Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1864-05-25
RALEIGH: FRIDAY, MAY 20. 1864.
To the Conservatives of North-eaFolina.

I To the Conservatives of North-GaFoiina'
FELLOW CITIZENS Il understand plan is on foot
to induce or require me to withdraw from the con-
test for Governor, and this fact will furnish my
apoogy for addressing you in this mode and on this
occasion. shall speak plainly, and deal with pro-
,os;tions. facts, and events as understand them to
exist and while shall not assail the motives of
those (outside the circle Of Executive infuence,)
who have suggested this plan, shall nevertheless
defend my own motives and views, and shall show
that any attempt to rally the Conservative party on
Gov. Vance would fail and that, even if it could
succeed it would PROSTATE the party at the feet OF
the Destructive leaders, and thus sink its principles
and destroy its usefulness.
In July, 1869, perceiving that fighting merely
would not end the war, and believing that the
Southern States could obtain better terms then
than they could when they should be still further
exhausted took grounds in favor of negotiations tor
peace. l was not mistaken as to public sentiment
in the State The great mass Of the Conservative
party entertained the same views that did, ana
they spoke out in numerous meetings for negotla-
tons, Nv competitor, Gov. Vance, was opposed to
these meetings, and did all he could BY letter and
otherwise to dscoGntenance and put them down.
At his special personal request stated in the stan"
dard, at the time, that he was opposed to these
meetings and to negotiations for peace Having
taken my position, and the people sustaining me
in it, maintained it. Soon after, the Fayetteville
Observer, paper ayowedly neither Conservative
nor Destructive, moved no doubt by Gov. Vance or
one Of his Aids, Col. George Little, assaied my
peace views. at first moderately and by argument,
but at length passionately, and by misrepresenta-
ton invec.ive, and abuse The Observer was sus-
tanned by the State Journal, the Richmond Enquir-
sr, and other Destructive journals; and then we
had the SO called "army Convention" which have
reason to believe Gov. Vance encouraged and ap
proved. Then came the mobbing of my Office by
certain Georgia troops, acting under orders. Gov
Vance said to this mob among other things, that be
and differed politically, of course on the subject
of peace; and he also said had not yet committed
treason, but that if did, he would have me arrest
Cd and punished. In conversation had with
him on the 22d of September, thirteen days after
the mob, of public official character, he declared
to me, after having labored in vain to induce me
10 change my course, so fixed and bitter was his
repugnance to the peace movement that if persist
Cd in publishing the peace meetings and encourag-
ig the peace movement in the South, my property
vould be laid in ashes by an armed mob, and
would meet violent death. Meanwhile the 0dser.
,sr known in this City as the organ Of Gov. Vance,
an effort having been made by persons near the Gov
,rnor to induce the Editors of that journal to
move to RalelghD continued its assaults on me, de-
saring that Gov. Vance had no more personal sym.
bathy with ME than he had with John Spelmau-
That the mobbing of my Office, though it was wrong
h itself, would turn out good thing in its re-
,ults if it would only induce me to change my
sourse-that the peace peetings were unpatriot
e and dangerous, and that the proposition to hold
lState Convention to pave the way to peace, was
baraeled in infamy only by the Hartford Conven-
ion. In December, 1858, or January, 1864, Gov.
rance was invited to deliver a speech in Wilkes
borough on the .22d of February. 1t is my opin-
bn, from information in my possession. that De-
structive leaders first suggested or got up the nvi
ation to the Governor, if he did not suggest it him
SELF and that Conservatives acquiesced in the
invitation as matter Of courtesy totEe Governor
of the State Previously to this, however, he had
written letters to all portions Of the State against
the peace movement, and had boasted, especially
that he would "nip the Convention proposition in
the bud land in the election for members. of Con-
gress in November he took an active part throw
ing his influence in the scale against MessrS Logan,
Christian, and Rev. Mr.. Smith, and sympathising
but little, if to any extent, with DR.. Leach
against Col McRae. He seemed to prefer DR..
u IN NJ M.
Turner, peace candidate, to Mr.. Arlington, on
account Of some particular antipathy to Messrs.
Lander and Arlington; and although Mr.. W.
IN. H. Smith agreed with him in his views
on the subject of peace, and DR.. Warren differ
ed somewhat with him. andagreed substantially with
Messrs. Logan, Christian, Turner, and Others yet
he seemed to prefer DR.. Warren, probably because
he was member of his staff. But he went to
:Wilkesborough and made his speech It was war
speech of the most ultra character The friends of
peace were falsely charged with design to call o
Convention to secede from the Confederacy and the
State was threatened il such event should occur
with coercion by Confederate troops. The act Of
Congress suspending the writ of Aa5eas corpus was
endorsed and the people gere exhor.
ted to "stand up to it" constitutional! measure
And so far from advising negotiations with view
to peace the Governor said we must fight it
out"-and he pointed to the examples Of the Hol-
landers; the Prussans and the Scotch to encourage
the people to fight indefinitely His next speeches
were delivered to the army, and were also Of the
most ultra war character. But in his Fayetteville
speech he changed his tone, claiming the credit Of
the Georgia movement in favor of peace; and in his
recent message to the Legislature he takes strong
grounds in favor Of peace. He also takes ground
in his message in favor of the repeal of the act
pending the writ of hlbeas corpus. And generally,
he makes an effort to place himself fairly and square
)ly on the Conservative platform.
This is the peace man, fellow citizens, who pants
Negotiations and W no endeavors to show that he
is the author of the peace movcmentl What as.
surance!
! Gov. Vance, as I have shown, commenced to dis
organize the Conservative party in July last; and
he continued in this course, opposing the peace
movement and sympathizing with the Destructives,
lappointng Destructivcs to Office and fayoring the
election of members to Congress who were support
Ed by Destrnctiyes. and prostratmg himself at the
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