fellow citizens, what my feelings more
ard perhaps of you do likewise time tver
made my appearar &C before In the of 49,
set king of the highest offices within your gift having
nohing in the world to recommend Simyou having
making favoa bic impression you, that you took
up and from that day to this have failed heap
honors upon my head would be than uDRratefui,
especially when have this vast assembly to-day 50
Wills e cS sonnv a M nc by the people of
II were not iiOg to lay down my lie for you Msy God
fords me great pleasure rdeed 30 meet large
ply from this a. adjoining counties rejoice to know
and busHwss to listen u one speak upon the cordon of
sonal compliment you pay expressed by large
audience that honors with its and attention
play and the compliment you besow, by to-day doing
something which s very in politician-by telling
Why have you, my fellow citizens invited peak
to you on this natal day of the great Washington What
it you want OF desire to hear about the
don of the country. OF course you want the pGin
unadulterated, undgulsed facts not that Which would
ly you would be unable 10 find deInagogue who could
OF telling the people that which faters their vanity ard
carefully avoiding any painful truth which might shock
their tender seosibics, has grown into nature
from which we may anticipate substantial food for the
body polite auch as these trying times imperatively de
mand Ia hour like this and on such occasion
sFeciaIiy is it of the profound importance
that considerations should infue1 CO. affect
ing your deepest ano most lasting Interests not
hypocritca to boast that a my past career have
talked "sot nonsense to the pc eope,"
in the contrary am free to confess hat other wite
would not have been such u suor for political
enough honor candor prevent me- when urgeu a
necessity requires it, from telling that VIII ch is most
in beTno o saHGd 500 mpc - n yIe M Wy
he yeas StV
waves of political lie Indeed may lucky az
a, sho in reply to the friendly inquiry ofthe latter
how be got exclaimed, Well it phase yer honor
foRgn at The shppin post since here but thanks
be 70 the Vargu, enid all wickedness and raschalty
il all pon:saI short, comDgs have preserved hon
esty enough hope to tell what conceive to be
about the condition Of the connry the aspect of Its civil
and military Affairs, The prospects Of the future,
duties that deVoVe and demand energy
fore u.s.
cted people who suffer as you spter pecpe whose
gallant boys have been slaughtered Jour
prisons wives, husbands wasting in fer dis
tant camps the weary weeks of stess inactivity, while
the weeds choke the scanty harvest aud The children pine
for the and support of their natural protector
old who IN everish anxiety await intelligence which
pride support Of their declining years-a
teach out with The spirit of drowning man. to grasp auy
pasTng straw which TOR the moment may keep heade
above the roaring food losng sight meanwhile of the m
In Conse qaence Of this continued n ting which expe.i
had not the people to endure witt the fort
tude possessed by becn nurturod to
the shock OF certain discomfort has pervaded and
a funeral gloom hung the community engender-
ing, if credit wide throughout the State,
ton that must have ConvenCnthat secede
from the Southern CoDfederacy; that repudiate
the whole thing aud 90 back and do our first work
again.
Now permit me to AJAX what it that got you into
this scrape WAY, you all kno" it was ths tact OF
Suppose Sou we're sick of typhoid fever and had been
close to deaths door and becoming c9nvalescent, the
physcian should gravey inform you the only plan to
of the Internal Would ycu think he was fool
e xh b s Say 10 see se
how it is possible fer to obtain relet unless cali
would be curious surgery, would lot Would system
based on the sans principle be ess absurd when applied
Secession tried after it bad been eolsid for
period of forty years. and the whole country
promised it should be peaceabls- What is the
sut2 Why it has been everything else 1t has involved
Do you expect to find remedy by repetitio OF the dose
that brought you TO bed You win pardon M for funny
the old lady, who in comp-ny with her "od man., ed
are no and Smiths in this seceiop there is
danger of Identifying hm) The haj Or kept fine
customers before displaying his dry goods up
be knew you 60, that in certain of eAhl
nothing Of goods and groceries daughter And the
old couple were aboo the best he
the cellar, they got in such good huns that when they
old lady behind the good old fashioned style
She was ecs!acies with the Major. He the finest
Major what nice samples does put up, be snre and
bow ho swee,eIs rAppling the old man with one hand
and estcuatng with the othor she proceeded to
ate on the Ma ols ng qualities, until they
branch, up the opposite bank of which the old man
aged to ride while the old lady unconscousy spped eff
Quietly into the stream The old fellow rode distance
eoIe he discovered lie had lost something and rode back
aream, when he ascertaned what it was. There
she ay in the branch, fat her back ard had ahmed
m he water until had just begun to The
~he imaC ahe waD IN
up her mouth she would say every and then, any
more, thank you, Major mot another orap' MAJ H un.
less ronsrG 10 Sot sOossr
Drop Major, you please, sWeeteued or not sWeeened
(Lsughter and appiause.)
Our destinEes my felow.ctzen have been oined
to another governments and although, as you all know,
regretted so out of the former government, and was
of the last to lay down. and did lay down with the
same mournful feelings with which followed my dear
father to grave never expected, and do not now
exuect to see it resurreC led again.
Our C Cnventon, composed Of delegates fresh from the
neople by the solemn ties that biad honors
bic peope cauae, have pledged their al to its sup
mort NAY God aid i'll the fuh lmt Mt OF this obligation
m he future "a the past to the letter. The act
deliberate expression CT pubic sentiment thoug6 It may
have been wrong d1sn iGe s sp Wi of
akin the love ofprng which God has implanted
in usthe highest hoest sentiment Of humanity, "A man ~
should love his home for nothing else but because
and shelters him he should love his WIfe Tor no
than because She his Wife be should love
because is hs part as 1T were, OF his oenR
he love his country, right When IN the
midst cIasug events he cannot take time to examine
Involved welfare of State, community home, wife,
child&n self But you have other reason to give
for defending it, you do go because your country
Now gent emen, desire 10 present all the various
aspects Of this question. You have placed me in posi-
ton beyond the reach of tie public generally facts which
are necessary to aoution Of difficulties and problems
tv enrueh to believe that in what say posi-
bly, you retiring be able TO quote he passage of