Weekly North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1858, 1856-02-06

The PETERSBURG INrELLIGENcER AND Mr.. KERR.
The Petersburg Inelligencer secrs to be possess
ed " with spirit of criticism and fault.6nding in
relation to the political position and of the
Hon. John Kerr. That paper cannot perceive how
Mr.. Kerr can still be Whg; and on this head it
asks
"Now, what did he mean by running a Whtga
Certainly mem of the Whig party, and not
only Of the Whig party of his own District. but of
the United States, and this too after having ascer-
tanned that the Northern Whigs-the most numer-
portion of the Whig party, of the Union and
without whom no great end could be attained, were
untrustworthy on the slavery ISSUE!
1t certainly does not follow, because Southern
man is Whig the old issues, that he is a United
States Whig-that is, Whig affiliated with the
abolition Wings of the free States. If such were
the case then the Intellgencer would be just where
it says Mr.. Kerr is ; hut that paper is a Southern
constitutional paper, Mr.. Kerr is Southorn, con-
stitutional man; and it has, therefore, part nor
lot in the abolition movements of the Wings or black
Republicans of the free States. Divest the Editor
of the Intelligencer of his Know Nothing clothes,
and is he not Whig on the old issues? But these
issues are obsoletc-no now urges repeal of
the independent treasury system, the establishment
of national bank, the enactment of high tariff
law. Besides Mr.. Kerr, in common with the great
mass of the Southern people, regards the question
of slavery paramount to all mere party issues
party considerations; and believing the Democratic
party Of the country tn be sound this question.
and the old Wing party North. and the X. N. party
as a national party, to be unsound upon it, he is
acting for the present with the former; and he will
no doubt continue to do SO, nasnuch as it is not
probable either tina. the old issues referred to will
be revived that the Northern Wings the X.
Ms, a national party, will take better sounder
position than they occupy on the slavery ques-
ton. Mr. Kerr might have been reelected to Con-
gross from the Guilford District and he would have
been, even if he had but sympathised with the Know
Nothngs and had laL,rcd to conceal as others
among us have dom, the abolition, sentiments and
tendencies of the Order in the free States; but he
acted differently, and, we think honestly, and
lost thereby high place in the councils of the
try. " The tree is known by its fruits and this
single movement of his stamps him fearless, pat
riotc, honest man.
But aside from all this with what sort of conSiS-
tency can the Editor of the Intcgcncer lecture 9TH
ers subject like this Did not the Intelligcnccr
but short time before the assembling of the last
Wing National Convention, express itself deeply
dissatisfied with Gen. SCOTS position and surr ound
ngs s?-'iil not that paper talk vaanty for South
crn rights and against Seward, and declare it would
not support Gen. Scott :-and did it not character
ze Gen. S. as the "Scward candidate" and after
wards support him? The Editor talked like Sou
thern man, but he acted with these same Northern
WhigS whom he then denounced, and still denoun
ces. Mr.. Kerr met the crisis bodly-took his stand
and maintains it the Editor of the lntegencer also
met it boldly, took his stand, and then retreated
first into the Scott ranks, and finally, by the lgh
Of dark lantern, into the Know Nothing culrert.