The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1868-11-04
% For the STANDARD.
TEE TRUE IssU r.
TO the whisesa EN- of North Carolina.

To the whisedIens of North Carolina.
FELLOW CITIZENS II have lately listened
to thespeechessof three distinguished men,
who ask you and me to cast our votes on the
third day Of November for Seymour and
Blair. / suppose speeches similar to theirs
are made daily in all parts of the State. If
so, then must say, in my humble judgment,
that Conservative orators are not presenting
the true issue which your votes will, in part,
decide on that cventfuf day. ~ .s.lsg 30
Your passions are being infamed by COM
ments on silly editorial repudiated by the
ipresent management of the STANDARD news
paper, and denounced by all sensible men,
Republicans as well as Conservatives.
supposed oversight in the drafting of
/ the United States tax bill of the present
year, by which, it seemed, that fruit distil-
lers were required to pay license of $500,
has been distorted into an intentional act of
! oppression put upon " Soutllerners" by a
"rcckless, Radical Congress" You have not
been reminded by those who would gladly
have led you off on this false issue, that this
! same tax of $500 upon fruit distillers. would
be collected also out of the onearmed Union
soldier, who should distil the apples in his
little orchard in Ohio. Nor will these same
speakers take pains now, to inform you that
the Attorney General OF the United States
has decided that no such tao SoGs imposed.
The enormous expenses of the State Mill
tia are inagined and paraded before you, in
true theatricahstyle, just as if they were q
reality They do not suggest that these are
the expenses which might he incurred, if you
should resist the lawful authorities of the
State, but which have not been incurred,
because you have not set the laws at defiance,
and the Governor lras, therefore, not deemed
it necessary to call out the militia - ="
b. While speaking in the Eastern part of tie
State. they ask you to vote against, Grant
! and Collax, because the Legislature voted
aid to Railroads, forgetting az to remind
you that the acknowledged leader of the
Conservative party in the House of Repre-
sentatives of this State, and the Conservative
candidate for Congress in the 7th District
MIR. Durham-gave these measures of aid
his active support. s 9H Fas
q. And so l might go on through what
CALL without intending offence. the false as
sues of a modern Conservative harangue--
all OF 1t, my countrymen, an attempt to di-
vert your attention from the true issue in the
| STtit COuttSt VI tile Oh vi November.
On that day the American will decide
whether, in the future, the CoNGREss ALWAYS
or the PRESIDENT ALONE, IN some cases shall
admit States into the Union H -'-'
This is the TRUE ISSUE. Attend We who
revere the Constitution of our fathers, and
make up your minds what the verdict shall
be-
Occupants of soil, comprised within the
geographical limits of the United States,
may be related politically to the government
of the United States in three different de-
grees, nevertheless owing, in each case, allie
glance to the Constitution and laws of the
United States as paramount authority.
]. The occupants of a section of our coun-
/; try may be connected with the Federal Union
by State government-one OF the CO equal
States of that Union. The people Of Ohio are
thus related to-day
Q The occupants Of section of our
country, may be connected with the Federal
Union, by what is known IN our system, as
a territorial government framed by the
act of Congress "organizing" the territory.
The people Of Neco Merico, are thus related
to-day. aae Isi 0 sea aa ta-- -
8. The occupants of section of our coun-
try may be under the authority of the FEEDER
al government, and yet be connected with
the Federal Union, by neither State gov
eminent, nor territorial government. These
last inhabit the ''unorganized territories" of
our system. The people Of, Alaska are in
this condition to-day.
Territorial" governments can be created
only by act of Congress organizing such
State governments, where they do not al
ready exist, are created only by act of Con-
| gress, admitting States into the Union.
Congress might, it is true. abuse its discre-
ton to admit, or to refuse to admit as State
a people, occupying section of our coun-
try, and asking to be recognized as the peo-
pie of an equal State of the Onion. But
that discretion of Congress is, nevertheless,
absolute. 1t cannot be controlled nor in
any manner be instructed by any other de-
partment of the United States government
| Now what constitutes State g0oernuaent
in our system? What are the essential ee-
ments-wbat are the vital organs-of enc
of the co-equal CO. S. State governments
Its living essence is the legitimate power of
its various officials, legislative. judicial and
executive. Its vital organs are in its proper
officers, complete in their various depart
|
to constable, Or If not complete, yet having
capacity, by legal or constitutional provi-
sions to fill vacancies, and cause completeness
ofofiiccrs. s. i"
The first law of existence to these officials
is that they must obey the Constitution and
laws of the United States made in pursu-
ance of the Constitution, as the supreme
law of the land, anything in the Constitu-
ton or laws OF this State to the contrary
Notwithstanding. (See Const. us. Art. vi.
Sec. ~
| Without a single one of these officials and
/ without any provision, constitutional or le-
gal, for filing single vacancy one of these
co-equal (U.S9 State governments, in one
system, could have no actual existence-no
life.
To illustrate If, in May, 1861, the Gov
ernor of the (U. S. State of North Carolina
had died, or resigned or abdicated his of
fee, Tearing in office the Speaker of the SEN
ate, that Speaker by a provision of the State
| Constitution would have become Governor,
have been impaired. If all the members of
the General Assembly and all the Judges and
Clerks Of Courts and all the Sherifs and
Justices of the Peace had at one time died,
or resigned or abdicated their offices, net
laoing the Governor in office, the Gov
crnor might, by the law, have issued writs
of election and possibly have supplied
through these writs the vacancy of members
of the Legislature; and, if so, all the vacant
officers could have been filled in forms of
the law, and even, in this case, the life of
| the State might still have been preserved.