Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1854-07-21
Thursday, August Sd, 1854

Thursday, August Sd, 1854.
We beg our readers, Democrats and Wings, to re-
member that the above is the day on which they
will be called upon TO cast their votes for Governor
and members of the Legislature of North Carolina,
as we'll as for Sherif5 of the different Counties
There are important issues depending upon the re-
suit of this election, and it is duty which all owe
to themselves and to the community in which they
reside rs we'll as TO their country, to go to the polls
and exercise their rights under the Constitution.
To the Democrats we would especially say-beware
Of apathy or Indifference, or over-conhdence. Eve
~ possible effort is being made by the Wing party
10 recover their lost ascendency-every possible Ell
fort is mad. to bring the full strength of the Wing
party, and although many members, and those
among the most intelligent d the party neither like
nor respect General Dockery, still believe that
the iull strength Of that party mil be brought out
aud 20 render certain The success Of our candidate
for Governor, and to secure ascendency in the
egi>ltture it vii be abso utey necessary that the
lua ,trcugh Of the Democratic parry should also be
brougb our.
,m,L 81 \ Iuge vote in the strong D mncrac
Counrie- OF The Cape Fear hc Nense and Tar rivers
will tell ngj,, p hap- dec,-Ively on the contest
y V
lob mai ray uo year ago. and, At h.r tnll vote
- houghp ou, aud W give Mr. Bragg even II
argv uniuruv; hui, e u ia votes MT brought ont.
re Oo~- uI Tall rh fly tn Democratic party for.
our OF f"u hat e." not ote rh're are certain
lo be-. D.uucrarA-lhr prnp0riou Of Whrg~ I" Demo
Gals ~ he County bring lule over one 10 tnnr-So
that " here he Wings w"ull Iose "ne by apathy in
Thu Couu '. or any other similarly situated the Dem
Orrale would lose three or four.
The lres, nj e.ectlon is not An unimporten one in
any scnse but The very 1t is deeply and
blGby imInrlant In it, National aspect, it will
tend IN ow whether North Carolina will 90 with
the aboIitonisrs in Connecticut and Massachusetts,
a. Ihruughou: New England generally, in denoun~
eng and regulating President Pierce and the Demo
cratic party for Standing up Tor the SOuth--whether
North Carolina will elevate party TO power which
till claims affinity and communion with the wing
rar,v of he North, not one member of which party,
In elther House voted for the Nebraska bill. In It's
domestic aspect il places before the people of the
East--yea, OF the State at arge-the question OF an
open Convention, to overhau the whole fabric OF the
Constitution-to place ts compromises in jeopardy
to renew sectional agitation and anmosity-and, it
nav be- 10 sweep away the whole basis of represen-
tation in both branches Of the Legislature, seriously
diminishing the just influence of many Counties who
contribute most largely TO the revenues of the State
Forty thousand of the free white citizens of North
Carolina are, in truth, only half free-they can only
vote for one MALI of their makers-they have only
half a voice in making the laws they called upon
~ obey. To abolish the landed qualification requir
mo every man, before be can vote for Senator, to
have fifty acres Of land is what is proposed by the
Democratic party, under the name of Free Suffrage;
that measure proposes 10 emanclpatG the forty thou
sand audIess citizens, and give them equal rights
with their neighbors. This the Democrats propose
lo do as a separate measure, by Legislative enactment
and the subsequent ratification of the people, quietly
and without excitement. This is the only way in
which it can be done The Wing method of calling
% Convention is not practicable, and would be unsafe
# il were.
Two United States Senators also to be elected.
ii may be said that this il not important, in view of
the already great Democratic preponderance in the
Senate This seems plausible, but it has no force
for never were real State Rights, strict construction
men more needed in our national councils than in
these Iaud.narlan, loose construction times Such
u en- will certainly be sent the Senate by the Dem
ocratc party of this State if it obtains the majority
n the Mex Legislature
As for the distribution of the Public Lands, every
body that is not egregiously fooled, knows that that
issue has sort OF practical value or meaning in con
uccton with the present canvass in North Carolina
General Dockery knows as we'll aa anybody, that II
could not pass Congress, receive the sanction Of
the President. General DoCkery knew the truth
about this matter in Congress, and he knows it now
While in Congress-the body that has jurisdiction o.
such malters-he let them alone but when he starts
Tor Governor he makes out Of them hobby to gel
votes What are we to think of his sincerity
We call upon our friends to be wide wake between
now and the day of electon-an election which il
Of the most important in the which political his
tory Of the State.