The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1854-04-07
From the ". c. Standard -,
The Contrast.

in 1851 in The MeckIenburg District, and was
opposed by Hon. G. w. Caldwell. During thai
campaign the General took grounds, in substance,
Tor union Of majoriIes welded in Congress
against the slave-holdIng States-fpr though he
deprecated the event. he declared thai, in The last
resort, lie I0OatH vOte fire and SuOrd TO reCLUce
South Carolina and has State to SuLJection.
He thus invited the very aggressions on our rights
as slave holders which the aboOnisis were
making for il is well known that every inch OF
ground abandoned by Southern men is instantly
occupied by these fanatics. The bold End manly
stand which was taken and maintained The
Southern question by such men as Thomas l.,
Clingman aud VIM. b. Shepard, was any Thing
but acceptable TO Alfred Dockery, who was
garded then, as now, as not only disposed TO give
back in matter Of vital concern TO all, but as
a feGerast or consodationist in his construction
of the Consriruri,n and in his views of federal
power. la order that The people may read for
themselves the opinions Of Gen. Dockery ad-
Vanced Ia 1851, We quote as follows from CON-
muncatiUns giving sketches Of his speeches, and
published in this Journal, the truth Of which was
not denied al that time, nor will it be now. One
OF our Correspondents, in his account oil General
Dockery's speech at Charlotte, said:
"IIe, Gen. d. said the States was once
ereign, but ceased 10 be such hen The confed
eracy was formed and that when it was formed
the States ucre toll they could no longer BE- SOY.
ereign7 Who toll them 81, Mr.. Editor r.
Again, our Correspondent said:
I" He Gen. Dockrry would vote ships Of war
NOT only ships hut steamboats, and not only
sieamboas, but gunboais; and would not stop here,
but would give the President the entire militia Of
the country 10 subdue South Carolina, If size should
Secede."
Another OF our Correspondents, giving sketch
OF Gen. Dockery's speech 10 Richmond said
IL,
one; that it rode over all former party issues !;
that The very salvation OF the Union depended upon
the manner in which it was settled, and that no
little rested upon this District; that, bordering
upon South Carolina, il was "a margi I'm district and
therefore important one, and that the people
should look well TO it.
He denied that the States were "snvereign."
He stated that they never "sovereigD," not
even under the articles OF Confederation that
North Carolina IN coming into the " Union" had
parted with her sovereignty. He stated that we
owed allegiance TO the General Government and
MOI to the States. He was sorry that a sister
State was about TO withdraw; 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 money to achip her back.
Yes, says the General, | will. in the last resort.
send the biggest "a gun ship in the Navy; and
sir, ] will go further than this, | would vote
TO employ the force of the nation against aay oacn
State, or any State who should claim to exercise
the right of Withdrawing from this "glorous
Government"
When the General came TO wind up, although
he admitted at the start that it was no party ques
lion, YET he stated expressly that he wanted the
present parties kept alive, for the reason (says
The General.) Il we are quarrelling among our
selves will not be likely to abuse the North,
nor would she be so likely to abuse the South
but on :he contrary, If we are all united at the
South, we will abuse them too much, and then
they will abuse the South, and this will be most
likely 20 destroy this glorious Government
Yes, gentlemen, it is glorious Government"
As soon as the General declared that he would
vote men and money TO whip" in a sister State,
and seven his own State" you could see general
feeling of Indignation; for ii is doctrine that finds
few supporters in either party"
We give the foregoing as specimen of what
Gen. Dockery was in 1851. We have no doubt
he is the same Dockery now; and that, il the
truth could be known, he is bitterly opposed at
heart 10 the Nebraska and Kansas bull. These
sentiments OF his il must be- borne in mind were
uttered at a time when the Southern States had
he deep and ardent sympathies 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
ia their struggle for justice and their rights, he
would shoulder his musket and shed mis- 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 jIst been given let US now
zee what are The views and opinions of Mr. Kerr,
who was the Whig candidate for Governor in 1852.
ln his late speech in Congress on the Nebraska
question, referring to the remarks Of Mr.. Stephens,
he says:
"He [Mr. SIephrns1 has shown the historical
fact, That if any party-f any section-in this
has again and again repudated the Mis-
souri, compromise, it is the North which has done
Il. ] had intended TO present these facts 10 the
committee. but perhaps should not have done it
so clearly as The gentleman from Georgia. H.
deed, | should scarcely hope TO say any thing 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 have carried out, in
good faith, the Missouri compromise, whenever
i"c question has presented itself, although opposed
70 It's auNI.on originally"
Again, Mr.. r.~rr saws:
awe want TO have o-IIal rights with our Northern
brethren, under the Cons~iulion of the Govern
menl W hIch our fathers established As Southern
man. insist on this equality OF .ehts. AS a
man, ! never will submit TO loss than
equality"
But suppose, Mr.. Kerr, we cannot obtain equal
rights with the free States, and tell them we will