Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1856-06-13
-ne n;,cu..ion at Halifax.

We notice that our associate has promised, on our
behalf full repor, of the speeches delivered at Hal
flax on Saturday last, by Messrs Bragg and Gilmer
the Democratic and Know-Nothing candidates. re.
spectively for the Office OF Governor OF North Caro-
lima We fear that it will be out OF our power to
devote sufcen, time and space 10 the SUBJECT to en-.
able US to redeem this promise. farther than to give
the main points involved in the discussion
During the forenoon The Court House was occu-
pied by meeting held for the purpose OF bringing
GU, Know Nothing county candidates, and the discus
sion between the Gubernaoral candidates took place
after early dinner At one o'clock, the Court House
bell rang and the crowd gathered in There Is not
much difference in age between Messrs. Bragg and
Gilmer-the latter is rather the larger and stouter
physically, but both are in the prime of life, and
good specimens of the men of the State. The Court
House was full, but it held all.
AT twenty minutes past one, Gov, Bragg opened by
remarking that two years before he had the honor
to appear before his fellowcizens candidate for
the office of Governor, and, by their kind paItlaty
he had been elevated to that position In again COM
ing before Them candidate Tor reelection, ne
could say with all sincerity that ne had discharged
the duties of his Office with his best skill aud ability
and with conscientious regard to the interests OF
the whole State and, indeed, until his denomination
by the Democratic Convention, he had nelther seen
heard of any charges being preferred against his
official course Since, there may have been, but he
asked only the fair record of his administration
hibted, and on that he ready and willing to 60
before the people of the State.
He proposed to discuss the various issues of State
and National policy existing between the Democratic
and the " American" or, originally designated,
the Know-Nothing party, appealing 10 reason ana
not to prejudice. In regard to State policy, he
begged to refer TO one or two matters: lst Free
Suffrage, in regard TO which he occupied the same
| l. ~, 1oct had QIroQdU hpnn
passed bv three. ffths vote in both Houses 1t re-
NAMED for the next Legislature to give it twohirds
vote for, if submitted to the people, it would GER
tain ly be ratified. His competitor talked about a
convention but that was useless In 1854, the con-
vention as proposed by Mr.. Gilmer and his friends,
got only Is votes in the Senate and 80 in the House,
being something like thirds against it instead of
for it. Mr.. Gilmer talks for Free Suffrage on the
stump, but votes against it in the Legislature. In
1852, it was defeated by one vote. and Mr.. Gllmer
voted against it; and then his party turned round
and tried TO throw the responsibility OF its defeat up
on the Democratic party, through Mr. Weldon N.
Edwards who did not vote at all. No, Mr.. Gmer
must substitute convention, which everybody knew
was Just the thing to kill off Free Suffrage. But
subsequently,, in 1854 and since, Mr.. Gilmer had
found another objection and started another project
10 defeat Free Suffrage of which he had not thought
in 1850 or 1852 In the event of Free Suffrage
passing-says Mr.. Gilmer-the land. holders might
be oppressivey taxed by means of the owners OF ne
gro property, WHO are pIOteCttu ny
from having any extra capitation tax levied upon
their slaves Mr. Gilmer wanted to accompany
Free Suffrage by another amendment, according to
which every negro slave, over II years and
as we'll under it, should be rated for taxation on
par with $500 worth of land, and when the land paid
Is cents the negro to pay 20, and on in pro-
portion. This was 10 be the poll tax generally, be-
ing ten per cent his her negroes than lands. The
objection was invalid, for the reason that the Sena
tors and Commoners required by law TO be land
! hokh
and would be large land holders, even were there no
law on the subject, that, if justice did not restrain
them, interest would, and if not seltInerest, then
political sell. preservation for Senator or Common
er could do anything 10 Cypress so dominant an 1n
terest and expect TO be sent back to the Legsa
ture, or elected 10 any office.
End, Internal Improvements-Upon this question he
need say but little. The convention which nomina-
ted him in 1854 passed resolution which met his
warmest approval. The same resolution had been
affirmed in 1856 His Inaugural address contained
a. candid exposition of his views upon the matter,
and TO that and 10 his official acts, he would refer,
and upon these he could confidently go before the
people of the State and await their decision
! During the canvass in the West, said Gov. Bragg.
Mr.. Gilmer has limited Indefinitely and myseriously
around and about some banking project which is not
! only to afford a Safe currency, but to pay State
debts etc, and to be based State stocks, Railroad
stocks, etc. Mr., Gilmer interposing-"I didn't say
anything about Nallroad stock.1 Well, continued
Gov. Bragg, with all due respect to Mr.. Glmer, he
certainly was so understood in the West. He GER
tainIy spoke of the South Carolina Bank and dimly
and vaguely Swallowed forth monster State nsti.
tuition that to issue small notes, make great pro.
fits, and in which the State to take much stock
Why did not Mr.. Gilmer bring this thing forward
during the last session of the Legislature-he had
voted for works mourning debt Why did he not bring
forward his remedy. The whole banking system OF
the State was before that session. Gov. Bragg ex.
pressed the opinion that such monster banks connect
ed with the State liable to be perverted into
terrible political engines. In Mississippi, Alabama
and Tennessee they had burst up ruined the curren
oy and injured the credit of the State. Cheaper il
the State builds works, 10 say at that money Dor
rowed must be paid by the people of the State, sc
that in going into debt they may know how to make
their calculations To say anything else would b.
to hold out false hopes He was for looking things
the face. 1t would be cheaper pay the sheriff his
taxes than to have the Stale in connection with pri
vate stockholders turned into big Banking firm ant
the money worked out of the people dcubly, although
, indirectly
1t had been intimated by Mr. Gmer that natl ona
politics had nothing to do with the pending
in this State Certainly the convention which nom
mated that gentleman thought differently The res
olutions adopted at Greensboro declined to expires
any opinion State issues, but referred every thin
TO the ''paramount obligations of Americanism."-
What objection then could there be to his discussing
= these paramount obligations'9
This American party,or, as it was originally termed
know nothing ORDER began to be lelt-to attract at
tention at the North in 1854, and along there Ger
tain men seemed mysteriously to understand eac
other, and certain other men mysterousy ru
into office, and the explanation was that Sam - di
" it. The thing swept the North, and poured into tn
Congress of the United States men like Hale, Wiso
q RonEc uo IL, lol4 Il ~