Convention of North Carolina brigades in Gen. Lee's army — a Rebuke Administered to Unpatriotic citizens at home.
A Convention of the North Carolina troops of Gen. Lee's army was held at Orange C. H., on the 13th inst., for the purpose of rebuking the treacherous proceedings of some of the people of the great State who are led on in their folly by a traitorous press called the Standard, published at Raleigh, N. C. The brigades represented in the Convention were those of Gens. Davis, Stuart, Hoke, Lane, Pettigrew, Iverson, Ramseur, Daniel, and Scales. The resolutions adopted by the Convention set forth; in substance:
- 1st. That our separation from the Northern Government is final and eternal, and that "we do not intend that the action of any portion of our people at home shall so bind our hands as to make further resistance on our part impossible."
- 2d. That we cannot comprehend the base feeling that would return to the embrace of any enemy who has carried on a war of invasion against us for more than two years, coupled with every savage infliction which he has had the power to impose.
- 3d. That while the soldiers are sacrificing even their lives for our independence, their friends at home should not cast a chill and gloom on their hopes by untimely repining and base leanings towards submission; that we would be untrue to our principles, untrue to our wives and children, who would be the greatest sufferers by submission; untrue to our noble dead, untrue to our interests, untrue to our State, untrue to our Confederacy, and untrue to the cause of freedom, now to submit to the domination of such as rule the Northern people, and that we fear their rule more than their wrath.
- 4th. Condemns the action of various county meetings recently held as favoring the cause of the enemy.
- 5th. Denounces the course of the Raleigh Standard, and pronounces as false the statement made by its proprietor that his course is approved by a large number of the troops from North Carolina.
- 6th. Suggests that the public authorities of North Carolina should take measures for the suppression of the paper named, as well as others that follow it, if it should be found that true patriotism in the State had so far lost its hold on the minds and hearts of the people as to be unable to check the course of these disloyal journals.
- 7th. That we heartily approve of the noble and patriotic course of Gov. Vance in the struggle for our independence; that we are willing to entrust the honor and integrity of our State in his hands, and that we are confident he will not betray his trust.
The meeting was not boisterous, but calm, quiet, and deliberate, and seemed to be fully impressed with the importance of the object which had drawn them together. Meetings of a similar character have also been held in all the regiments by the officers and men. The meeting cannot but result in good. All the speakers seemed to take the ground that the people at home who were getting up these meetings were the men who do not want to come out under the proclamation of the President calling for the forty to forty-five men.
