The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1868-08-26
Now or Never.

ancestors who gave it to them..
fnss Now or Never.
States and nations, like individuals, can
grow in knowledge and wisdom only through
experience North Carolina is eight years
older than when the Star of the West turned
back to the ocean and failed to relieve the
brave littietoand that garrisoned Sumter.
Since that bright morning a fearful history
has been lived and written, and has passed
into the annals of time to inspire or warn
coming generations. North Carolina never
was at heart rebel State She loved the
old flag, she loved the nation. She grasped
the great idea of the NATION OF NORTH
AMERICA, and in its contemplation grew
great herself, and had rather have been the
humblest member of so mighty power than
a petty sovereign over pine forests and
swamps without inhabitants But in an
evil moment she listened to the song of the
syren, the voice of the tempter, and the
Establishments of aristocracy, and gave in
her adherence to the conspira :ors who plot
ted and all but accomplished her ruin. She
joined the Confederacy. She gave her best
blood to crafty the ambition of a few bold,
bad men. She fought gallantly on every
battlefield of the war, and when South Car
olina chvalry ran affrighted from the field,
she stood like a rock, and through her
yeomanry demonstrated her superior blood
and pluck. North Carolina laid down her
arms only when Gen. Lee laid down his
sword She took the conspirators at their
word and really believed they would add to
her wealth and power, and would make her
a free people. She gave them four years to
accomplish their ends, and when she parted
company with them, their ends were truly
accomplished, for they were the ends of trail
tors. Moral, material and political ruin was
the reward that met them at the close of
their career. North Carolina went into the
wsy to save her slsyss and ca,ps s@,t Of che
war with not ono within her borders. North
Carolina went into the war to crafty the
ambition of a-few men whe1 dreamed of
monarchy and high titles fof their sons and
daughters, and came out of the war bereft
of all the titles she ever possessed. North
Carolina went into the war that she might
grow rich in material wealth, and came out
of the war bankrupt, Not one single thing
did North Carolina gain BY taking the origi-
nal conspirators at their word Not one
prophecy was fulfilled. Not one faint hope
realized. She found all lie and a fraud
from the beginning. 80, 80. .sis
North Carolinians! the original conspira-
tors who led you to ruin were not hung,
drawn or quartered. as any other nation on
the face Of the earth would have treated
them !; but were sent to their homes to keep
the peace in all soldierly honor and faith.
But have they kept it, are they keeping it
to-day? The very men who wrought your ruin
are ripe for another rebellion; in their hearts
they pray that they may again let loose
the conscript officers and the blood hound,
and chase you out of your places of conceal
ment; in their minds they are plotting other
schemes still more diabolical and still more
damning to all the dearest interests of your
lives They cheated you once, they dragged
you from your homes, they murdered your
sons, they impoverished your daughters, they
despoiled your plantations, they. left you not
even mule to till your small farms with,
they took your all and gave you nothing in
return. North Caroliniansl are these men
to defraud you again Just as the future
begins to brighten, as capital begins to flow
in from the North. as Rail Roads begin to
stretch along your valleys and through your
mountains; as your mines of iron and cop
per and gold begin to pour out their riches;
as orchards of fruit and fields of grain make
beautiful your hill sides; as schools and
churches spring up at every cross-road as
mills and manufactures begin to line you
streams as your whole State begins to pull
safe with new life and aspire to high
future, are these men, who led you to ruin
once, again to lead you on the same road
and to still darker and more damnable
fate We do not believe it. But, North
Carolinians, just so surely as you cast your
cast your votes for Seymour and Blair, you
will again be in the clutches of the men who
nearly strangled you to death four years
ago. They care no more for you and your
hest interests than the veriest Tnrl- doao FIR
the man who licks the dust at his feet They
simply want your nceks to lift them little
higher in the social scale and when they. are
again up in that serene atmosphere, you
will be but vermin crawling in the slime be-
meath them. Believe them not. The cleo
tion ofSeymour and Blair will paralyzc the
whole business of the country. Good men
will lose faith in tile capacity Of. man to gov
ern himself. Capital will lock itself up in
iron vaults, or seek investment in other lands
rather than risk itself in the hands Of men
destitute of all honor and all integrity. The
men behind Seymour and Blairare the same
deep, subtle, unprinciplel conspirators who
organized the war through which they drag
.ged and drove your sons for four. long years.
Seymour is but plant tool, and Blair, but
pcrjured out cast, whom they have picked
up TO do the work their delicate and refined
sense rcvolts from doing ITSELF The very
faces of the men betray their characters The
one bears the smooth visape of the bypocrite,s