Year: 1863

take peculiar pleasure In publishing the proceeu-
ings of meetings gotten up by few officers in the
army for political effect, grossly defamatory of the
Editor of the Standard We have never injured
any of these Editors personally, except inciden-
tally self fdefence and some of them have professed
to berendly with us and disposed to do US injustice
Now. we intend, under all circums tances, to main
tain our equaEimrty and our firmness Passion shall
have as little control possible in this SOL
crisis. 1t was passion and ardent spirits that
involved great extent hour present troubles
and the indulgence ofsuch things, now or in the fu-
ture, can only multiply our sorrows. Reason and
sound Judgment are required now more than at any
period in our history. We may possess but little
of either, but this little is due to country. we
shall not turn aside in our straightforward course
on account either of the Establishments or the rowns
of power:


Here shall the press the peoples rights maintain,


Unawed by influence, and unbribed by gam


We repeat these army meetings were gotten up
by few Destructive officers in the army, to graft
fy malice towards us, and to influence the elections
in this State. The primary object, c0nce'0ea dt
Richmond, and carried out by aspiring army OH
GERS and their tools, is to divide the Conservatives
of this State and thus PROSTATE our people at the
feet of central power. This accomplished, liberty
will depart from us-Bastiles will again be reared
and filled with victims in our midst-martial law
will be proclaimed will be established
our Courts will be assailed and silenced-and the
sword, with appeal from its decisions, will wave
in triumph in the place of civil law. The Standard
is somewhat in the way of all this, and so ths'StGn-
durd must be trampled down. Will the peOplePer-
nit it? We believe not Will the soldiers permit
it? We believe not


We have in hand great many letters from officers
and soldiers in the army, assuring that as gen.
eral rule the privates utterly ignored in the
late army meetings both iE Virginia and in this
State; and thar at least threefourths of our brave
boys endorse our course Some of these letters
tain expressions which it would not be prudent to
publish, but all of them declare that the proceedings
Of the meetings referred to do not speak for them
soldier of the I57th writes US as follows:


"The Orange Courthouse Convention was per-
feet burlesque. few days ago we held secret
ballot in our brigade, and all our regiment but
eleven endorsed your course. Our Generals
threaten to stop the North Carolina mail, appoint
committee to examine it before it is given out


=, [ write this to let you know the sentiments
of the privateS, whose friend believe you are Go
on with your course-the marrow of the army will
sustain you"


This letter was mailed at Joyner's Depot, in this
State, having been sent there by hand. Many of
the soldiers who write US beg US to conceal their
names, as if known, they would be punished. They
may rest assured that their names will not be
vealed.


soldier writes US from Daniels Brigade that
the prvates were ignored in the meeting held by the
officers to denounce the Standard


soldier writes US from camp near Raccoon
Ford, Virginia, 63d regiment enclosing S42 for sub
scribers to the Sandard and informing US that the
that there was "more gas than powder in it." We
have also received a number of subscriptions from
soldiers at Wilmington.


A soldier writes US from the camp of the 42d reg
iment, near kinston, as follows:


The meeting held in this regiment to act on
your course, composed OF officers and privateS,
but the privates had no part in it They were
present, but did not dare to say any thing. If the
privates could have voted their sentiments two.
thirds of them would have endorsed your views
The soldiers here mad to think that they have
got to be represented being against the Standafd
when it is not All they ask is a vote by ballot.
We in the 42d are deprived of the privilege
of reading the Standard unless We do it slyly, as
the Colonel has forbidden them to be brought into
camp"


Another soldier who writes US from KinSton to
the same effect says:


"Please do not use my name, nor suffer this let
ter to he seen by any one, for if our officers knew
that had written such a'letter to you they would
punish me for it; but have written the truth"


Friends IN and out of the service, write us from
Weldon that the soldiers of the49th regiment almost
unanimously endorse our course


A soldier writes us from Charleston that the SOL
diers of the 3lst regiment are almost unanimously
with US, and that many of the Georgia troops also
endorse our course.


We observe that some Importance is attached to
the meeting held in Wrights Battalion to denounce
the Standard, and the proceedings are published as
Ii they had been sanctioned by the men. Now,
welearn FROM several sources that Maj. C. G. Wright
Destructive, made speech and introduced resolu-
tlons condemnng the Standard, and deprecating
the holding of meetings in thissState; and when
the resolutions put at leas! twothirds of the
battalion shouted no! Not satisfied with this, and
distruStng the evidence of their own ears the vote
was again, and yet again called for with the same
result handsome proceeding, truly-the men
cote dOWn the resolutions, and still they are pub
ished embodyng the sentiments of the battallonI
What is Maj Wright doing at the head of that bat
talon? Who placed him there? Was he not thrust
upon the battalion by Gen HIl against the wishes
of large majority of both officers and meh2 And
is not Maj Wright the officer who arrested one OF
his Naptains because that Captain insisted on obey
ing the writ of ha6eas corpus issued by cf the
Judges of our Supreme Court? 1t is not at all sur
prsiDg that an officer who treats with contempt
highest judicial tribunal by obstructng or delaying
its precepts, should be anxious to trample down
another great bulwark of hberty-the freedom of
the press.


These army officers, beaded by Colonel Bryan
Grimes, are of the same stamp with those who op-