Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1865-02-21
stn1i-Mttklq 5tauhnrA.
BY THE GOVERNOR: .~.s.
4 PROCLAMATION-TO THE PEOPLE OF
NARTH HAROIINA

has conferred upon me, to watch with Wig
lance over your welfare, guard with fidel-
ity your interests; and warn yon Of every
danger: -, -.
Now therefore, I, ZEBULON B.
VANCE, Governor of the said State, act
aated by sacred sense OF duty and love
of country, do deem it necessary to ad-
dress you in this manner in regard to the
dangers and duties of the. present time
earnestly praying that it may be condu-
Give to harmony and good will, wherein
only is to be found a|safe and honorable
deliverance from all our troubles. 1t is
known to you all, that in the beginning OF
these troubles, North Carolina was 50 de-
cidedly opposed to initiating the secession
OF her Southern sisters, that any attempt
to force her to do 80 by even majority of
her people, prior to the Proclamation Of
Lincoln In 1861, would most likely have
resulted in civil war, among our own Gift
zens. 1t pleased God, however, to prevent
this calamity and to calm all the fierce
passions of party bitterness, and to cause
the most perfect unanimitv by means of
that Proclamation, which placed before rs
the dire necessity of either assisting or
slaughtering our own brothers and friends.
Interest, honor and sympathy combined
to decide US upon resistance to what all
united in condemning as cruel and wick
ed 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 for
tunes, we continued the struggle, still with
great unsninity for years. About the end
Of the third year, however, portion of
our people in common with many others
throughout the South, seeing how our best
citizens were falling, and how our fairest
lands were desolated, began to urge that
peace should be sought for by negotiations
rs we'll as by the sword. They argued
that our Confederate authorities, moved by
pride of opinion and embittered by the
length and fierceness of the conflict, had
not made sufficient trial Of craftsmanship
rs means of stoppingt the war; that no
doubt if properly approached, either by
commissioners appointed by our common
government, or by the States separately
supposing diplomatic reasons would pre-
vent the enemy from treating with the for
Iner-that our enemy would grant us bet
Ter terms than we had supposed, and pro-
missing that if fair and honest effort at
negotiations should be spHrned by the
enemy or rejected, then allclasses and con-
ditions of men in the Sonth would unite
in an earnest prosecution of the war
This was the first serious approach to a
division among orr people. Sympathizing
with thexreasonableDess of this demand,
Il oil flo r,iu
believing in its efficiency, and being as
sincerely DESTROYS as it was pssible for man
to be, to stop the war on honorable terms,
I, as your Governor, addressed President
Davis in December 1868, and urged this
course upon him. In answer thereto he
assured me that three separate 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 injury to our cause.
Trusting that Providence wonld yet
open the way the matter rested here for
another year. Many, however, of our peo-
pie, who advocated peace upon such vague
and ill-defined terms as to cause doubts of
their good faith and loyalty, continued
sedulously to disseminate the opinion, that
our own government alone was to blame
for the continuance of the war; going so
far in some instances as to threaten reVe-
lutionary measures for wrestling the treaty.
making power from its hands, and negotia-
ting with the enemy ourselves, alleging
that we could certainly get such terms if
the States would act i'll their sovereign ca
pacity, as would secure our property and
slaves, by reconstruction. Since the be-
ginning of the present year, however, two
individuals from the North having visited
Richmond on a peace mission, by the au-
thority of President Lincoln, and having
as our President supposed opened tie way
for another effort at negotiations, it was
promptly made. He Immediately sent a
delegation through the lines for that pur-
pose, consisting of Vice President Ste
phens, udge Campbell late of the Supreme
Court of the United States, and the Hon.
r. M. T. Hunter, Confederate States SEN
ator, from the State of Virginia, men all
eminent for their abilities, public services,
and the long continued confidence and
sespect of their countrymen. The first
two are we'll known to have opposed the
beginning of this war, and to synpathize
with the general desire for negotiations.-
They were met at Fortress Monroe, by
President Lincoln, and Mfr. Seward, his
Secretary of State. who without allowing
them to leave the boat on which they ar
rived. told them what appears in the fol-
lowing official report:
RICHMOND. Feb. 5, 1865.
tn the PresiYe,,t 0f the Goufe1er1te States:
S1B-Under your letter of appointment
of Commissioners ofthe 2Sth, we proceed
ed to seek an informal conference with
Abraham Lincoln, President of the United
States npon the subject mentioned in your
letter. The conference was granted and
took place On the I'd iust., on board sstea.
ner anchored in Hampton Roads where
We met President Lincoln and Hon MIR.
Seward, Secretary Of State for the United
states. 1t continued for several hours and
vas both full and explicit. We learned
rom them that the message of President