The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1864-01-26
A NEW HARTFORD CONVENTION.

The older citizens Of the Confederacy remember,
and the younger have read of in history, the fam
Gus, or rather Infamous, Convention which met in
Hartford, Connecticut, near the close of the of
1896, the object of which was to dissolve the
then existing Union. There are many points of
resemblance to the proposed Convention which the
Raleigh Standard is endeavoring to get up in this
State. First and foremost, the Hartford Conven-
tionsts were tired of the war, in which, by the
way they had taken less part in money or men
than other parts of the country Next, their par
ty was not in power-it was James Madison,
Democrat and not De Witt Clinton, federalist,
who was at the head of the nation. They pro-
nouneed it the war of party, and insisted that
the party should carry it on in the best way they
could. They demanded that Mr.. Madison should
resign, or that he should be got rid of in some
way The getter up of all this reasonable feel
ing was the "Boston Centinel," paper of which
/, it was said that it had the then extraordinary
number of 5000 subscribers. 1t had previously
been clamorous for with England.
The Raleigh Standard was long the advocate of
secession. This is well known, though the Stan
dard may now attempt to persuade its readers 9TH
erwise. 1t voted the Confederacy into the war,
and pledged "the last and the last dollar" to
maintain it. 1t was the enthusiastic friend of
President Davis. But the Standard has fallen out
with President Davis and wants him.to retire. 1t
has grown tired of the war, and wants it stopped
before its great and only object is accomplished
1t has large number of subscribers, like the Gen.
tine and it is using its influence with them to
produce discomfort and dependency, and to get
up Convention with precisely such purpose as
that which animated the Hartford Conventionists.
Attempt to disguise it as they may, the plain OBJ
ect of the Standard and of its followers is to
withdraw North Carolina from the Confederacy
In one breath the Standard declares that it "has
made no proposition to Cd out of the Confederacy,
and in the next it declares that "tbe people of
North Carolina will rise in their majesty and as
sert their sovereignty" "will take their own affairs
into their own hands" AS usual, the Standard is
on both sides Of tho questions playing fast and
loose. But one thing is plain enough no friend
to the existence and success of the Confederacy in
its present great struggle would be educating the
people into the belief that it is their duty to with
draw their aid from their sister States, to whom,
by every principle of honor, they arc bound to
stand shoulder to shoulder.
The Hartford Convention assembled 1t was
composed of the then five New England States.
1t held its sessions with closed doors, and never
dvulged its proceedings. Peace came before its
final action. Its purpose was, however, as well
known the purpose of the Standard is now. A
historian of that period ("Olive Branch" 1917,
Appendix, page 23,) says of ore of its prominent
members, off he form fair estimate of political
character, he would purchase, at immense price,
were it possible, the erasure from the tablets of
history Of the part he has acted in this political
drama" So the day will come when the Standard
would purchase 1t possible, the erasure from
the tablets of history of its efforts to get up Con-
vention for similar purpose in North Carolina
1t cannot be that the people Of North Carolina
are prepared to violate their solemn obligations to
their brethren of the South. They cannot, like
the Standard, forget disregard the pledge that
tie Standard made for them, and they all endors-
ed, on the goth of May, 1861 to resist the Lincoln
despotism, to separate the State from the United
States, to unite it to the Confederacy, and fight
to the last for eternal separation and independence.
To violate these pledges would be IN the last de-
gree dishonorable The State would never regain
the respect of the world or of itself; and besides,
the condition of the people for all time would be
that of utter ruin. 1t is idle and worse than idle
to suppose that North Carolina maintain
dition Of sovereignty, separate from her sister
States She must be a member of the Confedera-
cy, entitled to all the rights and privileges of such
free State, she must be subjugated Lincoln
colony, doomed to bear all the horrible expressions
which history shows are the fate of all subjugated
people.-FuyetteUW Observer.