Year: 1863

The State of North Caroline being free and in.
dependent State in the Southern Oonfederacy and
bound foreman therein only solong Is may Do DEEM
ed advisable, after consulting the public mind IN Pnf
suSnce Of and according TO- the CONSTITUTIONS podee
provided its citizens must Away with gress
jealousy any influences operating out pf the Sate
and controlled by the Confederate government ana
will be disposed to respect as Of every little weight
In regulating their opinion, the professed voice q
regiments uttered through officers not dependent
in the smallest manner for their present OF future
position upon the political sentipen.s Of the State
The voice Of the men they would duly appreciate,
if they could be assured that each and every man in
the regiment would be just free to speak and vote
as they were when assembled thome, in the midst.
ofpeace and under the @gis Of the Constitution. -
Let assure you officers who lately assembled IN
solemn conclave that no one in the State believes
such to have been the condition Of the men ofsthe
army. But every one knows that although posss6H
you may have truly expressed their views, you
have satisfied nobody that you have done 80. The
people know too we'll how few officers very
few-may, without open dissent from any one, pro-
fess to speak for an army, Of whose hearts they
know nothing and of whose desires they care less,
SO long as their own hopes and aspiring designs are
ascending the ladder of ambition, to put much con-
fdence in the unaninity Of your resolutions And,
gentlemen, let me assure you that your address,
ushered to the public eye with whatever ceremony,
will be met rs yourresolutions are. Disenthra the
army-turn loose the fettered and bound and tongue
tied-let each one speak out where he may be safe
from the frowns and petty malice of chafed officers
as at the ballot box, in by-gone day; and let each
officer be dependant for his position the courtesy
of his conduct and the opinion of the army willbe
distinct and emphatic; and whatever it may be, 1t
will be respected. will not say what it would be
upon the topics discussed, but as q freeman long
to see it once more thus freely expressed. In this
day of threatened despotism, would feel refreshed
once more to behold this ''oass in the desert" Would
you; gentlemenP court i'll long for it Lwsnt
to see once again the great body of the people 60
out to the ballot box and consult upon the pros
poets and destiny of their beloved country, with ali
the sacrifices of the past and all the responsibilities
of the future before their eyes, Do you desire it'll


l shall not, gentlemen, question your right to as.
semble and express your opinions OF the conduct OF
public afsirs. But you know the jealoosy which
freemen at all times have entertained of your est-
mate of true liberty. May without offence, tell
you universal truth written in the history of
ry fallen republic THE army has ruined the free.
do~c euery country whose cioil liberties it has to-
Ken in charge. This truth had been so thoroughly
established by the examples of the past, that your
forefathers nearly century ago, small cause for
fear as was then presented compared with that
! which now Exists deemed it necessary 20 lay down
! among the fundamental principles of Republican
government "that the military should be kept In
strict. subordination to- and be governed by, the
civil power;" that armed bands shall not be con-
vened to overawe peaceable people in the enjoyment
of the "rght to together to consult for the
common good toinstruct their representatives, and
to apply to the legislature for redress grevancea"
And, for general shield against despotism from
every quarter they declared '' that the freedom of
the press is one of the great bulwarks of liberty,
and ought never to be restrained" Afterwards,
in $780, these cherished principles were planted by


the voice of every State in the national Constitu-


ton and in the most solemn manner it was


dained, that no law should be passed "abridging


tho freedom of speech or of the press, or of the


people peaceably to assemble and petition the gov


ernment for q redress of grievances" Even within


three years past they have been repeated by the


people, and embodied among their fundamental b.


ses of liberty, where they yet remain reposing in


security, and even under the guardianship of your


own devout oaths to maintain and defend them


Yet, unless greatly misconceive. your resolutions,


they are sufficiently expressive Of your wish that


the freedom of the press may be extingushed if it
do not reflect your political sentiments. Every
man knows that those who could adopt such reso-
lutons concerning the press and the right of the
people to meet and consult all that is dear to
them their lives and lberties-peace and war
would rejoice to see every press in the State abol.
ished that did not speak their peculiar opinions on


public affairs. You would not sigh, even, if you
knew that fifty thousand readers in the State had





crate. And still you would persuade yourselves
that you ardent lovers of liberty and the true
guardians of free speech and q free press Your
citizens at home have lavshed on your brave
ry and gallantry on the field of battle the highest
praise but they know we'll the difference between
the impetuous and heroic warrior and the cool and
balanced statesman. With the former the earth
has teeined in every age and cline, but centuries
alone bring forth Fredericks and Westinghouse
Let me tell that fear you have forgotten the
lessons of liberty with which you entered the ar
my. and are but realizing the spprehensons of our
ancestors when they warned US against men who
had been long in arms. When or where did free
people ever trust the guardianship of free speech or
free press to an armyP When or where before,
did feemen in arms reared the principles of true
liberty, ever 1sk for such thing2.


Trained as you have been under the most conser-
vative of constitutions, in which you are taught
that free press is the life blood of liberty and
having had too, constantly before your eyes the v-
ing examples Of dcspots suppressng it to hide the
pect to find in you the most faithful defenders Of
this great palladium OF liberty, and the very fore
most to rebuke any power in or out Of the borders
of the State which might undertake to impair it
The disappointment Of your fellow citizens is both
sorrowful and sore; and you may expect, come
what may, oftentines to hear Of your efforts to de-
ter the people from assembling together to consult
Ior tne common gooo, ana 70 suppress the pres6
which dared to publish the results of their couDsel


Your action is but another melancholy instance to
be added to the thousand which darken the page Of
freedoms history, and prove how soon the great
principles Of liberty may be forgotten in camp;
and how terrible to freedom is q standing army
Recollect, moreover, gentlemen that you are part
of the ConJedsrats army everXof6cer of which has
equal right with yourselves to assume the Dictator
ship Of the State press and State primary meetinga
of the people to consult together. Remember,
NOR eoves that even the great Casar made ten cam
psigns before he dared to pass the Rubicon and
that even Lincoln restored to freedom press which
Burnside had suppressed. -.
When you shall have put under your feet the
State constitutional right ofths people sto assem-.
bic together and petition the Legislature for re-
dress of griaYanceg and tha;. .;ul4 ,,.ao. 4lo