The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1867-01-30
THE RECORD
INVESTIGATORS AND LEADERS
OF THE
REBELLION.
READ AND cIReuLlrE-READ AND pREsrRyr
Treason must be made odious.
ANDREW JOHNSON


Treason must be made odious.
ANDREW JOHNSON
Yicksburg fell on the 4th day of Julv
1858; Lee had suffered most damaging de-.
feat at Gettysburg; and the Union leader,
in North Carolina now thought the time had
arrived to strike for peace on the basis of
restored Union.
The Standard Of Tuesday, July 18th
1868, spoke as follows:
But we have no idea that we can ob,o;,
"peace upon our. own terms" The moa.
powerful nations seldom succeed in dn;n sS
that. What the great mass of our peonis
desire is a cessation of hostilities, and ncrn
tiations. If they could reach that point
they would feel that the conflict of arms
would not he renewed, and that some settle.
ment would be effected which would leave
them in the future in the enjoyment of life
liberty, and happiness
From the beginning of the war to the
present the enemy has slowly but surely
gained upon us; and but for the extraordin.
airy endurance and courage of our troops, his
flag would now be floating ut the capital of
every State. We have lost Missouri, Mary.
land, Kentucky, Tennessee, the Mississippi
valley, Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, and con.
siderable portions of other States. Vicks-
burg has fallen, as we feared many months
ago it would. Port Hudson has fallen
Charleston, Mobile, and Savannah will pro.
badly go next. Gen. Lee is attempting TO
retire from Maryland with his spoils, hut 10
substantial victory has crowned his arms. We
are weaker day than when he crossed the
Potomac into Maryland. Our recruits in the
way of eonscripts will scarcely keep our REQ.
iments full, and we cannot hope to add ma
terially to our forces Our fighting popua.
ton is pretty well exhausted. Every body
knows this. The North knows it, and
so does Europe. On the contrary, our enc
mics, flushed with triumph, have large ar.
my in the field, and their President has lust
called for three hundred thousand more. He
will get them"
1t is time to consult reason and common
sense, and to discard prejudice and passion.
Our people must look at and act upon thinss
as they are, and not as they would have
them. They must remember that they are
sooereign-that they are the masters of those
who administer this government-that the
government was established by them, for
their benefit; and they must not be afraid
to utter their opinions freely and boldly. If
they want continued. wasting, bloody war;.
let them say so; if they want peace, let them
state the terms on which they would have it..
That peace cannot be attained by fighting
merely is now apparent to ALL"
"We spoke just now of the worst befall-
ing our people as the result Of this war.-
What is the worst2 1t would be the condi-.
ton of provincial dependence on the federal
government, each State being ruled by a mil
itary Governor as Tennessee is, and the eman-
cipation and arming of our slaves in our
midst That would be the worst If the
war continues is it not likely that this will
happen9 Judging the future by the past
and we have no other means of judging
we fear it will. What then2 Must We rush
on to our doom Must the sword still wave,
and the strong arm of physical force still ex-
ert itself, and no effort be made by mental
and moral means to close the war? Why,
North American savages sometimes bury the
tomahawk and meet together to smoke the
pipe of peace. Are we OF the North and
South Christians as we profess to be-more
savage than the savages2
These are sad truths, but we feel it to be
our duty to lay them before our readers
We do not censure Others for entertaining
their own opinions, and we have a right to
express ours without censure from friend or
foe. But this censure, and even the grossest
abuse we feel sure we shall incur; yet none
of these things move us" when we know we
are speaking the truth, for the sake of hu-
mainly and liberty, in the name of the peo-
pie themselves, who ought to be, if they are
not practically, the masters of us all"
The Union men of North Carolina under
stood this appeal from the Standard. So
did their foes, the secessionists, who charged
them with treason, in that they were in
augurating movement looking to the res
toration of the Union. Jefferson Davis and
the Confederate Generals were appealed to
to suppress this movement, by Immediately
arresting and hanging the more prominent
leaders of the Union party in this State
Truly, they were in dangerous position, but
they had dared and suffered much already;
and were now prepared to dare and suffer
more for the sake of their principles. They
knew that their lives were in great danger,
for their foes uttered no uncertain threats
they called for blood!
Therefore. the Union men were forced 10
screen themselves behind kind of cheap
Confederate patriotism, which was carrent
even among the most conspicuous rebels,
and consisted chiefly in windy words, great
promises, and contributions to the. army
That was as far as the majority Of the more
blatant fire eaters went, who were always
eager for the fray, but had the Rheumatism,
and stayed at home. 1t was a fimsy pro-
lection, yet proved sufficient for the occasion,
and gave ample time and opportunity to the
peace men to organize, and maize prepare
lions to more effectualIy embarrassthe oper,
atoms of the Confederacy, and if possible
ultimately break it down.
We say the Union men Of this State I'M
derstood the above appeal fromthe Stan
dard. They Immediately called meetings
and adopted resolutions declaring for peace
on the basis of restored Union:..
Z.B. Vance, then Governor, had been ele'
waited to that position of poscevb the Union
marty. and was confidently believed to be in
harmony with this movement. He was
known as Union man-his~record up to
that hour had been for the Union and against
the rebellion. Indeed, upon this occasion,