Year: 1863

dence during the eventfu period of national his
tory have witnessed not without earnest efforts 10 ar
rest the catastrophe the dissolution of government
and have labored to upon its foundations ahOther
better fitted to secure fe liberty and the pursuit Of hap
pinesS." -


For than six months after the organization bf the
government of the United States and while in successful
operation under the administration of Washington North
Carolina remained sovereign and independent State; and
the authority which formed has dissolved the rea
tons into which she then entered with her sister States
when the association failed to answer the ends of its org
nal creation. j. s...'.


The exercise of this indispuabIe and inaenabe right
has involved in protracled unnecessary and cruel
far advanced in the third year of its progress, CON-
menced under pretext of defending the National Capital
and recovering possession of the public property-now
prosecuted undsguisedv in disregard of everyprncpe OF
the Constitution which that ernAent its exs-
lence and from which all its powers alike in and
derived for the overthrow of nsu tOns, the de-
strucon of property and subgatlo OF atree peo
pie Bafed in their attempts to accomplish this by fair and
open combat and in the ofhose nstrumenateS which
the civilization ard humanity of modern times sanction,
vndctve and persever ng foe seeks not only to
seduce from duty unosndng and couten ted slave pop
uaton but to organize and turn upon Us the most
desperate and rocous of them and thereby add the hOr
rors and caames of serVile insurrectOn to those OF
civil war.


Hitherto the invasion has been arrested by barrier of
living breasts utepOSed by our patriotic and brave citizen
soldiers; and to-day present the world the uDcOn-
qIerabe spirit of people resisting successfully the armed
of nation controlled by the energies Of uumixed
desputisn and superior in all the elements ofNmatera
strength.


The contest opened upon without government army,
navy. public credit. These Remained with the States
FROM which We separated. The incipent period of the
struggle days danger and trial. has been safely pass
ed, We ha established and permanent govern:
penn the exercise Of all the functions belonging to


free and independent people An army numbering
ly less than disciplined armed and furnish
dveterans in all that constitute the hardy and heroic
sodiered by officers of the highest military geniusnow
guards frontier, sternly cOnfrOns foe Our little
navy securing the and sweeping northern commerce
from the oceans surface has already impeshabe
The national credit repnsing firmly upon the pat
of he
own and largely the capital of other countries With
in our limits, under the sharp stimulus of necessity, skill
and enterprise producing the material of and
other supplies required vigorous prosecution Aust
estimate of improved condition. although the progress
of the has been marked by those alterations Of sue
cesses and reversos incident to all human affairs IS well
calculated to inspire with fresh hopes and to reinTgo
rate patriotism.


In subordinate and yet important and responsible po-
ston as member Congress- it has been my constant
aim mpart ygOr and efficiency to every branch of the
public SERVICE to provide generously for the army and
nayy TO enlarge the and promote the comfort of the
private soldier 10 simplify and facilitate the process for
obtaining urOughS aud transfers In merorous cases; to
upheld the public credit and maintain nvioate the public


faith and the end of all to secure by an hons
orabe the freedom and independence of the COnede
States. In doing this it has not been less my
act within the limits fthe Constitution than to infringe
no State individual right.


shall make no Osenatious parade of devotion to your
interests promises of future useuneSsconent TO be
adud ged by the records OF my official conduct. Nor do
have Claims upon your support founded on an abandon
ment of property, practices home on northern SOIL


and return TO the State of former residence have had
other home than In the county OF my 9h ana IN which
are the graves of nv paens and my fortunes and deJt
nv linked with yours from infancy up, not less from choice
than accident, have remained unbroken to this hour My
residence is still in place. twice visited by the public
emy from whose violence / have not wholly escaped
With vnu continue share the dangers and difficulties
incident exposed condition. and you will require no
higher guaranty than that resulting from entire commun
ty of interests for the dgent of all the means at my
command in providing for common safety This sec
ton Of the State has indeed received full protection
haf IlOfR control
waters by the enemy greatly multiply the difficulties in
afordng it. 1t rs true have not deemed it prudent to
make known weakness and wants in Congressional de-
bate and thus perhaps invite hostile vStatons; but beg
YOU not without evidence to mpute remissness to your
representative in pressing upon tie attention ot the Con,
federate authorities in quiet and not less useful
manner real condition and just claims for protection.
No merit is due the performance of simple act of public
duty. Yet when blame is imputed or iaSinTated, fair
minded constituency will be slow to give credence to
charge unsupported by proof And yet, considering our
defenceess state and extended water frontier we have
been wonderfully spared the scouge of invasion Nor let
it be forgotten that grea, army standing with unbendng
front the cry gateway to State m solid strength,
may be rendering real service than could be accom-
pShed through its dspersiOnsOver larger surface IL
us,aom of this be necessary, may be found IN the mil
itary operations of the past You we'll remember the
anxiety with which witnessed the withdrawal ofneary
all the forces from North Carolina for the purpose of
uDrcng the army under General Lee thus apparently
posing its soil be overrun by the enemy And yet the
necessities tAe enemy; ocsioned by this very augMen
taou of the force confronting him. led to the recall of
Gen. Burnside and his troops aid almost liberated US from
| the presence of an enemy: .-...aI


In presenting nv name for reelection il is source of
lust pride and qualification to nd myself called to de-
fend or explain act of my otea ter In the alb
of complaint must assume thar my public conduct
meets your approval But reports which seem 10 have
been most indusrousy circulated among the troops from
the District have been recently brought 10 my notice that
demand and shall receive prompt correction am rep
resented as having given several obnoxious votes:


list In favor of that feature in the exemption law known
asthe twenty negro clause which exenpts 3 from con-


Cd IN favor of the enactment made at the last session OF
Congress- which imposed tax in kind of onetenth or q
1.-THE upQg the agricultural productions OF the eou1y


3d. And against the proposition TO inereas the private


4tS an further charged with having favored the ap
monument of an officer from Virginia to the lit Colouelcy
of the Reth North-Caroiina regiment . ~


shall dispose of these charges one and all briefly By
pronouncing them G"QaGfedy false Destitute oil even
the sembance of truth, and directly the reverse OF my
acts they have been dbicad and after this denial
can only be circulated for the blse and dishonest purpose
inung aud preparing the way Of success Tor some
new and ambitious asprant for popular favor


have uniformly supported BY vote and otherwise eve
rv fair effort to the compensation paid the private
soldier and promote his personal comfort IN sickness
and in health as of simple justice. With my col
leagues voted for the bill imposing taxes upon the prop
erty Of the country, the dd Udors principle and Paya-
be in Ms currency for which the present law was subst
tinted in the Senate the most eeetua meaA of redu-
cling the volume of that currency aad rendering the resi-
due well future issues OF the government more yaoa-
be-a measure whose adoption would have increased the
practical value of the soldier in the OF
supplies for himself and family far than any proposed
increase in its nominal amaAnt. -.


the passage of That Objectionable feature in the
exemption act and at the following session voted with
unanimous House for its repeal. -


recommended for the appointment referred to- and used
all the influence my command, TO secure it to very
gallant and nertorous officer in the service Capt John
Randolph, of Northampton, and no one else.


In connection with the correction of these misrepresen
ations not improper in to add that the provision
against et6rtion limiting prices upon the producl OF the
labor of oxemps the condition OF exemption IN the act
of October 1862 and also the provso in the amendaory
act Of April last imposing annual tax of hve hundred
dollars upon that class Of slave owners whose oEereers
upon nv motion. make this statement as due to my
ndarat nd of m