Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1856-06-14
Discussion in Marion.

We invite the attention of our readers to the
sketch below, furnished by an intelligent CORES
pondent, of the discussion in Marion, Mcdowell be-
tween Gov. Bragg and Mr.. Gilmer.
1t is evident from this, as well as from former &C
counts of discussions. that Gov Bragg has the ad-
vantage of Mr.. Gilmer in every respect before the
people.
Mr. Gimer, it appears, is assailing the revenue
law passed by the late Legislature. Why, what
sort of faith is this? Mr. Gitner ooted for the taW,
and now he denounces i'll [See Senate journal,
1854 page 1851 He also voted for the tax on
turpentine distlleries. [See journal, page 324] J.
Will he, when he gets to the East, denounce that
feature in the act also? We learn that in portions
of the West, where there is less capital and less
money-at interest than there is in the East he adj
rocated an increase of the tax on capital and he
also urged the imposition of tax on young negroes,
as means of increasing the revenue The consti-
tuition, it is known, imposes tax all slaves over
twelve and under fifty years of age; but Mr.. Gilmer,
when member of the Senate, advocated change
of the constitution in this respect by legislative en-
actment, as to tax all slaves twelve years of
age. [See journal, 1s54-'5, page 1901 Will he,
while in the East where there many more slaves
than there in the West, continue his advocacy
of his proposition to Increase the tao slaues? We
will see. But we are not surprised at this. Mr.
Glmer has always been white basis he has
always been opposed to the compromise in State
constitution, by which threeths of the slaves are
between twelve and fifty years of age, in the Sena-
torial basis and he is SO yet He has not changed
in this respect. He considers, and has so declared,
that the present basis is downright tyranny in its
most odious .torm,"-an arrangement by which the
"ts~ are grinding into the dust the many, under
The iron heel Of posoer" He saio this in 1851, and
ne holds to it yet He has never taken it back on
the contrary, he has again and again declared that
his reason for voting, as he has uniformly done,
against Free Suffrage, was because he hoped, by
Keeping the question unsettled, to secure Conven-
aon which would curtail and reduce the slavehold-
ing influence, and establish his favorite white basis
doctrines We assert this to be so, and we defy
eohtradlctlon,-we challenge the Z. N. press to a
discussion of these points Mr.. Gilmer has made a
great mistake, as other Wing leaders have done
SINCE ls4s IN supposng that the people of the West
are less devoted to the institution of slavery than
lnose OF the centre and East One of the soundest
Dlstrcts' if not the soundest, on the question Of
southern rights, is the Asheville or mountain Dis
"lct 1t is SO for two reasons,-frst because the
nnds OF the people there, of all parties, deeply
,moued with State rights principles; and secondly,
because the slaves, though comparatively few in
number, are divided among many persons, large
majority Of the families having, in one way or an.
o!her, an interest in maintaining the institution
us proposition, therefore, to increase the tax on
negroes will gain him no votes in the West. por.
IONS Of the old Wing party there, and the K. N
'aders are sectional-but the masses of the people