Southern standard. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1851-1856, 1853-06-11
Col. R. Davis and Captain Barksdale.

These gentlemen addressed the people at this
place on Wednesday last Notice of the appoint
ment to speak here was not known until two or
three days before the speaking and consequently
there were but few people from the country to
hear them. Captain Barksdale is the nominee of
the late Democratic State Convention for Congress
for the State at large and Col. R. Davis is an in
dependent candidate for the same Office Captain
Barksdale led off in a speech of about two and a
half hours length, much of his speech was upon
the subject of conventions, describing the con-
, convention which nominated hints members as
being the old veterans of Democracy, DC. He
thought the only rTav to carry out democratic prln-
ciples was to support the nominees o. the ConVen-
ton. Some wag remarked in an under tone, II
is pity he did nt think so two years ago. But
the Captain did us the honor to devote very
considerable portion of his speech to US, and COM
mented with some severity upon the course we
had seen fit to pursue in regard to the doings of
the late convention. Now we might retort with
equal severity upon Captain Barksdale, but we
have no disposition to do this, for we felt that he
could not faze our shell,-every blow he struck US
Irebounded himself, nor do we attach any blame to
him for trying to sustain himself since he is the
nominee. But he says he is, and always has been,
State Rights Democrat, that State has right to
peaeibly secede, when intolerably oppressed. 1t
does seem little strange that he should have held
this doctrine two years ago when he was nomina-
ted and elected by the Union party to the conven-
ton. We remember however, that after the con-
vention met to which he was elected, that he de-
clared himself in favor of the right of secession.
In speaking of COL Davis, Captain B. said that
he had expected that he (Col. d. would receive
the nomination, if he had he would have given
him a cheerful support, he said however that Col.
D. had once belonged to the Wbig party and he
would like to hear him abuse the wings little to-
day.
Col Davis then took the stand and occupied
about the same length of time that Captain B.
did. He retorted to the charge of having once
been whig, and said it was true he acted with
the whig party upon the subject of the United
States Bank; he was in favor of giving that con-
Germ 12 years to wind up that was 13 years ago,
he had always differed with them however, upon
the subject of State Rights. But for the last 13
years he had labored with more zeal and spent
more time and money in promoting democratic
principles. than probably any of the members OF
that party in the State, without Office too while
his opponent Captain B. was only two years out
of the whig ranks. He then went into minute
description OF the doings of the late Convention,
showed how the result was brought about. He
showed that the democracy of the southern part
of the State had uniformly disregarded the wish
es of the democracy in the northern counties in
nominating candidates for Office.
After hearing the whole affair, we have but lit
tie doubt that certain competing" aspirants fol
Senatorial honors had much to do in bringing a.
bout the result in the convention, in order to gel
other aspirants out of the way.
As matters now stand Col. Davis evidently has
the inside track here, but if a new convention is
not called, and If they both run. they will be GER
tainly defeated, if whig candidate is nominated
Democratic Oxford Flag.