The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1865-02-21
BY the Governor:
a PROCLAMATION, TO THE PEOPLE
OF NORTH CAROLINA.

the high trust your partlalty has conferred upon
me to watch with vigilance over your welfare,
guard with fidelity your interests, and warn you OF
every approaching danger:
Now therefore, /, ZEBULoN B. VANCE, Cover
nor of the said State, actuated by sacred sense
of duty and love of country, do deem it necessary
to address you in this manner in regard to the
dangers and duties of the present time; earnestly
praying that it may be conducive to harmony and
good will, wherein only is to be found safe and
honorable deliverance from all our troubles. 1t
is known to you ALL that in the beginning OF these
troubles North Carolina was so decidedly opposed
to initiating the secession of her Southern sisters,
that any attempt to force her to do SO BY even a
majority of her people, prior to the Proclamation
of Lincoln in 1861, would most likely have re-
suited in civil war, among our own citizens. 1t
pleased God, however, to prevent this calamity
and to calm all the fierce passions OF party bitter
ness, and to cause the most perfect unanimity by
means of that Proclamation, which placed before
US the dire necessity of either assisting slaugh
teriDg our own brothers and friends. Interest
honor.and sympathy combined to decide US upon
resistance to what all united in condemDing as
cruel and wicked war upon the homes and liberties
of the South. With unexampled zeal we entered
into the war; rushed forward our bravest sons, and
poured out our richest treasures With immense
sacrifices, and varying fortunes we continued the
struggle, still with great unanimity for years.
About the end of the third year, however, portion
of eur. people, in common with many others through
out the South, seeing how our best citizens were
falling, and how our farest lands were desolated,
began to urge that peace should be sought for by
negotiations as we'll as by the sword. They argued
that our Confederate authorities, moved by pride
Of opinion and embittered by the length and
ferceuess of the conflict, had not made sufficient
trial of craftsmanship a means of stopping the
war; that no doubt, if properly approached, either
by commissioners appointed by our common gov
ernment, or by the States separated y-supposing
diplomatic reasons would prevent the enemy from
treating with the former-that our enemy would
grant US better terms than we had supposed and
promising that if fair and honest effort at nego-
tations should be spurned by the enemy or rejected
then all classes and conditions of men in the South
would unite In an earnest prosecution OF the war
This was the first serious approach to a division
among our people. Sympathziug with the reason
ableness of this demand, though not with all the
reasons given for believing in its efficiency, and
being as sincerely DESTROYS as i was possible for
man to be- to stop the war on honorable terms, l,
your Governor, addressed President Davis in
December, 1868, and urged this course upon him.
In answer thereto, be assured me that three sepa-
rate and distinct efforts had been made to treat
with the enemy, without obtaining even hearing
and that he did not see how fourth one could be
initiated without humiliation to ourselves and in
jury to our cause.
Trusting that Providence would yet open the
way, the matter rested here for another year
Many, however, of our people, WHO advocated
peace upon such vague and ill-defned terms as to
cause doubts of their good faith and loyalty,
tnued sedulously to disseminate the~opinion that
our own government alone was to blame for the
continuance of the war, going SO far in some In
stances as to threaten revolutionary measures for
%ho ,plc
and negotiating with the enemy ourselves, alleging
that we could certainly get such terms if the
States would act In their sovereign capacity, as
would secure our property and slaves, by recon-
struction. Since the beginning of the present
year, however, two individuals from the North
having visited Richmond on a peace mission by
the authority Of President Lincoln, and having, as
cur President supposed opened the way for another
effort at negotiations, it was promptly made. he
Immediately sent delegation through the lines for
that purpose consisting of Vice President Stephens
Judge Campbell late of the Supreme Court of the
United States, and the Hon. r. NJ. T. Hunter,
Confederate States Senator from the State of Eir-
glnia, men all eminent for their abilities, public
services, and the long continued confidence and
respect of their countrymen The first two are
well known to have opposed the beginning of this
war, and to sympathize with The general desire for
negotiations They were met at Fortress Monroe
tary OF State, who without allowing them to leave
the boat on which they arrived, told them what
appears in the following official report
1.-THE report of Messrs Stephens, Hunter and
Campbell, our Commissioners, was published last
week, and we therefore deem it unnecessary to in
sert it here.
Thus you see that neither terms nor conditions
were spoken of in the interview but only subjusa-
ton offered US, the mere details of which they
proposed to settle. At one blow, all our hopes in
the humanity and moderation of our enemies were
dashed to the ground. No terms or proposals of
treaty coming either from the Confederate States,
or any one of the States would be entertained, but
a complete absolute and unconditional submission
to the Constitution and laws of the United States,
is required as preliminary step to any, even the
slightest cessation of hostilites Seeing then that
VIC can treat with the enemy, neither by the au-
thortics of the Confederate States by separate
State action, what will be the result if we submit,
as we are required. to do? This we can partly
judge by examining that constitution and those
laws, to which We are required to yield obedience.
That constitution is not the We left. In add-
ton to the changes it has undergone by corrupt
and violent Interpretation by Black Republican
judges, its wording has been so changed as to de-
cree Immediately and forever the abolition of
slavery The claws to whose tender mercies We
are referred, provide most infinitely and partcu-
la-y for the punishment of death by the halter of
every map soldier, sailor or marine civilians and
others, who have beer. engaged in what they term
rebellion. Not ceasing to punish With the death
Of the offender, the claws" Of the United States
L. l. AA-An