The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1856-05-27
PoLITICAL.
1.-The following was crowded out of our last pa
per by news articles claiming precedence
KNow-NoTHING MEETING.

| per by news articles claiming
KNow-NoTHING MEETING.
On Wednesday, the 14th inst, Know
Nothing meeting took place at the Court
House of Mecklenburg. 1t was dignifed
by the Order, with the name of "Conven-
ton - but as no Delegates appeared, so far
as the proceedings would show, we are JUS
tilted in using the term meeting" 1t was
intended as Convention of Know Moth
ings from ten counties, to select an Elector
for President and Vice President in this
the (the 7th) District; but so meagre in
number were the Delegates in attendance,
it was resolved not to call the roll, as usual,
but to appoint all Americans" present as
members of the Convention. This resOlu-
ton made US a member, who happened to
be in the Court House, but we did not feel
it our duty to take part in the proceedings.
The Chairman was fne-looking old gen.
tleman, on crutches, from Cabarrus county.
| We sympathised with him in his affliction,
while we deemed him an appropriate repre-
sentative of his party, as it is also on crutch-
| es A call was soon made for nominees for
the office of Elector. After long delay,
| two were put in nomination by their respec-
tive friends-V. G.. Barringer and A. j.
Dargan, Esqrs. (We wondered if it was
AndreU Jackson Dargan.) There seemed
to be but little ambition in the funeral gath
ering for the honor of representing poor
doown- trodden Sam, on the stile and stump,
through the dog days of this summer. Out
of the ten counties, but two were put for
ward for the honor-and one of them (Mr.
Barringer) declined before the vote was
taken. Mr.. Dargan being left without any
opposition, it was Hobson's choice with the
the greatest ease-indeed the vote was
''unanimous'' for him! He came forward
and accepted, and said he did so, because
he had all his life been laboring in the same
cause-evidently referring to the fact that
he had always been a Wing. He proceed
ed at some length, in giving his brethren a
specimen of his capacity and powers for the
duty which they had just appointed him.
| The 'sfurriners," catholics, and President
Pierce formed the burden of his song. He
made some EOld assertions. 1t was evident
that he supposed he was addressing an au-
dience of Know Nothings. President Pierce
had appointed Reeder and turned out Bron-
son-and therefore, he was an abolitionist.
Mr.. Dargan forgot to state, however, that
Bronson was discharged for writing an i'm
pudent and insulting letter, in effect daring
the President of the United States to dis
miss him-and he also forgot to state that
Reeder, at the time of his appointment as
Governor of Kansas, professed to be against
free -soilism in every shape and form. II
is susceptible of proof that at the time OF
his appointment, Reeder conversed with
Southern gentlemen on the subject of slave
ry, and assured them that ''he had no more
and regretted that he had not money to
purchase number of slaves to carry with
him to Kansas !" This part of the sub
iect, Mr.. Dargan did not choose to refer to;
nor did he give the President any credit for
Reeder's dismissal, as soon as it was discov-
cred that he was free-soiler. We could
not but smile, when Pierce was boldly
charged with being an aboltionst, in the
face of all the evidence which the whole
history of the man afforded to the contrary.
Surely Mr.. Dargan must have supposed
that he was not only addressing an audience
of ''know Nothings," but of fools, who
knew nothing of the history of the times
Trace Gen. Pierce's political history from
step to step, from the first moment of his
entrance into public life, down to the pres
ent late period, and we defy Mr.. Dargan,
or any other person, to prove to any can
did or unprejudiced mind that he (Gen. P }
is or ever has been in the slightest degree
tainted with abolitionism. The last warm
Presidential contest brought nothing to
light, to sustain such a charge-and we
point to his messages, to his course in re-
gard to the sas-Nebraska bills, and to
his course in regard to Kansas itself, to re-
fute such a charge. The more surprisi lg-
the more impudent we may say, was such
a charge, from such source, in face of tee
fact that Mr.. Dargan is supporting Millard
Fillmore for the very Office which he de-
clares Mr.. Pierce unfit to hold, because of
his alleged abolitionism. Millard Fillmore
whose record smells rank to the heavens
with abolitionism-a record reeking with
abolitionism, from the moment he first en-
tered public life until by accident he be-
came President of the United States. Star
tie not, reader, at this declaration. Before
we are done, we will produce the evidence
full and complete--of the truth of the
charge. We defy Seward, Chase, or Gid
dings, to present a record more deeply
stained with abolitionism, than that of Mil
lard Fillmore. 1t will be found appended
to this article. We ask for it a calm and
attentive perusal-and then we appeal to
every man who has read it, to say, if it is
not conclusive of the abolitionism of Mil