Year: 1862

The Richmond Enquirer and Col. Vance.


The Enquirer, in recent article, the evident OBJ
ject of which is to nure COL Vance with the North
Carolina soldiers, copies from a, paper printed in
this City to show that the friends of COL Vance are
responsible for party strife in this State The first
sentence in the extract thus made by the ENQUIRER.
contains wicked and deliberate falsehood, as fol-
lows:


"Col. Johnston was selected as candidate, by
the spontaneous approval Of his fitness for the Office
oy the whole press OF the State, paper only ex-
cepted."


We repeat, the foregoing statement is false, and
it was known to be so when made Col. Johnston
was nominated for Governor in little meeting held
in his own town, which he himself attended. At
ter this few papers in the State signi6ed their
willingness to support him for Governor; bat the
majority Of the press. with the Standard, either
took ground against him or we're silent. As soon
as the Standard raised the name of COL Vance, and
not beore the Register Of this City, and the paper
from which the Enquirer copies, raised that of Mr.
Johnston This backwardness on the part of these
two journals shows that they were not anxious
to support Mr.: Johnston; but, as the time was
short as they could do no BETTER and as the course
Of the Standard in raising the name of COL Vance
required prompt action, they then raised Mr. john
ston's name. We expected this and one reason
why we were so prompt to raise Col Vance's name
as soon as we knew he would consent to be can
didate, was that these journals might be forced as
they were, to go for Johnston. This was what we
wanted, for we knew how weak he was, and how
easily he could be beaten.


The Enquirer will perceive from this that both
the Register and the paper from which it copies
instead of going cheerfully for Mr.. Johnston, were
driven by US to his support And yet the paper
from which the Enquirer copies, has the audacity
to say that Mr.. Johnston "was selected as a can
ddae by the spontaneous approval of his fitness for
the office by the whole press of the State, one pa.
per only excepted" A more glaring falsehood was
never uttered.


We now say to the Enquirer, as it seems to take
deep interest in North Carolina politics. that Mr..
Johnston is not at all qualified to manage the helm
of State in crisis like the present. He has been
at the bar for more than twenty five years. and has
made no reputation beyond that of County Court
lawyer. There are at leasttwenty five thousand of
citizens who are as we'll fitted for the office of
Governor as he is. Hewas selected as candidate by
faction, who thought, because he had been an old
line Whig, they could secure for him the support
of the old line Wings, and, because he was
tive and proscptive secessionist they could secure
for him the great bulk Of the old Democratic party
But this calculation will fail Col. Vance will lead
him by at least 20, 900 majority.


We go further, and say to the Enquirer, that
when Lincoln's proclamation appeared, the old
Union men of this State who numbered about TO-,
900 of the 900 voters of the State and who had
belonged to both the old parties, went forward as
one and offered to cooperate with the original
secessionists in prosecuting the and establish
ing Southern independence. They did this prompt
ly and cheerfully, under an impulse Of duty and
patriotism. But the State government was in the
hands of the original seccssioniss; and from that
day to this, as general rule, these same old Union
men, though they have contributed without stint
their blood and treasure to the common cause have
been prescribed and hunted down, debarred from
all important Offices and charged, in many in
stances, without the shadow of cause proof, with
being enemies to their native land. In vain have
they expressed their surprise, their modification,
and their indignation at such treatment Colonels,
Lieutenant Colonels, Captains, Lieutenants, Sur
geons, and even Chaplains of regiments, by scores,
have been appointed over them, solely because they
| were secessionists. The Offices and patronage of
the State, with its honors both civil and military,
have been bestowed upon favored few and that,
too. while the tlunders of battle are in ears,
and while old Union men by thousands have been
| Drawing disease and death in defence of common
rights. 1t is not true as intimated by the Enqui-
rer. that the old Union men are influenced by de.
sire for Office, or that any Of them laboring un
der "supposed sights to their ambitions" 1t Il
not office they aoant lu! the admission at the hands
of their opponents that they are aoorthy of it
They are determined that no record shall be made
against them in history which will cause their de-
scendants to blush for them, or which shall leave
the impression that they stood by in silence wher
under the ban, and permitted themselves to be
written down as disloyal or suspected persons
Eight months ago, they told those who had power


in this State that unless they ceased this unnatural
prescription they would appeal to the people against
them. They have not ceased it, and the appeal i
nom made. 1t is not made for or to party, bu
against party. 1t will succeed. The people Of thu
State will take their own affairs into their OWL
hands, and will inaugurate and carry out that re
form, which, in many respects, is so much needed


The conservatives so far from constituting party


are the most decided opponents of party. Thei


great object is to destroy party, to prescribe pro


scripton, and to SO reform the State government al


to render it not only more economical and just in it


operations a. home, but more efficient ally, if pos


sible, than it has been of the common government


in prosecuting the war.


The Enquirer and those for whom it speaks, ar


opposed to Col. Vance because he was an old Whil


and refused to go for secession until Lincons proc


lamation. That paper is still laboring under tn


delusion that there. is Democratic party. W


know this to be So 1t is the secret talk in govern


ment circles both in Raleigh and Richmond. Now


the Democratic party was destroyed at Charleston