NORTH CAROLINA . 



539 



can get no troops from North Carolina. I will reply 

 more in detail when your call is received by mail. 



JOHN W. ELLIS, 

 Governor of North Carolina. 

 Hon. SIMON CAMEROX, Secretary of War. 



The county of Pasquotank, which passed such 

 a strong Union resolution on the 20th of De- 

 cember, as above stated, now, on the 23d of 

 April, assembled in mass meeting at the county 

 town, and adopted the following : 



Whereas war exists between the North and the South 

 upon an issue involving the moral, social, and political 

 existence of the South ; and whereas it becomes all 

 good citizens and loyal subjects of North Carolina to 

 defend her honor, and preserve her independence; 

 therefore, 



Besohed, That we, the people of Pasquotank County, 

 in general meeting assembled, disregarding party affilia- 

 tions, ignoring the political lines which heretofore have 

 divded us as a people, forgetting and forgiving the ani- 

 mosities which may have been engendered by former 

 political contests, and laying them all a willing sacrifice 

 upon the altar of our common mother, North Carolina, 

 do this day solemnly form a political brotherhood, 

 whose object shall be' a united resistance to common 

 wrongs its bond of union, the honor of North Caro- 

 lina. 



The forts in the State which had been once 

 seized on a popular outbreak and restored by 

 the Governor, were once more seized, and at 

 this time by his orders. Guns and ammunition 

 were obtained in Charleston for use at Fort 

 Macon and Fort Caswell. An extra session of 

 the Legislature was immediately summoned to 

 assemble on the 1st of May. 



The proclamation of Gov. Ellis convening 

 that body was as follows : 



Whereas by proclamation of Abraham Lincoln, Pres- 

 ident of the United States, followed by a requisition of 

 Simon Cameron, Secretary of "\Yar, I am informed 

 that the said Abraham Lincoln has made a call for 

 seventy-five thousand men, to be employed for the in- 

 vasion" of the peaceful homes of the South, and the vi- 

 olent subversion of the liberties of a free people, con- 

 stituting a large part of the whole population of the 

 late United States, and whereas this high-handed act 

 of tyrannical outrage is not only a violation of all con- 

 stitutional law, utter disregard of every sentiment of 

 humanity and Christian civilization, and conceived in 

 a spirit of aggression unparalleled by any act of re- 

 corded history, but is a direct step towards the subju- 

 gation of the entire South, and the conversion of a free 

 Republic inherited from our fathers, into a military 

 despotism to be established by worse than foreign en- 

 emies, on the ruins of the once glorious Constitution 

 of equal rights ; 



Now, therefore, I, John W. Ellis, Governor of the 

 State of North Carolina, for these extraordinary causes, 

 do hereby issue this my proclamation, notifying and 

 requesting the Senators and Members of the House of 

 Commons of the General Assembly of North Carolina, 

 to meet in special session at the capital in the city of 

 Raleigh, on \Vednesdav, the 1st day of May. And 

 I furthermore exhort all good citizens throughout the 

 State to be mindful that their first allegiance is due to 

 the sovereignty which protects their homes and dearest 

 interests, as their first service is due for the sacred de- 

 fence of their hearths, and of the soil which holds the 

 graves of our glorious dead. 



United action in defence of the sovereignty of North 

 Carolina, and of the rights of the South, becomes now 

 the duty of all. 



Given under my hand and attested by the great seal 

 of the State. Done at the city of Raleigh, the 17th 

 day of April, A. D. 1S61, and in the eighty-fifth year 

 of independence. JOHN W. ELLIS. 



A call was also issued by the Governor, for 

 the enrolment of thirty thousand men, to bo 

 held in readiness to march at a day's notice. 



On the 1st of May the Legislature convened 

 in special session. In his Message, the Gov- 

 ernor recommended that, in view of the seces- 

 sion of North Carolina from the Northern Gov- 

 ernment, and her union with the Confederate 

 States, at as early a period as practicable, a 

 Convention of the people be called with full 

 and final powers. The powers of the Conven- 

 tion should be full because the sovereignty of 

 the people must be frequently resorted to dur- 

 ing the war, and it therefore became necessary 

 that it should be temporarily reposed in the 

 Convention. The action of the Convention 

 should be final, because of the importance of 

 a speedy separation from the Northern Gov- 

 ernment, and the well-known fact that upon 

 this point the people were as a unit. 



He also recommended " the raising and or- 

 ganization of ten regiments, to serve during the 

 war, and that appropriate bounties be offered 

 to all persons thus enlisting." 



The Governor farther said that the North- 

 ern Government was concentrating a large 

 force in the District of Columbia, ostensibly to 

 protect the seat of Government. But snch a 

 force cannot be allowed to remain within the 

 limits of Maryland and on the borders of Vir- 

 ginia without seriously endangering the liber- 

 ties of the people of those States. If they be 

 conquered and overrun, North Carolina would 

 become the next prey for the invaders. Poli- 

 cy, then, as well as sympathy, and a feeling of 

 brotherhood, engendered by a common interest, 

 required them to exert their energies in the 

 defence of Maryland and Virginia. Every bat- 

 tle fought there would be a battle in behalf of 

 North Carolina. The Legislature met at 12 

 o'clock M., and at 1 p. M. both Houses bad 

 unanimously passed a bill calling an unrestrict- 

 ed Convention, whose action was to be final. 

 The election of delegates took place on the 13th 

 of May, and the Convention met on the 20th. 



The Legislature unanimously repealed the 

 section of the Revised Code, which required all 

 officers in the State to take an oath to support 

 the Constitution of the United States before en- 

 tering upon their duties. The act further pro- 

 vided that it should not be lawful to administer 

 any such oath or affirmation to any officer, civil 

 or military. 



After a session of eleven days, the Legisla- 

 ture adjourned, to meet again on the 25th of 

 June. Among other measures, it passed a stay 

 law, to take effect immediately, and authorized 

 the Governor to raise ten thousand men, to 

 serve during the war, and also appropriated 

 $5,000,000 for the use of the State, giving the 

 Treasurer power to issue Treasury notes to the 

 amount of $500.000, in bills ranging from five 

 cents to two dollars, and with a conditional 

 clause, authorizing the issue of a larger amount 

 if necessary. An act was also passed which 

 thus defined treason : 



