The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1867-04-10
To the people of North. Carolina:

To the People Of North Carolina:
Having been honored by the representa-
tives of the people Of North Carolina, more
than year ago, with an election to the Sen
ate of the United States, it seems proper that
should make known to them my views
upon the present disturbed state of public
affairs, formed, in part, by the assistance of
information to which my position as Senator
elect gave me more ready access.
ii. A briet retrospect of the distressing events
of the last six years will aid in arriving at
q clear understanding of our present politi-
cal condition.
For many years previous to the attempted
secession of the State in 1861, there had ex-
listed in the Southern States well known
class of men who labored continually to
prepare the popular mind for that measure.
It had been the objective point of all their
political actions and teachings, as the first
and indispensable step to the contamination
of their purposes. No one in the South can
be forgetful of the means resorted to, and
the appliances brought to bear. Arrogating
to themselves a peculiar sollcltude for the
institution of slavery, and an especial guar
dianship of Southern honor and interests,
they proceeded to appeal to sectional pas
sions and prejudices, and to load with vio-
? lent abuse the northern section of the Union,
, to scott at every sentiment of nationality,
and to denounee as untrue to his section and
personally degraded every public man in
the Southern States who was not, in some
way, privy to their reasonable designs
Many of their leaders gained seats in the
public councils and responsible places in
the national government, where they con-
tinually precipitated the agitation of meas
ures calculated to arouse sectional hate, and
keep ever alive and increasing the fires of
discord which they had lighted in the South
ern heart. Whenever the voice of warning
was raised as to the inevitable tendency of
their conduct, they became the loudes+ in
protestations of attachment to the Union;
and even set up pretensions as its especial
defenders. So deep seated was the popular
yeneration for the government, rendered sa-.
cred by the memories of the past and the
blessings of liberty and justice which it had
uniformly secured to every section, that they
found it necessary to conceal their real pur-
poses, up to the last moment, and to precip-
itate a rebellion in violation of official oaths
to support the Union, and with its praises
upon their lips. The people were thus de-
ceived, and finally coerced into bloody
and disastrous civil war.
In the beginning, a majority of the peo-
pie of North Carolina were opposed to the
secession ordinance, and accepted it only as
an memorable necessity, forced upon them
by the action of the adjacent States and
the dangerous excitement of the times. But
many earnest Union men, especially the
young and inconsiderate, were soon borne
along by the madness of the day, or became
unable to withstand the derision and taunts
of cowardice with which they were con-
stantly assailed by the press. in public
assemblies and in the social circle. Others
were deceived by the tardy and vaccilating
action of the national administration, into
the belief that no adequate resistance would
be made to the attempted separation, and
that upon the establishment of the Confed-
eracy, perpetual dishonor would attach to
those who refused to support promptly the
action of their State. But, the most potent
agency resorted to was the bold, systematic
and unscrupufous misrepresentation of the
designs of the United States in waging war
against the secession movement. The object
was asserted to be to abolish slavery, to force
negroes upon a social equality with the
whites-to compel their admission to the
best society-to the table, and even to mar
rage relations deprive the Southern peo-
pie of all rights-to plumber, confiscate,
murder and reduce to state of dependence
and AFFECT vassalage The whole Northern
people were denounced as hypocrites, rob-
bers and vandals-and the Union soldiery
as hirelings and licentious vagabonds. The
assemblies of the people, the legislative halls,
the press and the social circle teemed with
this scurrility, coupled with still viler cpl
thets and threats of infamy towards such as
were supposed to sympathise with the gov
eminent in its struggle to suppress the re-
bellion and preserve the Union. All at
tempts at contradiction were suppressed by
arrests and Imprisonment, or by mob violence.
A system of the basest espinage sprung up
spontaneously in every neighborhood, and
every man had spy and informer at his
door. Good men were thus deceived-the
timid were appalled,, and the boldest could
see no hope OF success in any effort to stem
the general current. Could the truth, at
that time, have been plainly told to the peo-
pie of North Carolina, and needed by them,
how much of calamity would have been
averted, and what untold miseries spared us
But, after the lapse of about two years,
the truth began to force itself upon the pub
lie mind. The overweight excitement be-
gan to work its own remedy. while the en-
ergetic action of the Federal Government
exposed the falsity of the assurance, so re-
peatedly given by the instigators of the re-
bellion, that it dared not resist the separa-
ton of the States. Volunteering in the Con-
federate army nearly ceased, and the people
began to think and speak of peace on the
best attainable terms. 1t was then that the
instigators and leaders of the rebellion threw
off the mask which they had so long worn,
and instituted a despotism so complete and
merciless that scarcely yestige Of liberty
or right was left 1t was discovered, when
too late, that power had been placed in the
hands of men, who scrupled at nothing that
might be requisite to the accomplishment
of their ends, and hesitated not to set at de-
fance not only the wishes and rights of
their fellow-citizens, but even the sentiments
and feelings of humanity. They had we'll
trained army under their command, Differed
BY men of their. own choosing. Almost ey-
cry civil position in the Executive, leeisla-
tive and judicial departments of the State
and Confederate governments, was filed by
their most violent partizans and willing
friends. Thus resistance became impossible
and remonstrance dangerous. They enacted
laws of wholesale CONSUMPTION, and executed
them with the most searching rigor I'm
pressment laws, SO framed that the property
Of the citizen was practically at the disposal
of irresponsible military subordinates, were
executed in such manner as to awe or ruin
Il