The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1856-12-09

are tending to this point. that every man
had to be denounced as an abolitionist who
did not concur with the Democratic party
| in its notions on slavery" We do not be-
lieve one word of this. It Is fabrication,
out and ont. The idea of denouncing
every man as an abolitionist, who does not
concur with the Democratic party in its
notions on slavery, would be ahsurd. No
such idea exists, and no Democrat, there
fore, could have referred to it.
But, though we havs thus replied to the
Register. we deny its right to speak for
this or for any other community. 1t is a
wandering, desultory, irresponsible con-
cerm. Its Editor is absent and no one
really knows who fills his place. Judging
by what appears in it, its columns seem to
! be open to almost every one. True, it has
an amiable Trustee, who permits such ar
ticles as the one to which We have been re-
plying to oe printed with his type in trust :;
but such matters do not concern him.
They would concern US but little, we con-
TESS, but for the impressions which may be
produced abroad upon the minds of we'll
meaning but uniformed persons as to Mr..
Ravner and ourself, the rencontre referred
to, and the resolutions of the Democratic
meeting.
The charge that we have sought to des-
troy Mr. Rayner by unworthy means" is
totally unfoundcd. Even the Wilmington
Herald, which prefers the charge against us,
has not approved and ,ciU not approve Mr..
Ragner's recent political conduct. That
paper dear not do it. No, no. Mr. Ray
ner has destroyed himself politically
$50 the struck eagle stretched upon the plain,
No through rolling clouds to soar again,
Viewed his own feather on the fatal dart,
And winged The shaft that quiveTcd IN his heart;
Keen were his pangs, bu; keener far to feel
He nursed the pipion that impelled the steel"
Nor is it true that we have prosecuted,
or pursued him in spirit of malice, or
treated him unjustly. We have published
two of his most important letters, and his
authorized speech in Philadelphia, i'll full.
We have thus given him hearing. God
knows we witnessed his course at Phila-
delphia with regret. We foresaw the des-
truction which would Overtake him as a
public man, but when he fell we felt that
he deserved it. The lightning of the peo-
Pies wrath destroyed him, no man being
able either to hasten or to avert the bolt
If we had been silent and passive, precise
ly the same result would have followed
II ,ras his oun 1cork. And we now declare,
that if any Democrat had gone from these
Southern States to Philadelphia, to urge
the Buchanan men to unite with Fremont
as Mr. Rayncr urged the Fillmore men to
fuse with the black Republicans, we should
have spoken of the Democrat in even moro
severe terms than we have used towards
Mr. Rayner.
We beg our readers to be assured that
these matters, savoring as they do more or
less of personal character, are by no
means pleasant to us. We will dismiss
them as coon as we can, and shall not refer
to them again unless compelled to do so in
self-defence. But as the Register has at
tempted to Justify Mr. Rayner in his assault
upon us, and is seeking to produce the i'm
preston that he is sustained by even some
of our own personal friends" in calling US
to IAN account" for our course towards
him, we deem it not only our right, but due
to our friends to introduce other and new
matter, showing the relations existing be-
tween Mr. Rayner and ourself during the
last fourteen or fifteen months and also
showing a disposition on the part of that
gentleman to restrict the Standard in its
comments. and to have it conform, if posi-
BILE, somewhat of his views of the rights and
duties of q public jurnal.