Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1865-02-21

dictionary heroes, and fathers and bfothers |
of the loblest dead and living soldiers that !
ever drew blade for human frsedbm, we
cannot tolerate the thought of such base
and infamous submission. s. =
/. Should we. wilfully throw down an or
gained government, disband our still pow
erfnl armies, and invite all these fearful
consequences upon our country, we would
, live to have our children curse our gray
. hairs for fastening our dishonorp upon them. ]
: trust and believe that there will be
; little difference of opinion in North Caro-
| lima as to the propriety of continued re-
, sistance. The great argument which will
be brought forward to shake your honor
! and intended to inciteryou to -despair will
! be that successful resistance is no longer
possible. Some viii tell you that we are
! already subdued that the enemy out,
!: numbers, us, that our fighting men arc all
slain our resources all exhausted and we
I might as well submit now. This, my coun-
tryinen, is false, and as frequently pro-
|, ceeds from a craven or a traitor as
from an honest but mistaken spirit. Great
. as our calanities have been, straitened as
/ we are for all supplies bothof men: and,
material, 1 tell you, in all candor, that
when1 survey our condition by the light
Of human history, I see no danger which
+ threatens to be fatal TO our cause, except
this depression Of spirit among the people
| and the still more fearful risk Of internal
dissension. So long as we remain one and
/ dete1mined, it is not in the power of our
{ enemies to subdue us. SO But except these
abidein the ship, ye cannot be saved. y
All things may be supplied if We were but
! possessed of that bold and manly spirit of
resistance to tyranny, of which liberty
i and Independence are born. That alone
|, can fill the widows barrel and still the
! orphans cry, can cast cannon and build
!! ships of war can raise up armed men
|. from the dust of the dragons teeth, can
wrest tangible. realities from the very jaws
I ofimpossibility. Without it, numbers but
I add to the ignominy of certain defeat,
even as the Persian millions were whipped
and shamed by the three hundred in the
| mountain pass. Are our men all slain 7
| Over four hundred thousand names yet
stand upon the muster rolls of the Con-
/ federacy, to say nothing of the many
thousands who sliirk. Where are they
/ Thousands upon thousands absent without
leave, are lurking in the woods and swamps
of the South. Are our provisions all gonei
Hundreds of thousands Of bushels of grain
now rot at the various depots of the South
forwantot transportation and this trans
| portation cannot be protected because
| these absent soldiers are not at the post of
duty. Oh my countrymen tyou would
but rise to entreat, to shame, to drive them
back to their country's standard Has our
| territory been overruni 1t has, but how
much of it has been held2 The enemy
marched triumphantly through the heart
of our sister Georgia, and is HE conquer
ed? Except for the garrisoEaat Savannah
and the ashes of desolation on thar track
/ through,the interior. 4eorgia.sha SeItker
enemy nor the Sign OF enemy e2 her soil.
So Of most portions of the suth which
| space does not permit me to ehumerate-
| For four years, their countless1egions have
| gnawed at the vitals of Virginia, yet to-
day they claim not even all of her terri
tory which is swept by their cannon. The
cities they garrison, the land their armies
actually stand upon, and the waters ridden
By their fleets, are all that they really hold,
or ever can hold except by our ignoble
cpnsent.
:" Let the balance of our cities 90 Mobile,
! Charleston, Wilmington, Richmond, all,
and if we are determined to be free our
subjugation is quite as distant as ever
For thank God, the Confederacy does not
consist in brick and mortar, or particular
spots of ground, however valuable they
may be in a military point of view. Our
nationality consists in our people. Liberty
| dwels in the heart of her votaries, and
the ragged, barefooted soldier, standing in
the depths of the forest, or in the shadow
! of the mountain, can offer her sacrifices,
which will be as sweet and as acceptable
as those protfered in gorgeous temples in
the midst of magnificent cities. So if our
country and its cause, like to the kingdom
of God, be enthroned in our hearts, then,
| indeed am persuaded, that neither .prin-
CAPABILITIES nor powers, nor things present
nor things to come, nor height nor depth,
nor life nor death, nor any other creature
shall be able to separate US from that inde-
pendehce and honor for which our people
have suffered and our sons have died.
Therefore, my countrymen, having
warned you of this danger which is upon
us, l now appeal to you by everything
held sacred among men, to bear yourselves
as becomes your high lineage and future
hopes. lmplore you to lay down all party
bitterness, and to be reconciled to your
neighbor for the sake of yonr country to
use every possible exertion to restore ab-
sentees to the army to divide of your
abundance freely with the poor and the
suffering to strengthen the arms OF your
rulers, and to sustain your soldiers and
their Generals 3; and to give cheerfully your
aid physical, mental, and moral, in what
ever sphere you may be, to prevent tine
degradation Of your country, and the ruin
Of its people. r.. ~ t'.-
For the purpose ofdetermining the best
means of accomplishing this, as we'll as for
giving expression to your opinions, i earn
estly recommend that you assemble in
primary meetings in every county in the
State, and let the whole world, and espe-
cially our enemies see how free people