, 1865-02-22

borough or Danyille at pleasure. Newbern
would be the water base, Rafeigh the inland
base. and with Grant on the James, Sherman
at Raleigh, bolh in command Of lasgc armies,
oil transEortatlon cut off aid supplies cx-
hausted, Gtn. Lies army would be in tight
| place. Aud unless Sherman can he met aud
whipped, he Will probably come, il not with
| the April showers, ,certainly with the buds and
| blossoms Of May. He travels rapidly. We
had an army that might have checked Sher-
man. but since the President took itscommau-
| der ircm 1t and put it under 6ccond-rate
Brigadier, and sent it on that wild goose
| chuee to the blue banks Of the Ohio, it Is
| well-nfgh done for. Hood marched into Ten
| nessec xnd marched out a,atn, ont hts army is
gone! That is, the morale Of the great Army
Of The West, asst existed under Albert Sidney
Johnston, under Beauieeard aud J. E. John
North Alabama with nothing but small
mass Of demosalizcd Fragments There is but
little more fight IN that army. What there
was in 1t for good has been FILTERED away
where no good could be accomplished, and
the people Of that section have no DISPOSE
lasted about long enough, especially II they
are to be called on to 60. These are sad re-
Elections, but We have to deal with things as
they are.
Sherman will press forward. No one can
give us good reason for believing he will be
buried back, and empty braggadocio is no
What th,ne Sherman will, in all human
probability, be here with the spring, mud to
stay. The Governor, now so placid and
calm, so full of fun and coarse jcsts, will hayt
to fly to some obscure village 0s refuge;
while the Legislature, the peoples CHOSEN
representative, are now assembled here, no
doubt, 1or the last time during tho continu-
uncc Of the present war From Ills obscure
headquartczs" in some why side village Inn,
his Exccllcncy may call them to meet in Bun.
ctmbe, on the top of Table Rock, or ut some
Chowen; but We have not the shadow Of a
doubt but that the present body has met in
Raleigh for the lust time, and ii the members
desire to do anything to save the people OF
their State from rum that Is to follow the
events that we have foreshadoWed, they must
oct low. Has the Governor no farewell word
for his ''dcar peop!cs'' The Legislature no
parting blessing for suffering constituents?
Are We to look OH these august disnitafies
today, knowing that tomorrow they depart
to be seen and known no more, By us, for
ever: The people will stay where they are,
md If Sherman comes here and throughout
the State generally, they will do as they have
done in Savannah, make the best they eau OF
condition Of things they could not help.
But Il We have no armies to meet armies,
why continue the unequal contest? II there
be those In our Legislature who believe there
Is no salvation for the people Of MOI til Caro-
liza but in an appeal for their rights under
the old Constitution, let them speak out. for
the time has come to discuss these questions,
Ard IL there be those who believe that the
only way to save us from Abolition negro
equality, scryile insurrectlons and general
upheayipg Of society, but restoration Of thu
old Government, under the Constitution Of
our fathers, let them present their pluns tho
people will listen, reflect and take such ac-
tion rs they may think best for them and tor
pcsterity. II VIC arc subjussated, or so near
It thai protfaction Of the unequal contest
can end in nothing else, why continue the
war;
This IL a question for our Governor and
Legislature to answer tc the people Of North
Carolina. The people Of tie country, not
only here In North Carolina, but throughout
the whole South, begin to see the state and
condition to which the war has brought them
in Its true light, and to speak out. Bastles,
star chambers, and inqulsltions, have lost
their power to awe the people, and the great
public heart begins to throb aloud, aud the
popular voice Is loud and constant for peace.
We say caudldly to our friends in the Leg
islatpre, that We telleve this to be their last
chance. Do something now, or you may
never have another opportunity. And take
the bull By the horns, and do something prac-
tlca1. What is to be done must b. done
Quck1y; for It is not thought that Sherman
will give you more than sixty or ninety days
to work IN. The people want peace, regard,
less Of JEFF. Davis and Abe Lincoln. Give
them peace, and protection for person and
property, and they care very little about
boundary lines, or who may be President.