The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1867-01-29
-~ ~YHERECORD -"7
OF THE -.
INSTIGAT0RS AND LEADERS
M = OF THE %Ss
REBELLION.
READ AND CIRCuLArE-.READ AND PRESERVE.
Treason must be made OdiOus.
TANDREw JOHNSON.


feat at Gettysburg; and the Union leaders
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 obtain
"peace upon our own terms" The most
powerful nations seldom succeed in doing
that What the great mass Of oYN people
desire is a cessation of hostilitesy anP nego-
tiations. If they could reach th@ point
they would feel that the eonGk OF arms
would not be 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 at the capital OF
every State We have lost Missouri, Mary
land, Kentucky, Tennessee, the Mississippi,
valley, Texas, Louisiana Arkansas, anu 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 90 next Gen. Lee is attempting to
retire from Maryland with his spoils, but nc
substantial victory has crowned his arms. We
are weaker to-day than when he crossed the
Potomac into Maryland. Our recruits in the
way of conscripts will scarcely keep our reg
iments full, and we cannot hope to add ma.
terially to our forces. Our fighting popula-
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 just
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 ut and act upon Things
as they are, and not as they would have
them. They must remember that they are
s0rc1eiga-tllat 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
I'VE spoke Just now of the worst befall-
inc our people rs the result of this war
What is the worst? 1t would be the condi-
ton of provincial dependence on the federal
government, each State being ruled by a mil
ittrv Governor as Tennessee is, and the cman-
cipation and arming of our slaves in our
midst. That would be the worst If the
war continues is il not likely that this will
happen! Judging the future by rhe past
and we have no other means OF Judging
we fear it will What then? 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
tnmahawk and meet together to smoke the
pipe of peace Arc we ot the North and
SOuth-ChristianS as we profess to Dc-more
savage than the savages
These are sad truths, but we feel it to be
our duty to Law them before our readers
We do not censure others for entertaining
their own opinions, and we have Il right to
express ours without censure from friend or
foe But this censurc, and even the grossest
abuse we feel sure we shall incur yet none
Of these things move u.s. when we know we
are speaking the truth. for the sake of hui
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
IL JntS.,, .,,l
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 IA dangerous position, but
thev 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,
they called for blood!
Therefore, the Union men were forced to
screen themselves behind kind of cheap
Confederate patriotism, which was current
even among the most conspicuous rebels,
and consisted chiefly in windy words, great
promises, anu COlIllputlOuS W Cllc dTlny.-
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 fimsy pro-
lection, yet proved sufficient for the occasion,
and gave ample time and opportunity to the
peace men to organize, and make prepara-
lions to more effectually embarrass the oper-
atoms of the Confederacy, and if possible,
ultimately break it down.
We say the Union men of this State un-
derstood the above appeal from the STAN
dard. They Immediately called meetings
and adopted resolutions declaring for peace
on the basis of restored Union
q. B. Vance, then Governor, had been ele-
waited to that position of poacer by the Union
party, and was confidently believed to be in
harmony with this movement. He was
known as a Union man-his record up to
that hour had been for the Union and against
the rebellion Indeed, upon this occasion,
even while he was plotting to betray his
friends, and prolong the horrible struggle in
order to save the necks and property of
traitors numbering the innocent for the
guilty-he prepared peace resolutions him
self, which were adopted in Convention at
Hendersonville, held Aug. 18th, 1868, look
ing to restoration of the Union. But he
went to Richmond meanwhile to coneuIt