Year: 1863

the course which these--in their estimat0n-wse
| statesman chose TO pursue. When such course was
suggested or recommended to thsm they evaded it by
long list Of magnificent promises which looked splendid
as almost to dazzle the mind with their brillianey


First and foremost they promised that secession should
| be peaceaJie. ,
Secondly they promised that if perchance should
ensue would be short war that it would not last
sir months that the Yankees would not hght that one
Southerner could whip from ten TO hundred of them
that England and France would speedily recognise and
render every assistance might desire that whatever
might be their abstract opinions of the subject of slavery
their interests would mpe them to promote its perpetuy
in the Southern States that if after all they should not be
disposed to assist us, Cotton King and would soon
bring all the crowned heads OF Europe their knees IN
supplcaton to would compel them to raise the block
ade should be established, 10 thirty days, in sixty
days in ninety days, in hundred and twenty days, in
six months, in nine months in year at farthest


Thirdy, they promised that all the Slave States
cept Delaware would join the Southern Confederacy
slavery should not only be perpetuated 10 the States
but that it should be extended into all the Territories I'D
which the negro could live that all the grievances
stoned by the nonexecuton of the fugitive slave law should
be speedily redressed that slave property should be estb
ished upon basis safe as that of landed property
Foutthy, they promised that the new Government
should be Confederacy Of States of absolute sove
egnty and equal rights that the States should be tyran
nzed over by such central desposn" the old Go
vernment at Washington; that the glorious doctrine OF
State rights and nuifcaton as taught by Mr.. Jefferson
and Mr. Calhoun, should prevail in the new Confederacy
that the sovereignty of the States and their judicial dec
| sions should be sacredy respected.


Filthy they the early and permanent estab
shmeDt OF the Wealthest best GOvernmenG on tn6
earth crtd should be better than that of any other
nation whose prosperity and happiness would be the envy
| of the civilized world


And lastly they promised us that war should ensue
they would go to the battlefield and SPILL if necessary the
last drop Of their blood in the Of their beloved
South.


While such have been their promises what have been
their performances Instead Of secession being peaceabe
they promised that il would it has given rise to such
has before desoated any country since the
barbarians of tue North the Roman Empire So
L fhR pulInp in tha thaV
would should it it has slready lasted more than
two years aud if their policy is to be it will last
more than two years longer and notwithstanding their
predictions the Yankees have fought many occasions
with spirit and determination worthy Of their ancestors
of the Revolution worthy Of the descendants of those
austere old purtans heroic spirit and religious
| made Oliver Cromwels army terror Of the civilized
world of those French Huguenots "whO thrice in the
sixteenth century contsnded with heroic spirit and var
fortunes rganst all the genius of the house of Lor
rana and al the power of the house Of Valos England
and France have not recognised have not raised the
blockade have not shown any sympathy nor ia there
any probability that they WILL aud that cotton is not
king is universally acknowledged And Maryland
has not joined the Confederacy has Kentucky nor
Missouri really been with Slavery has not only
been perpeuaed in the States extended into the
Territories but Missouri has passed act of emancpa
tion and Maryland is ready to do rather than give up
her place in the Union and the last hope of obtaining
foot of the Territories for the purpose of extending slavery
has departed from the Conederacy orerer The griev
caused by the failure of OF the Northern States
to execute the fugitive slave law have not only been





since secession than would have escaped
from their masters "a the Union in FIVE centuries And
how have they kept their promise that they would respect
the sovereignty and rights Of the States Whatever the
Government may be in theory, in fact have grand
military consolidation which almost entirely ignores the
existence Of the States and dsregards the decisions of
their highest Judicial tribunals The great central despO
ism at Washington they pleased to call it,
time previous to the commencement of the seces
sion movement and even for some time after it had
menced amot mild and benefceD Government compared
with the central dcsposm at Richmond under which
are now living


Instead OF an early and permanent establishment of the
weahlest and best Government IN the world with
bounded credit, what have goti In spite of all the
victories which they profess to have obtained the
Yankees they have lost the States of Missouri Kentucky
Arkansas Texas Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee.
and in my humble opinion have lost them forever and in
all probability Alabama will be added to The number
This will leave to the ConfedeTacy but fire States
the original thirteen and Of these FIVE the Yankees have
possession Of many of the most important ,ius and
third Of their territory SO far the Yankees have
failed to bd every place of Importance which they
taken and present indications that Charleston will
soon be added to the number The campaign Of Gen Lee
into Pennsylvania has undoubtedly proved failure and
with II the last hope OF conquerng peace by success
full invasion of the enemys country Our army has cer-
tanly been very much weakened aud dspirted by this
failure ard the fall of Vicksburg aud how long Rich
mond VIII be safe no tell As the Richmond En-
qurer said some time ago. they slowly but sure y
gaining upon acre by acre mile by mile" and, unless
Providence nterposes IN our behalf-of which no
indications-we will, at great distance Of time be
subugated people


As to unbounded credit based upon the security of
King Cotton 1t IL unnecessary to speak When see
ore OF the most influential States in the Confederacy dis
credtng very large part OF the Confederate currency
and the Confederate Government itself repudiatng
some extent, its most solemn obligations but
suppose that the confidence Of other nations in the good
faith and credit Of this Government is small indeed Az
regards their promise the war and spill the last
drop Of their blood in the Of their beloved Souh
will say nothing. Every body knows how the seces-
sunss Of N"rih Carolina have kept that promise Every
body knows that the leaders with few honorable excep
tiors will neither fight negotiate.


What dep0rabe spectacle dDes the foregoing history
present to our view To what a desperate pass have
they brought and for what They say that they did
1t because the North would give no guarantee in the
slavery question have before stated that not one of the
guarantee whatever Nay they refused accept Of
any if their friends of the Border States would procure
them for them.


The Legislature Of North Carolina at it's regular session
10 January lsOl adopted resolutions appointing Comms
siohers to the Peace Congress 1T Washington city and
also to the Convention which assembled at Montgomery
Alabsma in February 1861, fer the purpose Of adopting
Constltuton and establishing Provisional Government
ior the COME derate States o America On the motion
the writer OF this the resolution appointing Commissioners
to Montgomery amend, as 10 instruct them 10
act solely medaiors, and use every effort possible to
restore the Union upon the basis of the Crenden propo
sitioRs modified bg Me Legislature Of Tirginia The
Commissioners under these instructions the Hon d.
| u. Swan, Gen Nj. w. Ransom, aud John L. BridRers
Esq who upon their return, submitted report to his
Excelency, Gov Ellis which by him laid before the
Legs anre and was printed among the legislative docu
nets oi that year where 1t msy be consulted In this
report they cay that they hal the most ample
oi aceraInng public opinion in the Cotton States and