The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1866-05-12
For the Standard.
tOr Tue Oloiiutsi VI
FOR THINKING MEN ONLY. s.

They even called you worse, they called you
an abolitionist, a submissionist and n traitor.
We all know what those names meant IN
those days. A white man in the South, who
ayowed abolition sentiments at that time or
had such sentiments imputed to him, was
put down by the bloody-minded men, who
provoked this war, as being below even free
negro ); in fact, he was not allowed to live
amongus, unless he had very powerful friends,
or could clear himself of the charge. Even
then he was regarded with suspicion that
damaged his business and social relations IN
the community.
Governor, before the war, you used to call
Union meetings and attended them. You
have told the people by word of mouth and
through the standard about the misfortunes
that would befall them should they attempt
to withdraw and break up the Union. re-
member all this for I heard you, and also
read it in the Standard, and have not forgot
ten it. Why should /, when all you sale, has
come to pass, and we all see 1t and know II
to be true and are reminded Of it every day
Just about the time President Lincoln call
ed for troops to whip South-Carolina Tor
firing on Fort Sumpter, Governor, happen
ed to have business in Smithfeld, and started
down there on the railroad train. On the
same cars ere volunteer troops going down
to take possession of Fort Macon. In fact,
North Carolina was in state OF rebellion;
and it filled my heart with sorrow, tor re-
collected what you told US of the evils that
would happen to us, and l believed you then,
and know it to be so now, as all OF us
know it to be so. Governor, you had mace
a call for a Union meeting in Raleigh few
DAYS previous, and had not withdrawn the
call. The secessionists were much enraged
at it, for heard one man on the tram say
"That d-n Holden has kept up his call tor
a Union meeting. He ought not to be allow
ed to STAY hare" Others responded in the
same manner and they threatened you with
personal violence, hanging, &c. How could
you, Governor, stand up against these men
You had to yield, but We all know that 1t
was not voluntary; and believed that your
heart was right. because our hearts were
right. We were grieved and subdued, and
had to await our time, Governor, did We not!
Well, some years afterward, while the
bloody war was progressing, had business
at Hillsboro', and again took the cars for
that place. Governor, you had made your
famous call for peace. Oh, how 1T gladdened
nv heart. 1t was the first streak OF dawn
after a long night of darkness and terror and
suffering. While the cars this time,
heard another conversation. One man haZed
out an oath against Holden and said you
ought to be hung for wanting peace. In an
other seat, another one said, g we'll, you ought
to know that he is a Union man and traitor
to the South" Another one said, "he will
demoralize our army if we let him live any
longer" 1 did not hear any one speak we'll
for you If you had any friends among them,
Governor they were afraid. was too much
frightened to open my mouth. What could
1 have done Nothing. Only thought OF
all these things and loved you, being Union
man and suffering for the Union cause.
felt that it was my cause and you were suf-
fcring for me also, Governor.
But how is it now, Governor? All the Sc
cessionists are gone-none are to he found.
They call you a secesslonist; they say you
are the only secessionist in the State, that
you were the father of secession, and but for
your works in favor of secession the South
would never have gone out of the Union
Sometimes I ask some of them why they did
not vote for you. They say you were Sc
cessionist. The same men called you Union
man during the war and before the war
They called you traitor to the South and
wanted to hang you. Now, Governor, this
is so. know it all to be so, because have
seen it and heard it, and am not blind, nor
deaf, nor fool.
Governor, you were mobbed foryour Union
sentiments. You had to conceal yourself to
prevent assassination. We all know that it
was on account of your devotion to the |
Union. But now the very party, under whose |
Confederacy by and whose influence these
things were DONE call yOu the secessionist |
and will not own it themselves.
How does all this happen, Governors It |
would not be so among honest politicians |
But am not surprised. Men that would have |
murdered you in 1854, or men that would |
have looked upon your murder at that time |
as great benefit to the Confederacy and re |
joiced at it, are not whit too good or hon
est to refrain from calling you a secessionist; |
and eat their own words and charges uttered !
against you during the war, when they wan |
ted to hang you for being a Union man and |
traitor to the South.
I came to this country, Governor, to find |
an asylum, where might live peaceably and |
prosperously the balance of my days.
swore allegiance to the United States gov
eminent, and by no act of mine have I ever
infringed the sanctity of that OATH As long
as the star spangled banner foated over my
head, found that it protected me in all my
personal and political rights. had only to
live honorably, to take care that injured no
one, and to render to each one his dues, and
those glorious laws and that noble constitu-
ton, to which I swore everlasting allegiance,
protected me and mine in peace prosperity
and comfort. But wicked men tore my adop-
ted State from the embraces of the Union,
and what did find to be the result Lo
as in the twinkling of an eye, it was all
changed-neither my person nor those of my
sons were SAFE nor my property, the hard
earnings of life that was drawing to its
close. 1 felt these things and talked with
you concerning them, Governor, at all times
during the war; nor.did ever conceal from
you my undying attachment to the cause of
the Union and abiding faith in the ultimate
triumph of its innumerable armies. Govern
or, you sympathized with me then as no Sc
cessionist could have done-you checred me
you told me that you too were as devoted
as was to the principles of the Union and
Constitution, whose protecting hand had
been unhappily withdrawn from us. knew
you were Union man then, know you are
a Union man now, as I know that was
Union man then and am now; and, there
lore, 1t makes my blood boil to hear those,
who denounced you as a Union man then
now denounce you as secessionist, and the
only secessionist alive, and glory in their
brazen falsehoods. For the sake of justice,
have said this much
Very respectfully your friend,
JOHN ROSEMOND.