Semi-weekly North-Carolina standard., 1853-01-01
RALEIGH, SATURDAY, JANUARY 1, 1868
THE SENATORSHIP.


people should both regret the omission and inquire
into the that led to it. AS a faithful expo
nent of the public feeling and the public WILL it is
our duty to speak out, and we shall do so with
out fear, favor Affection" but at the time,
hope, in spirit of justice, fairness, and
tesy. We shall impeach mans motives-we
shall speak merely of acts and of results, and leave
the Democrats of the State to form their own con-
| clusions.
Parties in the late Assembly STOOD in the Senate
% Democrats, % Wings, and in the Commons SO
Democrats, 50 Wings, counting Mr.. Love, of Hay
wood, as a Demonstrating Democratic ma
ority of two joint ballot. Tt was therefore nee
essary in order to elect Senator that there should
be full concentration of the Democratic strength.
One of the Democratic members from Orange was
detained at home by aff1icton until about the mid
die of the session, and after the beginning of
the session one of the Democratic members from
Union was taken sick and confined to his room:
but the member from Orange arrived in time to
take part in the effort to elect, though from these
causes, the Senatorial struggle was postponed and
DELAYED.
A caucus meeting of the Democratic mem
bers was held, and the Hon. James G. Dobbin, of
Cumberland, was nominated for Senator. He re-
ceived not merely a majority of the members pres
ent, but majority of the entire Democratic rep
resentation in the General Assembly and his NOM
ination afterwards unanimously agreed to-
Under these circumstances the Democratic people
had right to expect, and they did expect, that he
would be sustained by every Democratic member;
but in this most just and reasonable expectation
they were disappointed Gen. Saunders one of the !
Colnmoners from Wake, voted for Burton Craige, I
Esq, of Rowan, and Mr.. Love, of Haywood, and |
Mr.. Christmas, of Warren, voted, with some
Wings, for Gen. Saunders, while Mr.. Gotten, of |
Chatham, and Mr.. Watson, Iof Johnston, voted, |
with some other Wings, for Mr.. Shepard. Here
then, in the outset, the Democratic party was
disorganized. The Whig leaders, who never in
tended at any time, to permit either Gen. Saunders
or Mr.. Shepard to be elected enjoyed this state of
disorganization for some time; and they at length
united their forces on Mr.. Rayner, and afterwards
on Mr.. Woodfn. At one time in the progress of
the voting, Mr.. Dobbin lacked but two votes of an
e lection and two of the three members-Messrs.
Love, Gotten, and Watson-who voted for other
gentlemen, could have secured his election. |,
The Democratic nominee was, therefore, defeat
ed by few men, and not by any lack of fidelity
IN the part of Democratic members generally In
Iced, the great body of the party stood by Mr. Dob
Din with singular and most commendable firmness ,
He was their first choice-they felt that he had /
oeen fairly nominated, and they were determined .
hat neither the responsibility of his defeat nor
hat of the election of Whig Senator should be r
aid upon them. This feature in the struggle is q
most gratifying. 1t demonstrates that the great y
masses OF the party, thus represented, are still i
ound-still true to usage and organization; and O
affords rallying point and room for hope and a
alculation in the future. E
1t is due to Gen. Saunders to state, that he vot- t
ID for Mr.. Dobbin towards the close of the con-
est, and that ii was generally understood among p
lis friends that his vote would be cast for him at c
ny time when it could be ascertained it would p
lect him but Gen. Gotten did not vote for Mr. l.
)obbin until after he withdrawn, and Messrs l. Il
1ove, Watson, and Christmas did not vote for him f
t all. Mr.. Love, who was elected as a Democrat t.
oted twice for Mr.. Woodfn, most decided Con- il
in preference to Mr.. CIingman, who e.
eceived at time nearly the entire Democratic al
w. JuS vote OF O6n. saunders at THIS late h
eriod for Mr.. Dobbin, and this general under
landing among his friends that he would vote for
i'm at any time when he could secure his election, to
viii not serve to him for taking ground a. tt
ainst the nominee of his party-of that party IN
'hich has conferred upon him all the honors he ic
as enjoyed, and to whose organization and un- er
ielding devotion to principle in the County of tn
Sake he indebted for his seat in the late As fr
embly. That Gen. Saunders has served his party w
ing and faithfully, we cheerfully admit that he tn
as given to its principles clear and powerful expo
tons before the reople and that he has reflected 81
edit upon it in representative capacity in pub G.
c assemblies, we shall be the last to deny but NJ
ese considerations, instead of afording him ius OF
fcation of his late course, actually imposed upon
i'm, in our judgment, heavier obligations than rest
pom most men to be true to its organization and u
5 usages. We entertain the opinion, and we have n
, hesitation IN expressing it. that if Gen. Saun- i,
ers had come, in the outset to the support of Mr. ..
obbin, the moral force of his example and his ~
'te would have brought in others to the support ~
that gentleman, and he would have been
ected.
1t is idle, at this time of day, for Gen. Saunders, tn
r Mr. Shepard, or for any of those Democrats Pc