Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1864-10-12

her by the C0nIeoerate auWiuie'foSioA onS
will triumph with her Confederate sisters,
or she will sinkwith them in one common
ruin. The intelligent people Of Georgia,
already understand, and our enemy Will
soon learn, that the independent express
sion Of condemnation of the errors, to use !
no stronger term, Of the administration, !
is one thing, and disloyalty to our sacred
cause is another, and quite different |
thing. While the people OF Georgia think |
for themselves and will not blindly applaud |
the Encouragement Of our rulers, they !
will never violate principle for expectancy, /
nor expect disllonor for reward. !
The foundations of our government and
the liberties of the people, rest upon the
sovereignty of the States as their chief |
corner stone. Destroy the sovereignty OF !: !
the States, and the whole fabric falls to the
ground, and centralized power with mill
tary despotism, takes the place Of consti.
tutional liberty.
When the passions Of the people North
and South have sufficiently subsidized, we
may make peace by negotiation, but new
er by the sword .'~
If Mr.. Lincoln would have peace and
prosperity re-established upon a firm ba-
sis, let him stop the war, and planting
himself upon the principles Of the Declar-
alton of Independence Of 1776, let him
recognize the sovereignty Of the States,
and agree to leave each sovereign State
to determine for herself, by Convention
of her people, whose delegates shall be
fairly chosen by the legal voters of the
State, without military interference or intln-
idation, what shall be her future connec-
ion-whether she will remain in, Or if
out, return to the old Union, or adhere to
the present league.
There may be doubts whether Kentucky,
Missouri, and probably other States desire
to continue their connection with the Uni
ted States, or to cast their lot with the
Confederate States. The only just mode
of solving these doubts, is the one above
indicated. II these or any other Of the
Southern States, should, in solemn Con-
vention, decide to 60 with the United
States, neither the Confederate govern
meut, nor tho other States can Object
We cannot govern Kentucky for instance
against her will, unless we can subjugate
her. This, we have no power to do with
the Northern States at her back; and if
we had the power, We have no right to
coerce sovereign State into connection
which is not Of her own choice. II this
were done, we must, in future, govern her
people by the bayonet, Which would con-
vert our republicanism into the worst spe'
| cies of military despotism. So it must be
with the North if Mr.. Lincoln should sue
coed in his policy Of conquering US.
II we were overrun and for time sub
dued, our territory is SO vast in extent,
and our population SO large, that it would
take regular army of two hundred thou
sand mon to govern and hold US in subju-
cation. The support of such an army
would not only continue the country i'll
bankruptcy, but in the hands of the Exec
utive it would soon be used to subvert
even the form of the government and
change it from republic to monarchy.
Thus to destroy our liberties must cost the
Northern people their own; and the re-
publicanism of America must in future be
a rcproach and by-word among all ma
tons.
If President Lincoln and President Da-
Wis will agree to stop the war and transfer
the settlement of the issues from the bat
tle-fcld to the ballot-box, leaving each
sovereign State to determine for herself
what shall be her future connection, and
who her future allies, the present ,levasta-
ton, bloodshed and carnage shall cease,
and peace and prosperity will be restored
to the whole country.
On the other hand if this is not done,
the war will last for years to come, till
both sides are exhausted and overwhelmed
with debt and taxation, when it may de-
generate into guerrilla strife, the end Of
Which may not he seen by the present
generation. and the hate engendered by
f'waich will last through many future gen
erations.
Neither General Sherman nor can con-
troll this, however much We may deplore it.
If those on both sides who have The con-
stitutional power of negotiation, from OBJ
stinacy or ambition, refuse to recognize tho
sovereignty of the States, and to leave the
settl -ment Of the question to the States
when they cannot themselves agree, and
insist on continual effusion OF blood to
crafty their caprice, all the States North
and South in their sovereign capacity may
then be UNSUITABLE in taking the matter in
to their own hands and settling it as sover
eigns in their own way.
TIE ARMY OF GENERAL Jos. E. JoHNsroS.-The
| adif of hoo 1ofko