Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1857-07-31
The Approaching Elections

at this time is without parallel in our experience.
On Thursday of next week, eight members of Con.
gress will be chosen one by the voters Of each Con-
gressonal District in the State of North Carolina,
and County and Superior Court Clerks in each of the
eighty.odd counties and yet there is no excitement.
This may be traced to several causes but the chief
of these we think, is, that after great exctemens of
any kind, the public mind 1VH have repose, and that
in the majority Of the districts the preponderance of
the Democratic party is so !decided as 10 leave no
ground upon which the opposition can base rea-
sonable hope of success.
The political contests of the last few years were of
a most peculiar character. The elements entering
into them, were different from those previously
known We wish not now TO revive any of the ex-
ctements or heart-burnings of the past-past, We
trust forever; but we presume that no one will differ
from US when we say that the inception, growth and
progress of the secret organization, generally known
as the Know Nothing Order, marked new and
startling era in our political history, era which
will long be remembered for the personal bitterness
infused into what had formerly been, and which al
way should be, mere contests OF opinion. Looking
now over the field effort Of the mind is required
to enable us 10 realize The scenes Of a few brief
CANS of the nvincble and invisible' Sarn--to be-
leve that could have bound themselves by Sc
cret ties in free country, and hidden up their course
in age of publicity and free expression OF OPINION
That storm has passed 1t has passed like dream
1t has Como down almost as suddenly as 1T arose,
but it has not been forgotten lis fearful eXctement5
and resulting biernesses have left their effects among
our people Not soon again will they allow them
selves ODE so worked upon and worked up
But again. other elements of excitement entered into
the contest The division of sections combined with the
antagonsms created between races and crocds. The
sensitive consciences at the North, that took offence at
the political equality of Catholics naturalzod cti
zens also felt prompted to "let the Union sde rather
than permit Shareholders to enjoy the rights guaran-
teed by the constitution The various forms Of anat
cism united at the North, and the triumphs hailed as
Know Nothing victories, proved to be Abolitionst
Conquess. The Order" rule, went for Fremont
throughout all the Northern States. The Presiden-
tial campaign approached progressed, ended, under
such auspices and Influences Northern puIpts
thundered / ltcs Peddlers trampoosed the South
with horribly illustrated books about the Pope, the
devil, and the Foreigners The South, with a single
exception, rallied to the Democracy but not without
a severe struggle. The best interests of the country
were felt to be at stake, and preudices were con-
quered.
Look at the elements tending to bitterness and ex-
element. Exclusions because of birth or creed
attacks upon sections because of inStitutions-the
pulpit turned into a rOstrum or stump-the rosrum
stump turned into pulpit The political meeting
made a conventicle-lhe conventicle made political
meeng-section arrayed against section, church
against church, against man few, if any, dis.
turbng elements were wanting. What wonder then
if after years Of tormo under such circumstances
if after the passage of a crisis which caused the ma
ton to hold its breath, men should be averse to ex
element without cause, and hard to rouse even
with The bow cannot always be bent-the
muscle cannot always be strung
The country breathed fuller and freer after the re-
suit of the last November election became Known
Objections might have been made, and were made
-distrusts entertained but, in the man the country
was satisfied. Tired of harrassment, apprehension
and FUSS The public mind rested with feeling of Sc
Guilty, and We may be certain that ii will not lightly
permit that feeling to be disturbed
The elections throughout, for Congress, etc., arr
but the seques to the great settlement and will gen
orally be decided in accordance with the principles
then triumphant. The people will not half do thei
work. Having placed a Democratic President in
Office they will also place him in power-not leave
him IN minority in the halls of the national legis
ture.
The clouds that have foated over the poIitica
heavens are not of sufficient weight or permanenco 4
darken the day or hide the sun. A few wrong ant
lndscreet expressions of Gov. Walker will not con
denim the administration of President Buchanan whC
does not sanction the ndiscreton although he waits
for the more substantial evidence of acts before pursu
lngany course towards in whose Iey he has, OF
thinks he has substantial reasons for reposng conf
dence.
Such is the state of thIgs Such are the causes
which have produced lhe present quietude, Quetud
which has this additional justification and guarantee
Strongly as Democrats attached to their party
sincerely as they desire that harmony upon which it,
strength must depend, the Democratic press Of the
Oouth has shown that it will neither be silent itsel
nor De slienced by others when any attack direct o.
indirect is made upon the principles for which it ha
contended, or when anything is done subyersivp n
that equality which forms the essential element q
those principles and thus, when the improprietv n
certain expressions in Mr.. Walkers inaugural adj
dress became known, that improperly was expose,
ana rebuked without backwardness or reserve. Tn,
Democracy will always be a check upon men il
Office
MALICIOUS MIscHIEF.-Last night some partie
sawed portions OF the framework of a house nov
being put up on the Northwest corner of Tho 81,