Year: 1863

some time past with the evident wish 10 involve
in controversy with itself Many things have
appeared in that journal during the period referred
to- which regarded as unjust If not unkiDd towards
US; but we have borne them for the sake Of peace,
and with the hope that the Editors especially after
the people had pronounced against their views at
the ballot tbox, would cease to misrepresent our
course. But the Observer of the eth forces us
to reply. We have no other alternative but to
submit silently to gross injustice, and to the pro-
mitigation of most Objectionable doctrines by jour-
nal, which, though not avowedly Conservative, is
professedly friendly with some of those with whom
we act. .---.--.--.


Our paper of the 9th contained an article headed
1.-The Difference" containing no allusion to the o.
ssroer, in which we contrasted the difference in
constitutional point view between the proposition
to take action by the sovereign States with refer.
ence to peace, and the proposition that the States
shall assume the Confederate debt The Obser6sr
copies this article, and makes it the basis of remarks
some of which we will notice - h,a......--


Speaking of the Peace Conference of 1851, the
O6serrsr says: ,..s....~- I'D. ..,tr ... .. .....
. 1.-THE Conference did not assume to itself any
poDer-ether to make war or peace-it was merely
an assembly of distinguished men from the different
States-an extra constitutional body-to consult
together how to devise plan that might be sub
mtted TO the consideration and action of Congress
for reconciling differences in such manner as to
preOeRt war. 1t interfered and proposed to inter-
fere with no rights of the Executive or of Congress
But the avowed object of the "peace men " in the
present day was to make peace in defiance of the
constitutional rights of the President and Senate
an object as impossible as it was UNCONSTITUTIONAL


Now, We say that "the ayowed object of the peace
men of the present day was" not "to make peace
in defiance of the constitutional rights of the Presi
dent and Senaten Their object was to bring the
sovereignty of the States to bear in obtaining
peace on the basis of separation, just as it was
Drought to bear in 1861 to prevent war. No revo
luton in our present system was advised or con-
templated But it was feared as it is still feared
that in the first place it would be extremely diff
cult to institute negotiations between Presidents
Davis and Lincoln representing as they do the ex-
treme of the two sections; and secondly it was
apprehended that Mr.. Davis would not relinquish
Maryland, Kentucky, Missouri, and West Virginia,
unless required to do by the sovereign States
1t was not considered material how negotiations on
proper basis were brought about, so the negotia-
tions themselves could be reached. But the Obser-
Der goes further and asumes that the object Of the
peace men of North Carolina was to "make peace
on the part of North Carolina alone leaving her sis
ter States to wage the themselves, without her
help, and indeed as it would inevitably have result
ed with her help given to the yankees against her
sister States for if North Carolina were to 60 out
Of the Confederacy, she would at once be overrun
by the yankees, and her men forced into the yam
kee army, to fight against their Southern brethren"
This statement is also unfounded. The "peace
men," as the Observer calls them, did not propose
that North Carolina should Ego out Of the Oonfed-
eracy." On the contrary, they proposed joint ac-
ton through the Congress, and by the sovereign
States, in the Oonfederacy, with view to negotia
tons But now mark the language of the o.
server: ..'


ITO prevent such q disastrous result THAT is
the secession of the State selEpreservation would
possession of tie State North Carolina would
thus become the battle ground of the two hostile
nations and her own sons would be arrayed IN
deadly hostility to each other"


| No considerable portion of our people have even
intimated wish to seeede from the Oonfederacy
nor so far as we are concerned have entertain
| ed or advocated such step; but according to the
theory Of our present form Of government the State
has right to seceds whenever she may choose to
DO So But the O6serUer steps in with the sugges-
tion-and a horrible one it is-that if North Caro-
lima should in any event. attempt to part company
with her sisters and set up for herself "THE Con-
FEDERATE ARMY WOULD TAKE AND HOLD ARMED Pos
SESSION" OF HER SOIL, AND INAUGURATE IN OUR MIDST
A CIVIL WAR BETWEEN SOUTHERN NEN Selfpreser-
vaon on the part of the State is not to be thought
Of says the Observer when it comes in conflict with
/ self preservation on the part of the Confederate
States. MI Davis is to do just what Mr.. Lincoln
! is doing-he is to coerce and trample down the
State on the pretext that the welfare of the whole
must not be put in jeopardy by the action of single
member. 1t is nothing more nor less than Lincoln
doctrine, and if carried out it would make North
Carolina one vast graveyard. We insist that Mr..
Davis would have right in any event. to turn the
arms of Confederate soldiers against North Carolina


and the suggestion that he may will do it coming
from arespectable source like the O6serUsr is we'll
calculated to excite and alarm our people. Wede-
nounce the suggestion as bloody, nefarious, inhu-
man, ratricidal, and as fraught with woes immune
rable if ever acted on or carried out


But the Observer says the Peace Conference Of
1851 was an utter failure as any action Of the States
would be now, though the Conference referred to
]" was the spontaneous movement of the people Of
all the States, anxious to preserve peace and the
Union" Mistaken again. The members of that
Conference were not chosen by the people, but were
appointed by Governors and Legislatures. A ma.
jority of them were party hacks, committed on one
side to aggression and on the other to disunion.-
This majority met, not to make peace but war
Hencethei efforts failed but if tie people had been
allowed to elect delegates to national convention
after full discussion of the issues, and such body
had met and deliberated, all our difficulties would
have been adjusted, and We should have had no dis