Weekly North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1858, 1856-06-18
Gbe Stanbarb,
RALEIGH. SAT URDAY. JUNE IA. 1856.
Discussion in Marion.

Discussion in Marion.
Ua invite the attention of readers to the
sketch below, furnished by an intelligent cores
nondent, of the discussion in Marion, Mcdowell be-
tween Gov. Bragg and Mr.. Gilmer.
It is evident from this, well as from former ac-
counts of discussions that Gov. Bragg has the ad-
vantage of Mr. Gilmcr in every respect before the
people.
Mr.. Gilmer, it appears, is assaing the revenue
law passed by the late Legislature. Why, what
sort Of faith is this? M. Gilner voted for the a',
and now he denounces it [See Senate Journal
1s54-,5. page 325l He also voted for the tax on
turpentine distleries. [see journal, page S24 J.
WI, he when he gets to the East, denounce that
t.t,re 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 ad-
vocatcd an increase of the tax on capital and ne
also urged the imposition Of tax on young negroes,
~ means of increasing the revenue. The constl-
tution. 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 so as to tax all slaves over twelve years OF
age [See journal, 1s54-'5, page 1901 VIII he,
while in the East where there many more slaves
than there are in the West, continue his advocacy
Of his nroposjon to increase the tar slauess We
will see But we are not surprised at this. MIR.
Gmer has always been white basis man. has
always been opposed to the compromise in our State
constitution, by which three-hfhs of the slaves are
represented in the Commons basis, and all of them
between twelve and fifty years of age, in the Sena-
toria basis; and he is so yet. He has not changed
in this respect He considers, and has so declared,
that the present basis Is do~nright tyranny IN sts
most odious .toa,n,"-an arrangement by which the
"teu are grinding into the dust the many, under
the iron heel OK z,o,cer" He saio this in 1851 and
he holds to it yet. He has never taken 1T 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, oy
kecping the question unsettled, to secure Conven-
tion which would curtail and reduce the slavehold-
ing influence, and establish his favorte white basis
doctrines We assert this to be so, and we defy
contradiction,-w challenge the K N. press to
discussion of these points. Mr.. Giimer has made
great mistake, as other Wing leaders have done
since 1s4S, in supposng that the people OF the " est
are less devoted to the institution of slavery than
those of the centre and East One Of the soundest
Districts, if not the soundest the question Of
Southern rights, is the Asheville or mountain DIS
trict 1t is so for two rcasons,-rst, because the
minds of the people there of all parties, are deeply
imbued 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
other, an interest in maintaining the institution
His proposition, therefore, to increase the tax or
negroes will gain him votes in the West.- Por
tons of the old Wing party there, and the X. N
leaders, are sectional-but the masses of the people
are true to the compromises Of the State constitu
ton and will resist all such attempts to impose up
on and injure shareholders generally. We speak b!
the record past campaigns, since lS4S, establish
what we saw. No man was more conservative OF
the subject of the basis than Gov. Reid was; yet l
was r the Western Counties that he made his larg
est gans What the people of the West desire is
FREE SUFFRAGE. and that they shall have, what
ever Mr.: Gilmer may say do. Here they are viii
ling to STOP And now we put it to The people Q
the East to say what they think of the course of MI
Gilmer on this delicate subject. Is this a time
urge increase Of the tao slaues ?-is this time
boxing to the aggressions upon aoao other guar
ters to allocate a change in the constitution so a
1eaken and reduce the szaueholding influence ?-i
this time to assal the federal basis of represeata
ten, according to a0hich three Of slaoes ar
represented IN Congress-? Let all conservative men
without regard to party, answer these questions a
the polls.