Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1856-05-28

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the State dsbt, he thoatht xoadsa AhesS
pose better than the hiimbHg staged III Mr. Gfmet:
to catch votes with. "a snSnk WIS etaphtticsSy 8
matter Of Details andsnnthsMr: 4llmdkred3cs9 hiA
plan to some tangible ines3igibls shape 1oufdndt
beexpected to have or give an opinion for or against
it. He denied Mr.. Gilmer's right TO draw him into
discussion of side issues Of this kind. The party
which nominated Mr.. Giimer had declared in their
platform that they y eschewed all State issues and
put themselves before the people on the merits of
the paramount principles of Americanism upon the
issues rendered by that platform, and tho offvcfi-
ton which made il, he was willing to meet his COM
petitor. The Know Nothings had selected their
groupf-they had planned the campaign, and he
intended to fight them after the manner Of their
Own choice and was neither to be caoled nor driven
from this purpose. iA%<tH1A& ~ -" !. ~.
He reviewed the history Of the struggle for Free
Suffrage and exposed the insincerity OF bis oPpo'
nent's declaration that he was friend Of the bill
Mr. Gmet had voted against Free Suffrage ever since
it was first introduced into the Legislature In 1907
when it only lacked one vote to make 1t part OF
the Constitution flor the people would certainly
have ratified it, and Mr. Gilmer had that vote to
give, how did he vote? He cast his vote against it,
and his vote deprived the people Of this greapryl-
eye. 1t useless to attempt to shit the respon
sibilty of the defeat of the bill from Mr.. Gilmers
to Mr. Weldon N. Edwards shoulders Mr.. IN.
mer's vote counted as much as Mr. Edwards and u
Mr. Gilmer had voted for the BILL Mr. Edwards vote
could not have prevented it from passing. 1t would
now have been the law. Mr. Gilmer's vote had
killed it in 1862, and at the last session h's vote
was again given against it. He had understood that
his competitor had opposed Free Suffrage because
he preferred Convention but now ne had assum.
ed new postion-he wanted to pass an additional
amendment to tax slaves equally with land, or else
he and the freeholders of Guilford would deny the
rest of the people of the State the privilege OF Vot
ing in the Senate. His competitor knew that the
LII 4 hoo aOfth o navtg
amended it would not be the same bill passed at the
last session. 1t would fail, therefore, to pass two
successive Legislatures, and if amended would be
killed. He was for the bill as it is. How was Mr..
Gimer? To this the Know Nothing candidate re-
piled in most confused and unsatisfactory manner
he was sorter for it and sorter not.
Gov Bragg next took up Know Nothingism. He
dissected and examined the principles theory, prac-
tees and results of this miserable conspiracy against
republican freedom in a mastery manner he
showed that the whole thing was artfuy designed
by cunning politicians to rob the people OF their
rights by transferring to few irresponsible men
despotic authority over all their principles through
out the entire Union. series of secret, oath-bound
lodges established with one great national Su-
preme Council, whose will upon all political matters
was to be the law of all the State and subordinate
councils. A system of espionage coextensive with
the remotest ramcations of this cunningy contriv-
ed organization was attempted to be fastened upon
the people by which their movements could be watch
ed and controlled; and any refusal to obey the man
dates of the few political managers who controlled
it could be denounced and punished secretly, certain
ly, and with great effect if refractory member
should become obnoxious to its managers. 1t was
an attempt to institute secret, irresponsible cabal
which usurped all the important functions OF the
government which fathers had established-a
power within the State greater than the State itself
which, if it had been successful would have de-
stroyed the republican institutions of our country,
which we received from the hands of our fathers,
baptsed in the blood of the Revolution. There was
parallel for these midnight societies in ancient or
modern history but the Jacobin Clubs of France
They set up guiilotines in every public place and
drenched the soil of France with the blood of her
best citizens. They destroyed every vestge of free
dom /; and Know Nothingism, had it not been frown-
ed down by the virtuous indignation of the people,
would have accomplished the same results. lie read
and commented with telling severity and power up
on the dreadful oaths of the organization which ne
pretended to deny. ...s.
He examined their prescription of Catholics and
foreigners and showed that they had changed their
ground essentially. At first they would have moth
ing to do with Catholics, but now Catholics were
admitted into their National Councils and were in
full fellowship with the men, who, twelve months
ago, swore they should never hold Office under the
government. He showed that their oaths were in
consistent with the constitution-that if MIR. Fill
more came into power as Know Nothing he would
have to violate one or two Oaths-the that he
took to require no religious test for office. when he
swore to support the Constitution, the one that
he took to prescribe Catholics when he Joined the
Know Nothings. He showed that the only instance |
in which they had carried out their principle of pro-
scribng foreigners was when they defeated Gen. !
Shields who had spilled his blood in defence of his
adopted country, and elected Trumbull, an abolition
Know Nothing, to the Senate from the State of Hi
nois. He showed the complete affiliaton and iden.
tty of the Northern Nnow Nothings with the abo-
ltonists and completely riddled the anti Nebraska
platform on which Mr.. Gmer stands He declared |
that this was the only Southern State where that |
platform had been adopted and here they SEEM
ed to be ashamed of it for their papers did not pub
sh it. He explained and defended the Kansas bill
and charged MIR. Gilmer with occupying substantial
~ the same ground the black Republicans at the
North in his argument to show that the enactment
of the Kansas bill was breach of plighted faith.
This notice is already too long l would give |
more of the points on which Gov. Bragg attacked
this abomnation. His assault on the dark lanterns
was powerful and able effort, unanswerabe by his
competitor any body else. The effect of this dis.
cusson will be sensibly felt in favor on the day
of election. Know Nothingism is dying out and |
Henderson will give Bragg decisive majority.
Democratic Meeting in Surry.
On the 18th of May, a number of Democrats from |
all parts Of the county Of Surry, assembled in the
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