Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1865-02-08

position may DC. JOEL ASHWORTH Fl.
For the Standard.
Mr. EDITOR Are you aware that the Knights of
the Golden Circle are yet thoroughly organized
and in full working order, laboring like Congress,
i'll secret session, hight and day, to carry on the
present revolution, which, after fourteen years Of
unremttlng toll and effort, they have managed to
precipitate upon the country? No one unacquain.
ted with the order has any adequate idea of its
strength, numbers and influence, or the reckless
desperation that is now urging it to besiege the
authorities at Richmond to emancipate all our slaves
aud place them in the army. They not only intend
freeing them at once but propose to give them large
bountles of land whiskey, clothing &C., to induce
them to fight Some of your readers may, as many
have done, laugh at the ridiculous absurdily of this
most fanatical proposition, and fancy that it
tains antidote sufficient to extract all the poison
in it Such admit would be the case we're the
people, press and ballot box Free they once;
but such Is not the fact or this revolution would
long nee have been brought to an honorable ter
mination | do not desire at this critical time to
croak or predict evils, which do not even threaten
our safety, to say nothing Of our civilization and
Christianity nor will cast shade of doubt on
the bright hopes cherished by some of seeing an
early peace restored to this country. But hope
that may be pardoned for saying that the sending
of the Peace Commissioners to Washington may be
the prelude to Selling and arming the negroes<hd
sending them to the front for the next and subse.
quent campaigns. If am not mistaken in this
great peace movement shall sooon see Maj. Gen.
d. Il. Hill impressng all the male slaves from Is to
81, for military purposes under the plea Of neces-
sity, shoudno results grow out Of thepresent efforts
to negotiate peace.
What will be most likely the results that will
folow2 First it will led to the general demorali.
zation Of our slaves within our lines. Secondly,
of tol ola 1,ckr
be- in the enemy's lines they will have more in.
centives and grcaterIacities to conscribe, enroll
and discipline the negroes than we will, for they
have many thousands of them now thoroughly
trained ard in the field as soldiers and feel as
sured when the fact becomes generally known that
the negro has to fight on our side or on the other,
he will not be long in taking sides against us. In.
deed, this fact is tacity acknowledged by all whom
have heard speak upon this matter, when they
propose not only to free him. but also promise large
and snowy bonnties.. If am not mistaken this is
the position taken by Gen. Lee. But waving this
point as doubtful let US see what results likely
to follow should we succeed in emancipating tie
slaves and putting them in the army, if By 80 do
ing we could succeeded in establishing our indepen.
dence, and the sudden freedom Of all our slave pop
ulation. What then would our Independence be
WORTH What would the poor, warworn, nangled
soldier have gained? All who know that class Of
our people, which have been drawn most freely to
ill mp the army, and the condition Of their wives
and children at the present time, need not be told
what would be the results. My word for it. the
Knights of the Golden Circle, now so nightly
working in secret conclave to make the negro an
equal of the poor white man and veteran soldier,
will not be at all shocked to see their gallant negro
heroes leading poor white soldiers daughters to the
hymeneal altar, and sharing the honors and estiv.
ties of the occasion with fair, young brides, So
this idea is too horrible to be thought off, By no
means. These contingencies have all been thought
Of and partially discussed, but not in public.
It is true we have been gravely informed by the
leading Destructive paper in this State how many
poor white laboring women are capable of doing
field work. Yet no one has yet told US to what
depth of degradation we may sink our humber
classes Of white population on this new commenced
aud continued sally for, or on account Of the negro
Ny advice to these yalorous Knights of the Golden
Circle is not to undertake the discussion of these
matters outside their secret conclayes for fear of
damaging the sacred cause of the Southern Confad-
eracy.
appeal as q stakeholder to these property
holders and patriots, if they be 30. TO aid me
in entering an indignant protest against such
unguarded and reckless proceedings. Surely none
will deny that it is now time for the slayeholders
Of North, Carolina and elsewhere to speak ont in
| the most emphatic terms Wehave for > long time
aye too long, been for prudential reasons, the vic
TINS of corrupt clans of reckless, aud in many in
stances, bankrupt politicians The last feather hai
been laid upon US that we ought to bear. Lenges
will hut enauro fhA avi1o haze ~,