Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1854-08-02
For the Standard.

For the Standard.
Mr. EDITOR: The party that has arroganty as
sumed to itself the Honorable appeation of Wing,
claims for its candidate for Governor Gen. Dockery
prestige of invincibility--that he has never been
beaten in any election before the people. However
| true it may be that Gen. Dockery has always been
elected whenever he has been candidate, yet it is
quite certain that he into the Convention of
1885 with smaller number of votes than his col
league COL Harrington. 1t is admitted that the vote
between them close one, but is undeniable that
Gen. Dockery in only second. The vote on
that occasion between Col Harrington and Gen. Do
kerry probably closer than it would otherwise
have been owing to the following circumstances:
The former was candidate only as he had been
nominated by the grand jury at the Court immedi-
ately preceding the election and been requested by
respectable gentlemen in different parts of the Coun
ty to allow his name to be He present at
only two public asssemblages of the people, and
made no stump speech during the convass. Religious
reudices attempted to be excited against him
by some of Gen. Dockery's friends, more especially
by the late Isaac Dockery Esq, brother of the Gen
eral (who had influence enough to be elected him
self to the legislature) on the ground that in the
Western Convention that assembled in Raleigh, in
November 1928, in which Col. Harrington was a
delegate from Arson County, he had proposed to
abrogate the 32nd section of the Constitution-the
first proposition, it is believed ever publicly made
in North Carolina aiming directly at that object.
About the same time the apocryphal book of Maria
Monk made its appearance, and not only had
its influence in causing the destruction by mob, of
Convent in Boston, but there is to believe
tnaC uence was 1et In the election before the peO
pie in North Carolina, and extended even to the
Convention of 1885, and in combination with other
influences, required the powerful efforts of Judge
CASTOR and other distinguished delegates to
teract it there 1t may be said that the proposition
in the western Convention of 1928 to abrogate the
32d section of the Constitution, opposed by
of the most distinguished and liberal minded
men in the State and among them by the late Hon.
Bartlett 4ancey But it is well known that opposi-
ton did not originate in any doubt on their minds
as to the proprety of that measure, any unwill-
ngness their part to abrogate that section but in
the fact that, they contended, the delegates to
that Convention sent there for certain specified
objects, and that the abrogation of the sgd section
not one of those objects-to take that into
sideraon would be throwing the door open to every
conceivable proposition, and make that unlimited
Convention, that only had limited powers conferred
it by its constituents. The most important OBJ
ject of that Convention was to reform the very
equal representation that prevailed in the legislature
at that time OS23). Most other considerations were
made to yield to that one regarded of paramount
importance. But am drawing desultory and unin
terestng communication to great length My object
in the outset to show that Gen Dockery is not
invincible-that he came in only second in one of
the most important elections held in North Ca
roiina-that if Richmond County had been entitled
to only delegate in the Convention of 1885 that
delegate would not have been Gen. Alfred Dockery
RICHMOND.
Richmond County, July, 1854.