Year: 1864


deem necessary for the due administration of the
laws. Not wishing to take so important resPon-
Slblity upen my shoulders without consulting the.
Representatives of the people, have so far claimed
the exemption of all civil and military officers OF the
State together with the indispensable employees Oh
the different departments Of the State government
as enumeratedby your body at its late extra ses-
sion. Audi now respectfully ask that you indi.
cate to me by resolution those persons you regard
rs proper subjects for exemption.


have taken the ground that exemption of Stste>
officers from conscrption into the Confederate ser
vice IS not by favor of Congress, but is matter OF
right inherent in sovereign State and that for the
same reason the State has an indisputabe right to.
the service of laborers and other persons who are
necessarily in her employ though they be not Off:
GERS within the meaning of the acts Of Congress-
Should you again agree with Ipe in this opinion, 1
would be happy to be sustained by resolution to
that effect
Should you conclude to combine the Home Guard.
and MilNia organizations, | recommend that the
latter be preserved should regret exceed Ugly to-
the militia abolished and its organization de.
stroyed 1t is the ancient and time honored milf
tary institution of the State her main dependence,
in ordinary times, for the suppression of rebellion
and rePeng of invasion, and though shorn of its
strength by the raising of great armies and despite
its many short comngs it has cen of great service
both to the State and Confederacy during this war


Here he distinctly states that he had refused to
surrender the State efesrs but had left the whole
matter to the Legislatures and he goes further ami
enters his earnest protest against any measure that
would abolish or destroy the militia organizatesr
The Legislature responded to the Governor by ex.
empting the militia officers and magistrates, and
others; and that body did this, not because these
classes were not much bound under ordinary cir
cumsances as others to enter the regular service but
because to conscript them would be- to that extent,
to abolish the State government to sweep away the
last remnant of able-bodsd men from the farms, and
to deprive the State of nearly every civil and mill
tary officer of subordinate grade, without whose
active and constant services every neighborhood in
the State would soon be at the mercy of deserterS,
and slaves, and persons of desperate Character
The Legislature believed and acted on the belief,
that magistrates, and militia officers and constabes
and others who were exempted, We're as necessary
and as useful in their spheres and as indispensable
to the preservation Of society, as the Chief Justice
and the Judges, and the regular troops themselves


The question is, will Gov. Vance redeem that
pledgei We donOt believe he will. Will the Leg
isature surrender the State ofcersr That question
is to be decided. We apprehend that all the i'm.
mense patronage and power of the two ogovernments
will be brought to scar on that body to induce or
compel it to make the surrender and that 1t will
be quite fashionable, in the course of four or five
weeks, to denounce every one who may oppose the
surrender as Lncolnte and traitor to his country.
These are our opinions-let them go for what they
are worth.


The impression in this City seems to be that the
Legislature will be convened on Monday the 18th
of:October. The request 20 do so no doubt pro-
ceeds from Richmond, and the order as to what
should be done by the Legislature when assembled,
appears almost daily in the Raleigh Confederate


We cannot better conclude these hurried obser.
vatons than by the following extract from Mr..
Stephens speech, delivered before the Legislature
of Georgia in March last;


If all the white labor of the country, Fl ON sew.
enteen to ffty-except the few exceptions stated
be called out and kept constantly in the feldS we
must fail, sooner or later for want of subsistence
and other essential supplies. To wage war success
fully, men at home are as necessary men in the
field. Those in the Geld must be provided for, and
their families at home must be provided for. In
nv judgment, no people successfully carry on q
long war, with more than a third of It's arms bear
ing population kept constantly in the field, espe-
caIly if cut off by blockade they are thrown upon





plies, subsistence and munitions Of war This is u
question OF arithmetic on we'll settled problems Of
political economy. But succeed against the
hosts of the enemy unless all able to bear up
to fifty years Of age called to and kept in the
field? Yes, thousand times, yes, l answer, with
proper and SkIllful management If we cannot
without such CALL we cannot with it if the war
last long The success of Greece against the inva.
sion by Persia-the success Of the Netherlands
against Philip-the success of Frederick against
the allied powers OF Europe-the success Of the
Colonies against Great Britain, all show that it
be done. If our only hope Was in matching
the enemy with equal numbers then our case
would be desperate indeed. Superior numbers is
one of the chief advantages of the enemy Wa
must avail ourselves Of our advantages. We should
not rely for success by playing into his hand. An
invaded people Nave many advantages that may be
resOrted to to counterbalance superiority of numbers
These should be studied, sought and brought into
actve cooperation. 10 secure success, brains
must do something as well as muskets. OF all the
dangers that threaten ultimate success, con;
slider more imminent than the policy embodied
in thus act if the object really be- as its broad terms
clsre, to put and keep in active service all be
tween the ages of seventeen and fifty, except the
eXempts named On that line we will most assured
ly, sOoner or later, do what the enemy never could
| do, conquer OGrseLreS"


Col. Chsrles @. Blacknall, of 22d N. G. Troops