Arkansas democratic banner., 1851-04-22
vAx BuRKS.
rhe Meeting iu Pulaski.

Our hasty notice of the county Convention held on the i4th inst, and published in oar last num- Der. would seem to have aroused some excitement and produced some reflection among gentlemen who disslsim half way Demoeraey" We will Hnsiv scknowlefse that there were few present tl whom the phraze would hare been applicable, bat that there was an ef,st made b refuse to the peo pie the right of expressing preference for a can iiiaie for Congress, by speeches, and osher%se. we do no. presume even the hrnest friends Of the Gazette and Democrat, and Gen. Clarke, will de- nv. With the exception of perhaps an isolated in stance, every county in the State has made public it's choice e.lheF by name or by selecting dsle gates or pso ies. whose psesleiections were as wei! known aa1 as much h be relied on any one ,-ho appeared al the meeting ei thIs county. If then the will of the democracy was fully anl fsriy made known, (and those even who oferel any expression scknswledgea that Johnson was beyond question the cho.ee.) We look upon srrratisa, an such an occasion as anti-democratic. not because Johnsen, Byrd, Clarke, of any etbef man might have been more popular. but. Seeaus
 il was the win 0f primary aSsembiage called 10 that purpose.
 In connection with this subject we have a wor in reply to Mir. G. c. Watkins, who, at very con siderable, length in the Gazette and Democrat, de fends hrnseif against what he suPpoScS to hav- been a charge tia, he was '.haR-way democrat" and opposed to Col Johnson. Now, we have never been disposed 10 doubt MT. Watkins de- mocfacv, or his sdheranee ta the party, whatever his preference for men might be. l; never was, and never could te made test with us, that be- cause deyaocrat preferred Ar. BorianA to Col. Sevier, or Gen. Clarke 10 any body else. that he was any the less 4 democrat, nor hal we the slightest ailusion to Mr. Watkins ia the article which called forth his address in sT. WooAruf's paper The particular course of any lndlYidgal, is not to us or tO the community, matter of such import as the gravity of his address would imply. Mir. Watkins as he remarks, did not originate this difference from the courss ordinarily pursued al such meetings; but simply sustained NIT. Carroll, who advocated the ground Of non instruction, anI hence, our surprise that he should have taken to himself the character of pcrsonase whose politi- cal reputation required defence.
 We remember. however. that not many months have elapsed since the press to which Mir. Watkins clang with deep interest, declared that it nof identified with either Of the great parties which agitated the eoaatIy, ia the canvass between CaSs and Taylor, and that il would rather herald the finding of lead ore. than l" nail whig lie b tue counter" Tbat press saz the Democrat and Mr. Woodruff was it's editor. Aat whatever political turnosl may have agitaied the country cs the state Mir Watkins has never severed himself from the association with t.
 We have before said. that Il was not our iaten- ton to place slf. Watkins this position, but since his address has called up such "reminiscences, we feel justified, while noticing hls complaints of the Banner, to give Aim she benefit of them.
 weturn with pleasure from reply to ar. Wat kjas to the excellent exposition of Democratic prn eiples, sy Judge Cendenin. h the true spsfit of democracy aad despite the arguments which were used ,o swerye him ffom the course winch he had resolved upoa he eoatendral iianfaly for the night of expzesyion by the people el the county and The resolutions of Gen. RemFsisad, and succeeded. Men talk of :. liar mo niziag the desnocEsto par ty" ana hIcw at IS stone. We Fesasa4, away with saeh lsciionis5s sad selfish uickst-rs. The people hs,l si,ed such men r'gaieonsiy sad w,a A., Ts arsip