Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1845-07-25
TO the Voters Of the Sixth
COMPRESSION DISTRICT.

A charge of the most serious nature has been
made by Me-. Meares, the Federal candidate for
Congress, in this district, against your old. long
tried. and faithful representative, James J. Mckay.
Mr.. Meares charges that Genl Mckay is opposed
to letting poor men vote. To support that charge
he exhibits the two certificates which will be found
below. The first that we heard or saw of these
certificates, was from an extra issued from the
Federal printing office in this place. We under
stand there has been five thousand copies of this
extra struck off, and sent to every part of the dis
trct, for The purpose of operating against General
Mckay. We denounce the whole as an election
eerine trick and will undertake to sly. that we
will shew it to be such before we quit the matter
The short address from Mr.. Meare*; merely states
that he has been making the charge against .1enl
Mckay, that ne (the Gen'D was opposed to uni
versal suffrage" and that he (Mr Meares) now
produces the proofs to substantiate the charge.
We said in another article. that we would touch
on this matter in another place. At the discussion
in Duplin, (noticed elsewhere) Mr. Meares wound
up his category Of charges with the production OF
these certificates. Mr. Mearcs went on. mat
ter of course, to comment upon them; to ask tie
people ifthe man who had used such expressions as
those attributed to Mckay in the certificates Of these
two gentlemen, was worthy of their confidence or
support, together with long-winded disquisition
on universal suffrage, and liberty in general
When Genl Mckay replied to this charge, he
said that he had not the slightest recollection of
ever using such expressions. He appealed to those
around HIM, who had watched his public course for
the last thirty years, if they had ever seen any
thing in his conduct that would warrant them in
believing that he had ever used the language attri-
buted to him in Mr.. Ptarsa|'s certificate. lie ask
ed them if it not strange, that he. who had
been %oted for, sustained and supported, by the
poor men of the district, would use such language
in speaking of these very men. He told them, and
appealed to the records of the country for thu truth
of what he said, that he had always voted for the
extension of the right of suffrage, whenever the
question was brought before hi n. He cited the
case of Alexandria, in the District of Columbia
There the question had come up in the House Of
Representatives. in fixing the details Of the charter
for that town. The question was, whether every
one the age of twen:y-one, resident of the
place. should have right to vote for city officers
or whether there ought to be property qualfca-
ton, in order to entities to vote. Thu wings
generally voted for restricting the ri ght of suffrage
to those possessing property qualification. The
Democrats voted for "unirersal Suffrage" and
Gen. Mckay voted with the latter. Indeed, in eve.
ry instance, wherever the question has come up,
Gen. Mckay has thrown his whole weight into the
scale Of universal suffrage.
Again, the expressions in regard to the poor at
tributed to Gen. Mckay, in Mr.. Jere Pearsalls
certificate, made of in conversation
which took place twelve years ago, if they were
made of at ALL For it is agreed on all hands
that the certificates of both the Pearsalls point to
one and the same conversation Why, then, did
not Mr.. Jere Pearsall make this monstrous disclo-
sure long before this! Why. during all this Pc
Rod has the matter been permitted to sleep! Why
these certificates delay ed till the of an cleo
ton. IL years after the facts which they certify
have taken place!
Again, is it reasonable to suppose, that man
like Gen. Mckay who the " hies say is such
shrewd, cautious, long headed politician, would
be so foolish as to use such expressions those.
even if he entertained the sentiments which they
embody particularly, in the presence of better po-
litlcal opponents These are questions which the
people will ask.
| But again at the discussion which took place at
Mr.. Lott Wamson's, on Wednesday. the 9Th
inst. where the certificates first produced Mr.
Meares stated that ore of Gen. Mckay political
friends would corroborate the statement made by
Jere Pearsall in his certificate. Gen. Mckay ask
ed Mr.. Meares who that democrat was. Mr.
S1eares at first refused, but being pressed finally
gave the name of James Pearsall of Duplin county
MIR. Meares added, 1--WE state this upon the autho-
rity of one whe was presently that if Mr.. James
PearsaIl did not subsantate the same charge, that
then he would withdraw it. Well this democrat,
James Pearsall. also as respectable & man as in
Dupin county, and a member Of the Methodist
church, was called upon to know what he could
say, touching this charge. In responding to this
call Mr.. James Pearsall furnishes Gen. Mckay
with the following clear and distinctly worded ad-
dress TO his fellow-citizcns
DupE7a County, july 22d, le45.
| FELLow-CITIZENs A declaration made by
Mr.. Meares, the Wing candidate for Congress.
(stating that Genl James Mckay. the opposing
candidate. had said that the pc people ought not
70 nave the privilege OF voting In elections and that
he. Mr.. Meares, could prove it by James Pearsali.
of DuPlin county, places me under the painful
necessity Of appearing before you once more. :,
is due to justice and Gen Mckay 70 say, that
never heard the General a, ary tirs,e, make such
declaration Mr.. Meare* my refer to private
conversation that took ;,iace at nv house, ,h,nk
IN 1883 In the Presence of brother Jere Pearsall
ne GENERAL ~as candidate against DR.. Dishong,
ne staye!. with me, / think, ON his way to Wolf
for the first and last time in bis life Broth.
Ter Jere Pearsall came in, and the conversation
turned on elections, AID the abuses of electioneer-
ing. Brother Jere stated that he had been a an.
dIdate, and found that there was not much conf.
Idence to I've placed in certain class. referring to
the thinking class, in which the General concur-