The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-08-23

! separate State action On the night Of
September 9th, a Georgia regiment of
through Raleigh. stopped long enough to
lead mob and destroy the Standard Of
flee of the State Journal, a paper of
strongly opposite views. Governor
Vance at once telegraphed the facts to
President Davis, and in letter to him
next day used the following vigorous
language: LAS it is my intention to en-
force the laws rigidly against all citi-
zens who participated in the second
mob so | feel it my duty to demand that
| punishment may be inflicted on the Of
! hcers who assisted or countenanced the
first. Should this not be done, | shall
feel it my duty to demand the persons Of
these officers of the State of Georgia to
answer the demands of Justice. l feel
very sad at these outrages. The distance
| is quite short to either anarchy or des-
| potism, when armed soldiers, led by their
| officers, can with impunity outrage the
laws of Il State. A few more such eX
hibitions will bring the North Carolina
TROOPS home to THE defence of her own
State and her institutions. | pray you
to see that it does not occur again.
Should any newspaper in the State COM
NIT treason. | would have its editor ar
rested and tried by the laws, which
many of us yet respect. | thank you for
your prompt orders by telegraph to Maj.
l
through the city. hey are now being
enforced, and peace can be preserved if
they are rigidly obeyed."
This threat of Separate State action,
made to emphasize his determination to
have the laws of State respected, as offset
by an incident over twelve months later
| when stout hearts began to quail M what
they feared to be the approaching down
| fall of our cause | had some knOwi-
AIr Of of no hnt oft
| Governor Vance gave it to me in its de-
| tails. \ gentleman Of the highest char
| actcr and standing, and whom Governor
| Vance greatly respected for his wisdom
and patriotism, was here from Rich
| mond. He called at the executive Office
and informed the Governor That he was
| commissioned to deliver an important
| message to him, and wished an audience
with him alone. Others having retired
from the room. the gentleman informed
| Governor Vance that certain members
| of Congress from this and other States
had recently held a conference, and in
view of what appeared to them the utter
hopelessneSs of the cause, resolved that
steps should DE taken TO prevent further
eifusion of blood and loss of property;
| and that North Carolina was, by its
location in respect to invading armies in
a position to bring about the result and
their message conveyed Il request, that
he should issue an order requiring the
North Carolina Troops N the field 70 re-
turn home, and so end the war. Gov
elnor Vance rose from his seat ia great
excitement, and standing with his back
to the fire, asked MS companion. cOGfte-
ously. whether that was his advice and
receiving as il reply, mo, | only deliver
the message / was requested to bring,
he swoIe, in his wrath, great oath
mo! | would SEQ the last one of them IN
40
to do tina; the last of it would not be
heard for generations to come. 1t would
he charged that the Confederacy might
have succeeded but for the treachery Of
North Carolina. So far rs the honor OF
the State is in my keeping, it shall be I'M
furnished. She must stand or ran win
her sisters" His friend lepEed, Il am
not sure but your are right" and. ON
his return to Richmond, reported 10 those
who sent the message, that they nePd
not expect anything by separate actions
from North Carolina.
;. In 1864 Governor Vance was again a
candidate and elected Governor, his OPP
poncnt being Mr.. Holden, who was I'M
derstOod to favor peace on almost any
terms. If the value of the currency OF
| the country was an indication OF the
probability of its making good
its independence. then its chances of
success must have been considered very
slim at best; for from January to Au-
gust in that year, the average value OF
Confederate money was 100 dollars to
five dollars i'll gold. Mr.. Holden had
many followers among the timid and
Respondent at home and in the field, and
especially in those sections where de-
serters were hiding III mountains or IN
forests. They generally had little to say,
though in some counties secret societies,
! known as Red Strings, were organlzeI.
| Governor Vance had to meet and over.
come these secret influences. and he did
| it by remarkable campaign. His re-
sourcefulness was exhibited as never be-
fore: and | doubt whether any orator
Of this country before or since has DIS
played greater variety in his speeches on
| public issues. Speeches he made, for
example. in Wilkesboro and Fayette-
vile, within Il fortnight of each other
| were published almost literally, and 1t
| is hard for reader, who did not know
Governor Vance to believe the same man
could make both speeches. But analyZed
they were not inconsistent. He SPOKE at
| Wilkesboro (prolitic as that town mad
been in gallant Confederate officers and
men, such as Gordon, Barber, Brown,
| Cowles and others to many VINO were
| friends of. or related to. deserterS or
hiding conscripts, and his OBJECT was TO
| win their waning allegiance back t. State
and Confederacy by arguments addressed
| TO lHelf SPUSc VI pluucI1C 40 NNil
patriotism. and 10y gentle reminders Of
what was his duty as we'll rs theirs III
! the crisis. then upon them: while at Fay
| ettevlle his hearers were ardent Con-
i federates. who needed only encourage
ment and stimulus to renewed hopeful
ness. The color of one side of the shed
was shown at one place and that of the
other side at the other. As st. Pau! at
| Caesarea comDlimented the vicious King
Agrippa upon his eXpertness III the GUS
| toms of the Jews, so \ance at w likes
| boro praised the falthfulness OF some
| who heard him to relatives or friends IN
hiding, and appealed to that as an IN
fuence to redeem their friends from
crime and bring them back to paths OF
honor. The effect OF these speeches ana
Il few others ut leading points was mark,
ed His speech in this city from Il stand
| between the southeast corner OF the
courthouse and the Gales Offices, was
| think, all things considered, me most
effective speech | have ever heard. Here
| the Stainly and DAHL Progress, when
| nearly echoed its sentiments, were pun
lished, and in this city and county Mr..
Holden had many friends and adherents
| while some extreme CODfederateS, IN