Weekly North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1858, 1854-03-29
THE CONTRAST.

by Hon. G. W. Caldwell During that campaign
the General took grounds, in substance, for union
OF majorites welded in Congress against the slave
holding States-for though he deprecated the event,
he declared that in the last resort he acouM cote
fire and s,cOrd to reduce South Carolina and his
State to su6jection. He thus invited the very ag-
gressons on our rights as shareholders which the
abolitionists were making for it is we'll known that
every inch of ground abandoned by Southern men
is instantly occupied by these fanatics. The bold
and manly stand which was taken and maintained
on the Southern question by such as Thomas
L. Clingman and William B. Shepard, any
thing but acceptableto Alfred Dockery, who was
garded then as now, not only disposed to give
back in matter of vital concern to l,but as
federalist or consoldationst in his construction of
the Constitution and in his views of federal power.
In order that the people may read for themselves
the opinions of Gen. Dockery as advanced in 1851,
we quote as follows from communications giving
sketches of his speeches, and published in this jour-
nal, the truth of which not denied at the time,
nor will it be now. One of our Correspondents, in
his account of Gen. Dockerys speech at Charlotte,
said:
"He, Gen. D. said the States were once sovereign,
but ceased to be such when the confederacy was
told they could no longer be sovereigns? Who
told them so, Mr. Editor?"
Again, our Correspondent said
"He (Gen. Dockeryl would vote ships of war
not only ships but steamboats, and not only steam
boats but gunboats; and would not stop here but
would give the President the entire militia of the
country to subdue South Carolina, if she should
cede"
Another of our Correspondents, giving sketch
Of Cen in Richmond said
"He stated that the issue submitted was but one !;
that itrode all former party issues that the very
salvation of the Union depended upon the manner in
which it settled, and that little rested upon
this District that bordering upon South Carolina,
it margin district, and therefore an important
one, and that the people should look well to it,
lie denied that the States were "sovcreign." He
stated that they never were sovereign" not even
under the articles of Confederation that North Car
ona in coming into the I" Union" had parted with
her sovereignty. He stated that owed allegiance
to the General Government and not to the States.
He was sorry that sister State about to with
draw; feared she would, hoped she would not but
if elected to Congress- he would after trying every
other means, vote the President both men and mon
ey to uhip her back. Yes, says the General will,
in the last resort send the biggest "A gun ship in the
Navy ; and sir, l will go further than this, would
vote to employ the force of the nation against
my State, or any State who should claim TO
ercise the right of Withdrawing from this glorious
Government"
admitted at the start that it party question,
yet he stated expressly that he wanted the present
parties kept alive for the reason says the Gcneral
if we are quarreng among ourselves we will not
be as likely to abuse the North, would she be so
likely to abuse the South but the contrary, if we
arc all united at the South, will abuse them too
much, and then they will abuse the South and this
will be most likely to destroy this "glorious Gov
ernment." Yes, gentlemen, it is "glorious Gov
ernment."
As ON as the General declared that he would
vote men and money to "whip' in sister State
and even his own State" you could see a general
feeling of indignation for it is doctrine that finds
few supporters in either party"
We give the foregoing specimen of what Gen.
Dockery wa S in 1851. We have doubt he is
the same Dockery now and that if the truth could
be known he is bitterly opposed at heart to the Ne
braska and Kansas BILL These sentiments of his, it
must be borne in mind, were uttered at time when
the Southern States had the deep and ardent sympa-
thics of such men as Buchanan, Douglas, Pierce,
Cass, Dickinson, and Webster-one of them having
actually declared that if an attempt should be made
to crush them in their struggle for justice and their
rights, he would shoulder his muskct and shed his
blood in their defence. Behold the contrast /!
| Gen. Dockery is the present Wing candidate for
| Governor His views and opinions on this vital
question have just been wen let us now see what
are the views and opinions of Mr.. Kerr, who was
the Wing candidate for Governor in 1852. In his
late speech in Congress on the Nebraska question,
referring to the remarks of Mr.. Stephens he says
"He MR. Stephensl has shown the historical fact,
that if any party-f any sccton-in this country,
| las again and again repudiated the Missouri COM
promise it is the North which has done it. l had
intended to present these facts to the committee but
perhaps should not have done it so clearly as the
gentleman from Georgia Indeed, l could scarcely
! hope to say anything so well as he says all things
Be that as it may, however, will not again travel
over the ground he has occupied. He has shown
clearly that the South has never violated any OF its
| pledges And he has also shown that we have car
| rried out in good faith, the Missouri compromise,
whenever the question has presented ITSELF although
opposed to it's adoption originally"
Again, Mr.. Kerr says
"We want to have equal rights with our northern
brethren under the Constitution of the Government
which our fathers established As southern man,
Ii insist on this equality of rights AS a southern
man. never will submit to less than equality"
But suppose, Mr.. Kerr, we cannot obtain equal
rights with the free States,and tell them we will not
submit-will not Gen. Dockery if elected Governor
counsel our assaants the Abolitionists to whip us
into subsection?
Again, Mr. Kerr, after speaking of his ardent at
tachment for the Union, says -
i But thus revercncing it, as do, loving it with
feryent and enthusiastic affection, the moment dis
cover that it is to be made use of by dominant ma
orty to Cypress that section Of the country in which
s my destiny, in Gods providence, has been cast,
trampe it in the dust join any man, or any force
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