The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1857-12-22
From tie Wilmington Journal.
a oUEER COINCIDENCE.

him at Il River and HarbOr meeting held at
the Masonic Hall. We need not now say
how far that speech ran counter to the
principles of the Democratic people OF this
county. That it did do so, and that Mr.
McRae was aware of the fact, is sufficient
" evidenced by an explanatory letter from
Lin, published in the columns of the Journal.
That was in the winter of 1928 In
the spring of 1853 new administration
entered upon power. Whether or not MI
McRae deemed that his claims had been
neglected. is not for Us to say for We have
TO do simply with the facts as they exist not
with the motives of individuals. One thing
is certain. Mr. McRae. in the summer of
1853. announced himself candidate for
Congress upon the distribution issue, but
having received the appointment OF Consul
TO Paris, retired from the field, and went to
France. leaving Mr. Leak to occupy the
ground which he had left vacant. Mr. Leak
got about as badly beaten as gentleman
could desire.
In this year of our Lord, one thousand
eight hundred and fifty-seven, Mr. McRae
returns from France. The years of his So
iourn there have been like blank-the
stirring events which have agitated the
country have failed to reach his ear-while
the rest of mankind talk of Kansas, Nicara-
qua, the monetary crisis, the empty treasu-
ry, and the new loan, Mr. McRae begins ex-
actly where he left off years ago-distribu
ton is still the panacea for all our ills. 1t
is like the hot-water and blood letting of
DIR. SangradO. The treasury is depleted,
emrtied, impoverished empty it more, says
Mr. McRae, take from it the proceeds of the
sales of the public lands and give these
Paul. Make yourself fnancicr by taking
money "Ut of one pocket and putting into
another.
The doctrine is queer one, but it is Mr.
McRae's doctrine and he has not only u
right to believe in it himself, but to induce
other people to do SO if he can. We OBJ
ioct only to its being promulgated as Dem
ccratic doctrine, which it is not. And we
freely at the time when speaking about the
matter at all, that the appointment of Mr.
McRac to the Consulate of Paris was an
unfortunate one, not because of any per
somai objections to Mr. McRac, but because
Ofthe apparent sanction given to a violation
of the principles upon which the admins
trati"n itself had been placed in power.
Bat the coincidence to which we mainly
wish to call attention, will be better under
stood by reference to two letters which
have recently made their appearance. One
is dated October 22d, 1897, signed by Mr.
McRae and addressed to VIM. +. Dancy,
Esq, of Edgccombe county, by whom it is
published in the Tarboro' Press of the 2Sth
ult-; the other is dated December 9th, 1857.
signed by w. f. Leak, Esq, and address
cdto the editors of the different Fayetteville
papers.
We have for various reasons foreborne
to publish or refer to the letter from Mr.
McRae, above mentioned. In that letter
Mr. McRae simply Promulgates the scheme
which he brought forward years ago, and
which we had discussed at length before.
In his letter to Mr. Dancy. Mr. McRae says,
''having no political aspiration to crafty
having voluntarily yielded an honorable
office into the hands of the administration,
and being altogether DESTROYS of derotin q
'nyseif entirely TO my profession, am ena-
bled to communicate with you in entire
An
of the same letter, Mr. McRae says---"For
my own part, | wish some practical farmer.
Democrat, would take this issue in hand
and appeal to the people upon it." In the
face of these declarations, we couId NOT
without positive discourtesy, regard Mr.
McRae as candidate, or likely to be a
candIdate---we cannot now so regard him
without tacitly accusing him of insincerity
IN the declarations he has made. and the
letter of MIR Leak comes forward to mt the
matter at rest, by bringing into the field the
practical farmer"--the looming man.,
upon whom Mr. McRaes mental vision was
liked. Regarding Mr. McRae's declarations
as made in good faith and this we feel our
selves bound to do, we must consider him
precluded from being himself candidate
Tor Governor, and regard him as pledged
to support the author of the following let
ter:
ROCKINGHAM, Deer 6, 1857.
MessrS. E. j. Hale 8. Son. Gentlemen:
You are authorized and requested to
announce myselfas Democratic candidate
for Governor at the ensuing Gubernatorial
election.
M views upon the public land question
are too we'll understood to require any COM
ment at the present. At the proper tims
they will not be withheld.
Respectfully, your most ob't,
w. F. LEAK.
1t is certainly little strange that Mr.
MeRae should have been the PRECURSOR
the ar0nt c0"r'er---of Mr. Leaks candidacy
upon this issue, just before leaving this