Weekly North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1858, 1854-06-07

with friends he Was ready to give it up. Conven-
ton, therefore, might make most unexpectedand un-
acceptable changes in the Constitution and the Peo
pie could have no remedy. This was another argu-
ment in favor of the legislative mode; and he pro-
ceedcd to argue in favor of this mode, quoting in
cora! approval of it the opinions of Charles Fisher
and William B. Shepard.
We have not attempted to report Mr.. Bragg at
length. We could not do so, if We had space to-
day for it and besides, there many passages be-
tween him and his opponent, of which we have
notes, which reserve for future reference and
use. He closed with eloquent appeal to the par
ty to do their whole duty in the present campaign.
Free Suffrage, and all the other great measures SO
dear to the Democracy, were at stake. The Demo-
Gratis, wherever he had been, were united and en-
thusiastc; and if true to ourselves now, victory
would be achieved which would put it beyond the
power of the leaders of the opposition to annoy
or to interrupt us for years to come in the great
work of advancing the States interests, and carry
ing out and carrying forward the noble principles
which we profess
Gen. Dockery then rose to reply He spoke for
about an hour and half in wandering illogical
manner, dropping question, then taking it up again,
and then again going back to where he started to
put in word or so by way of attack explanation.
AS to the Nebraska bi he said he acouH hare roted
for it riM Nessrs. Badger and Kerr, though he did
not like the striking out of tho Clayton amendment
which was intended to keep foreigners from having
a voice in the government of the territories He
said every foreigner who comes to this country is
against our interests. Upon the whole, he was with
Kerr and Badger As to Cuba, he indulged in vague
4 Ho he odx,k bx,fh fho
dignity of the country, &c. In reply to MIR. Braggs
questions about the cry of repeal of the Nebraska
bill raised by Northern Wings, and as to whether
he would continue to act with Northern Wings, he
said he ,couM scait and see achat the North did He
is STILL therefore, with Greely and Seward, or he
will "wait and see " what they do!
He then took up Free Suffrage-said he was and
always had been for it. He gave it sort of start
in 1886, when he voted in Convention to give the
election of Governor to the people true he out
of the City the day the vote taken on the pro-
position to extend this right to the people, but he
voted for the measure on its enrolment which means
that he voted for the Constitution whole-for
every thing, including that which it contained. Ger
ainly very brilliant effort to show that he started
Free Suffrage in 1885! The General then made one
of his fro,u Underwater to mountain-top arguments
in favor of the superiority of the Convention mode
over the legislative mode of amending the Consti-
tuition; and he produced that letter which he wrote
to his Senator, Mr. Rowland, the question of Free
Suffrage and which Mr.. Bragg had so frequently
called for. I'VE shall refer to that hereafter He said
he was for an open Convention except the basis
but did not tell the people how the Convention could
be open and shut at the same time. And here, or
about this time, Gen. Dockcry advanced the fine e-
gal opinion that practice in the absence of statute
law, becomes law" We confess we wish well to the
"practice," but do not wish to see "law" made in
that way. And now, We suppose Gen. Dockery,
after thus playing the lawyer, will at some other
point renew his denunciations of the lawyers, and
advise the people not to vote for them.
On the subject If Common Schools, he said $50
far aeOrds concerned" the two parties were to-
gether, but he claimed that the Wings were their
particular advocates and champions He claimed for
his party nearly all the credit this score. And
here, about this time, he spoke Of his early diff
cultes in making himself He said nc had been ''red-
iculed" account of his ignorance, but he had done
the best he could under the circumstances. But we
cannot trust ourselves on this point The General
affected himself almost to tears while speaking upon
it and we observed one or two enthusiastic Wings
who managed to look very much hurt the occa-
sion.
The General took substantially Mr. Bragg's ground
on internal improvements but went off on his old
hobby of distribution He admitted that if the
lands held and the proceeds kept in the treasu
ry and used for government purposes ace ~oud
thereby get share, and he is willing for that to
be done; but he then argued, very eeby and unsat-
sfactorly to show that the proceeds not needed
in the treasury and ought to be divided. The Cen
eral spoke at some lensth on this subject.
After he had concluded Mr.. Bragg rejoncd for half
an hour in his happiest manner. He examined Gen.
Dockerys arguments, piece by piece, and complete
| ly riddlcd them. Every felt and the tri-
umph he achieved This so aroused the General
that when he rose to close the discussion of his
first expressions was that Mr.. Bragg had made false
declarations, knowing them to be false when he
made them. He was absolutely furious. The first
impulse of Mr.. Bragg's friends that of indigna-
ton; but when they looked at the General, and
thought of his utter inability to reply to Mr.
Bragg, and his excitement on account of it, and
then the coarseness of his language, coupled with
manner which was altogether interesting spcci
men of bafed politician in deep Distress their ris
ibles were touched, and he was greeted by very
general laugh The General uttered another sen
tence, and another and another, all bitter the
first, amid as much good and hearty laughter as the
Democrats assembled felt themselves capable of 60
ing through with; and at last with look of uneom