Year: 1864




proposition which has been made BY some of our
best citizens to call State Convention as "a EesO
Hartford Convention and labors to show that
the same infamy will attach to State Convention
called by our pople which attached to that body of
Federalists What nonsense and folly what an
insult to the people of North Carolina what alb
Ject submission, proffered in advance, to any and
every aggression on State rights and the liberties
OF our people which may be made by the central
government We tell the Observer that North
Carolina is free and independent State alt is so
nominated in the bond" She has right to call a
Convention and to hold it, without being response
bic for so doing to any power on earth


What she will do in that Convention is a matter
for her own people to determine; and whatever she
may do will be just and honorable-and no true son
of hers will say to the contrary.


We believe that if the war should be continued
twelve months longer negro slavery will be utterly
and finally destroyed in these States, and that it
will be impossible to reestablish the institution
Its sudden destruction would involve the whole
social structure in ruin. We believe that by the
end of the period mentioned the rights of the States
and the liberties of the people by the very force of
circumstances, to say nothing Of the aggressive dis
position and purposes of the government at Rich
mond, will have been blotted out or will be at the
mercy of that government We believe that peace
can never be obtained as long as we contend for
Maryland, Kentucky Missouri, and West Virginia;
and that in all probability, it can be obtained only
by the sovereign States cooperating with the
common government We are, therefore, for
Convention, and for cooperation with our
sister States of the South in obtaining an armis-
tice, SO that negotiations may be commenced
1t is not for US to say what such Convention
should do; but VIC may be sure it would omit no
proper steps to secure peace and meanwhile to pro-
tect the State against the encroachments of arbira
ry. power 1t would see to it that the proud head
of the State was bowed to no despot 1t would in
sist that the civil law should prevail in all cases
and being in existence, if not constantly session.
it would have the right to speak and act for the
State as a sovereign, and to demand that the Con-
gress and the military power should respect that
civil law and the inalienable rights of our people
1t could appoint Commissioners to treat for peace
Just as State Commissioners assembled at Washing
ton in March, 1861 to devise plan for harmonzing
the federal Union and any terms or treaty that
might be agreed upon could be laid before the two
governments. Is there any treason in these propo
sitions? We think not Are they unnatural or uErea
sonable? We think not We wish, FIRST TO save hu-
man life and prevent the mpoVershment and ruin of
our people; secondly to prevent the sudden aboli-
ton of slavery the blghting effects of which would
besosn this continent for generations and thirdly
to prevent the extinction of the State soveregnties
which, if it should take place, would reduce US to
the condition of territorial dependents on the favor
of some great central, despotc government But
why elect delegates to a Convention now? Be-
cause the State may be so occupied by the enemy
as to render the election, at some future day, of a
majority of the number of delegates authorized i'm
possible; and because the sooner the delegates
be in their seats the greater will be the certainty
that innovations and usurpations by the common
government will be checked, and the greater the
prospect of an early and honorable peace. North
Carolina is true, and will be true to the Confederate
government as 1t was formed, in its integrity and
purity but she would not be bound by govern
ment which had lost its original character, and been
perverted to despotic purposes against her own
rights and the rights and liberties of her citizens
1t is not true as charged by the Observer and
Others that the object of the Convention is to Sc
cede from the Confederacy, or reconstruct the old
government or humble the State at the feet of Mr..
Lincoln. The object is to preserve the government
by confning it to its constitutional powers, and to
cooperate with it, if such cooperation be practica
BILE, in obtaining peace Neither the Legislature
nor the Governor possesses sovereign power, but
! Convention would possess such power. Such
body could not only greatly relieve those two de-
partments of the government of the heavy respon-
sbilites devolved upon them but it could do things
| in aid of the common cause which they cannot
If the people cannot be trusted in Convention, who
can? If we have reached point in this revolution
at which it is dangerous, not allowable to trust
the people in their sovereign capacity, we may well
pause, and endeavor if possible to anticipate the
consequences. A Convention, for example, could
say to the government, "The suspension of the
writ of hd6eas corpus would silence our Judges ST.
1ence the press deprive people of the freedom
of speech, and destroy personal liberty: we cannot
submit to it but zoe will see to it. as faithful CO.
workers in conmon cause, that every constitu-
tional act of the government is promptly enforced.
If you need more power, lock to Us for it, but do
not usurp doubtful, or exercise Gespotic power."-
Or, "You have already destroyed ou- militia sys-
tenn, which is guaranteed to US by the Constitution;
and now you propose to conscrpt all our white males
from sixteen to fifty. We cannot submit to that,
but We will keep our full quota of men in the field.
We are the best judges of our own wants. We
can spare you certain portions of our fighting men
better than we can others; and we cannot consent
to any system which leaves our people at home to
the danger of starvation" Or, "We cannot spare
the precious grain to be distilled into whiskey; but
if you must have the article, we will furnish you all
we can from our present supplies, or we will im-
port il from abroad ~ Or "We can arrest and keep