Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1856-02-15
From the Carolinian
The Know-Nothlng District Convention.

place, with more pleasure than to look In upon the
proceedings of the Know-Nothing pow-wow,' ;
which had been advertised to come eff g then and
there"
| According 10 previous notice, at II o'clock, on
Tuesday, the rams horn was blown both loud and
long, by some highpriest of the order, and the nvi
tation was very kindly extended to " citizens and
strangers to come up wFich, considering the recent
removal of secrecy from the proceedings of the or.
der was permission highly grateful to some Of us,
who desired no other position than that of lockers
on in Vienna"
| Ascending the stairs which led to the Court room,
| we were greatly surprised TO find but a few-Very
lfew-assembled tie fire, and these growing i'm
patient, desired that it might be again proclaimed
that the American CD party about 10 hold a
convention in the Court house aforesaid, and pro-
camation to that effect accordingly made 4; but
this time it was again unsuccessful no one seemed
inclined to come. A " third and last call' was at
tended with better results the crier having thought
OF the happy expedient OF advertising that negroes
would be hired out up stairs We do not say that it
in consequence Of that notice, but it certain
ly after the notice, that considerable number say
fifty persons, came up to swell the crowd into what
might by little exaggcraton, be called respect
able meeting.
Having proceeded thus far, it bethought some one
that Chairman and Secretary necessary, in
order give g form and comness' to their proceed
Ings, and J. R. Kemp Esq, "was called to the
Chair, and John Smith, Esq, requested to act as
Secretary.' 7. c. Fuller of Fayetteville explained
the object of the convention to be To appoint
two delegates to represent the third Congressional
district of North Carolina in the Convention to be
held shortly in Philadelphia, Whereat candidates for
the Presidency and Vice Presidency were to be nomi
nated'' and moved that committee be appointed TO
prepare resolutions for the action of the meeting,
which committee was duly named by the Chairman
and retired for business
During the absence Of the committee resolu
ons, MIR. Joseph Baker, of Fayetteville, being called
tor, proceeded to address the convention, modesty
undertaking his abilities 10 entertain them in a pro-
per manner, but protesting that he brought TO the
cause which they then endeavoring TO advance
heart brimful of zeal, and overfowing with love-
both Ut which were, in very considerable degree
strengthened by the large number who had come to
attend their deliberations, notwithstanding the in
clemency of the weather. We will not attempt a
report of Mr.. BIS speech, but will conclude this por
tion by saying that his modeSly did not prevent him
from making quite as good an address as it was our
fortune 10 listen to the occasion.
After Mr.. B. haG concluded Mr.. Green was call
ed for, who excused himself from the duty upon the
ground that he was not accustomed to public speak
ing j. }. McDugald, Esq, then took the floor, say
ing that he was entirely unprepared," but sub
mltted a few remarks; during which, he informed
the convention that his father a Scotchman,
native and to the manor born,'' but that great
was the speakers love for America, that this cOnsid
Grafton with him weighed not a feather, and conclud-
ed by moving that the convention hear from every
county In the district; which motion carried
or even put to the vote the meetng perhaps acting
upon the principle that although you might lead a
morse TO water you would not be able to make
him drink, unless he were willin ng to imbibe.
Mr.. Allen was then called for, but he excused HIM
self by saying that he was not speaker any more
than the rest of the convention. Matters at this
point had come to dead balt-the silence was be-
coming painful, and the intense cold without was
only equalled by the extreme apathy and GOODNESS
hibied within, by the members of this once enthu-
| then and : clavn
assembled Happily the scene was changed by the
coming IN of the committee, who, through their
chairman, reported three resolutions. The first re-
attlrmlng the doctrines of the Philadelphia platform
the second commencing the South American repre-
sentation in Congress for their persistent efforts 10
elect MIR. Fuller Speaker and the third desiring the
delegates to be appointed by that convention to use
their influence to have the time of the meeting of
the great Wttena- gemote postponed till later
period than the 22d inst, which might be regarded
as significant fact by any one disposed to be CAP
tious, which we not
The report of the committee was seconded and
adopted, and Mr.. Troy of Lumberton being called
for, arose and stated that he was not prepared to
make speech, and, in his opinion, the convention
not prepared to hear one, (n which last we
heartily concurred,) but he could not let the oppor-
tuGlty slip OF dscharging few slugs at the Pres-
dent of the United States, accusing him of election
eerng with the South for second nomination, and
OF preaching one thing while practising another
/ s,
hurting no one unless the speaker received injury by
the recoll, which we sincerely hope was not the
case though IT the convention g had been prepared
to hear Speech" would not have been willing
to take the responsibility of the consequences
Mr.. Thos. Fuller, of Fayetteville came next in Or
der. Like Mr.. Troy and the rest," he too was un-
prepared but he went on TO congratulate "Samiye
that he had in his infancy attained TO the giant
st ength of one of the Old partes--(we thought he
must have meant " little giant ")-to congratulate
him that he had been compelled to sacrifice no prn-
cipe, but that hostility 10 Catholics and foreigners
still formed the cardinal doctrines and articles OF
faith for which the hosts of Sans adherents were
still battling. For the converse Of this position we
would refer to the political history of the country
for the last two years, passim.
Mr.. Baker, of Wilmington was then called for,
who thought 1t would be mOnotonous were he 10
plead his want of preparation, and yet he might do
so as truly any of those who had preceded him -
He went on to say that belong his party required
no sacrifice of puncple-that whig might still be
bond was union against common danger, and thai
safely over-passed each might again return to the
whig democratic fold according 10 their old polit
ica affnities. He traced the origin of the party
back to some of the political disturbances in Eng
| land a long time ago. which opinion we thought
should scarcely have been endorsed by the conven
tion seeing that he gave the party foreign extrac
ton.
The whole proceedings of this remarkable assem-
| bly, having been thus brought to harmonious con-
clusion upon motion the convention adjourned We
cannot head this report of their actngs and dolngs
with the words t. BY authority,n inasmUch We
were an outsider; but what they SAID and what the,
did is it not written and in the hands of the printer
T. T.
1t is stated that fleet of 24O vessels, under h
English flag, and commanded by Admiral Lyons, vii