Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1864-06-08
The Reserves-Gov. Vance.


The Conservative Of this City-one Of the mercen
ary organs of Gov. Vance-notieing the fact that
Gen. Holmes has ordered portion of the reserve
forces between As and 80 to Goldsborough for SER
vice, says report is in circulation that Gov Vance
caused these men to be called out and states that
he, the Governor advised Gen. Holmes to permit
them to remain at home If Gov. Vance had MAIN
taned his militia system, and the rights OF his
State, as Gov. Brown has done, no such call could
have been made, but these reserves would have
been subject to his command, to be summoned to
points of danger when he chose to call them out
If he had pressed the ten regiment bill on the Leg
slature at its second session, as he promised but
failed to do the State would have had ten thou
sand veteran troops, who could have guarded and
defended the Wilmington and Weldon Road along
its entire line But he refused to do this, as We
Enow, because the impression had been created by
the Destructive leaders that the ten regiment bill
was ain conflict with the Confederate government"
and he feared if he endorsed his own measure
second time in his message, it would injure his
prospects outside the State for future national pro-
motion. So he was silent in his second message,
and the bill failed second time North Carolina,
as sovereign State, had . right under the Consti-
tuition to the services at home Of such persons as
she had not placed among her militia; but this
right was not claimed by Gov. Vance in time to
shape the action Of Congress on the subject 1t is
now too late. The law has been passed, and must
be submitted to. The bill sweeping away these re-
serves from the State was pending in Congress
when Gov. Vance made his Wilkesborough speech,
but he entered no protest against it. On the con.
trary, he told the people that they must fight on and
eight it out that they must fight seven years
the Prussans did, eighty years as the Hollarders
did, and four hundred years as the Scotch did,
and he encouraged us all by pointing to the exam
pie of the Hollanders, who he said fought until
starvation stared them full in the face" and until
some of them were reduced to such state of suf:
ering that they boiled and ate grass cut from be-
tween the tomb.stones of the dead" Not word
against putting in the reserves, though the biif
was then pending in Congress not a word against
the system Of details, which places the farms and
workshops under the absolute control of the militia
ry-not word against any measure, no matter
| how monstrous which ssvoured Of war, and not
word in favor of peace The truth is, he wantet
these reserves put in. His whole conduct prove:
it. lie u.s. therefore, responsible to large ertsnt tor
these calls nou being made on both you"g aud old,
whatever request he may have made of Gen. Holmes
on the subject
The Conservative concludes its article with the
following grand flourish:
"We understand that some of the fighting pa
triots, who are busily engaged in making this
false impression on the minds of the people. are
themseres exempted from cOnseription through the
favor and kindness of Gov. Vance. This Is the
method they have adopted to show their gratitude
y manufacturing willful and deliberate lies to in
i:lre the.man who through his abundant Kindness,
has preserved their miserable carcases from danger
And yet Gov. Vance still allows them to retain their
hume guard commissions
Would the Christian gentleman" who is Gov.
Eance's competitor, mutatis mutundis, exercise the
same degree Of forbearance?
Why this empty threat against the officers of the
Home Guards! If Gov. Vance thinks they oueh,
to be in service in the field why did he not advise
the Legislature to give them up as conscrpts? Fl,
has right to deprive them of tn eir commissions
r We know that in October last he authorized Gen
Hoke to arrest number Of militia off GERS and Jus
tees of the Peace in Wilkes County, on the vagu
charge of disloyalty, and that these officers wer
brought to Raleigh, put in the guard house, an
kept for weeks without trial. At last, under tn
gathering indignation of the people of that County
l. and having seen, from the advice Of counsel, tina
he had right thus to deal with State officers, h
set them at liberty. He may threaten now, hut Ii
. will not repeat this outrage On the liberty of tn
citizen and the vested rights of State officers Tn
l. militia and Home Guard officers have right t
j. talk and vote as they please, long as tE:ey ODE
orders in their official capacity and submit to I'll
laws.
8 The sneer ct US as Christina gentleman" b
t the Governors mercenary organ may pass for VIVA
ii is WORTH. If zee had been in his place, while
e would have yielded every proper and just supper,
and that cheerfully and promptly, to the Confede,
J. ate government we would have seen to it at th
l. same time that our State respected; as it ha
t not been under his administration; and we woul
It have made every effort, in time to retain our re
serves as State troops, subject to State comman,
| Would that we We're Christian!" But til
subject is too serious to be trifed with in the co
umI's OF newspaper We fear that vital piety h.
= decreased among US during the war Sinner as "
< are we would hail with joy any indication that til
l. Governor OF this State, and those who travel wit
). him. and bask in his smiles. and join him in HI
fun and jollity at the State Grogshop or elsewhere
q were thoughtiualy dependent OF Divine aid ia th
e awful war, and we're looking pfayerfully to God
o save US from the great calani,ies presen aud
o. come, which have cast gloom on every face an
= round every Preside. "When the wicked rule 1t
~ people mourn"
'e The coafederte says it is ''ga!led and annoyed
oy the action of the Legislature its recent session
o. but that It'll still true to Gov Vance 1t conside
t. MIN "a patriot who will faithfully stand by tt
country" and therefore it will continue to suppo
Of him. Of course it will. 1t is an essential part
ID the bargain to support him. Vance and Davis ar
a. indefinite prolongation of the war is The mot