Year: 1863




ernor Vance for seven thousand militia for State
defence. We have not now single man to spare
In this part of the State and the full execution of
the conscript act will leave still less. think the
Legislature, which will meet in extra session soon,
should adopt resolutions nstructing the Governor
not to comply. These are the sentiments of every
oody here, except one or two crazy Destructives
! VINO are themselves exempt and who live from the
labor of their slaves. But if this call is complied
with, God only knows what is to become of the many
thousands OF poor women and children who will be
| lett helpless and pennyeSS We believe you are
their friend, and therefore expect you to take
decided stand against this call of the President"
We now emphatically endorse every word of the
above. 1t is from the pen of as trus man and as
pure patriot the State contains. North Carroll
ma has sent more troops to the field than any other
State in proportion to her population. Her troops
have turned the tide, and thus won every important
battle which has been fought in the Atlantic States.
She has been literally swept for conscripts from 19
to 40; and the Secretary of War has even gone so
Tar as to seize exempts in defiance of the decisions
of our Judges, and force them into camp. The con-
script law, in which our people have acquiesced,
not because they regard it constitutional, or hu
name, or just but on account of their devotion to
the cause, still calls for men up to A. If the Pres
ident needs troops let him call for them; but our
militia belong to the State, and our Governor is
their constitutional commander.in- chief The call
of the President embraces, under our laws, magis-
trates, militia officers, many persons who have fur
nished substitutes, and State and County officers
not specially exempted. If these should be taken,
what militia will remain? How will the civil law
be enforced? How will deSerters be arrested p
| How will iusurrection and violence of a certain
character be guarded against and prevented How
will our Governor, in his necessary struggles with
an administration which appears to devote itself es-
pecally to usurpations of power in this State, be
able to hold up his head and make good his promise
that he will maintain the decisions of our Courts
and protect the liberties Of citizens against these
| usurpations? These militia once raised and trans
| ferred to the President will become Confederate
troops. They will thus pass absolutely under the
command Of the President. His oath will bind him
to control them, and to use them when and where
he pleaseS. The Governor will be powerless. Be-
sides, at the end of their months service, they
| aciU be conScripted The call is for them, as well
enough of the conscripts up to A. to raise 1000
men. The conscriptS already liable for the war,
aid the militia, being thus mingled with the con-
scripts, will be held. The idea that the Confederate
government will disband 600 trained troops these
will be at the end of six months; is absurd. 1t will
do no such thing. Again, some four or five months
since, our Legislature made effort at the call of
the Governor to raise ten thousand troops for State
fence. That effort was defeated by the President
and his partizans the Enquirer among them. 1t
was denounced as treason to the cause. Its advo-
Gates were villifed and held up as Linconites and
enemies of the government If that effort Lad sac
ceeded, those would now have been in the field
as U0lunteers with the Governor at their head and
they would have beaten back any twenty thousand
| of the enemy sent against them. But no, that
would not do. 1t would have deprived the admin
stration at Richmond of patronage and power, and
it smacked too strongly of State rights and State
| independence.


Such are some of the reasons why we are not
willing to see the remnant of militia drafted and call
ed out by the President. We may add another, that
the drain upon our white population is already so
great many localities that there is danger in the fu-
ture not only of pinchng want but of absolute star
vation among the poor. We are not willing to see
any one white child starve to death in North Caro-
lima on account of this war, while the negroes are
| fat and sleek and we would not give the thanks
and the gratitude of the humblest widow of any one
of our soldiers who has fallen for all the compliments
and all the honors that President Davis could be-
stow. Let Mr.. Davis, if he needs troops, call for
conscfipts. Let the pound of flesh " be cut off;
but let him first see that that law is fairly enforced
in other States-that Mississippi sends her full
quota, ard that the law is not allowed to be sus-
pended in one whole District in the State of Geor
gia And let him also direct his Secretary of War
.noak
Courts, and by arresting persons discharged by our
Judges, when persons discharged upon the same
grounds by Judges in Georgia and South Carolina
| are allowed to 60 free.


But the Enquirer wants US hanged. What for?
From May, 1861, to the present call, we have sus
tanned every effort to raise troops and every meas
ure to carry on the war. We voted for Mr.. Davis
as the qoar President ard we have been and are still
a war man. But we not the unconditional and
most obedent servant of the administration at Rich
| mond-we are for justice, and right, and our own
State in the last resort against all other States and
hence we must be hanged. If this must be so, then
we object to this writer for the Enquirer acting as
common hangman. 1t may be that there are crimi-
nails in the world so depraved that they would not
be polluted by his touch but the knowledge that
he was officiating in our case though we might de-
serve the penalty, would add sting even to the
pangs of DEATH This Jack Ketch calls upon the
North Carolina troops when they return home to
hang US. This is the spirit of Danton and Robes
pierre in Richmond 1t only wants power to be
put in practical operation, and to deluge this State
with the best blood OF It's Conservative people Take
away our militia-cut off the last lock of Samson,
and this spirit may yet perform its bloody work.
And this vile sanderer of the troops and of the
good name of North CarolIna-this degraded pimp
| of "plugs" and "blOodtubs this hireling echo
of an administration which statedly orders prayers