Weekly North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1858, 1857-07-08

less he had been appealed to to prevent another
ballot and for the sake of his party he forfeited his
pledge.
Again, near the close of the same session, Col.
Puryear deliberately broke another pledge To this
we were an eyewitness. Just before adjournng for
dinner, a proposition was made to appoint COM
mittee7o two, one from each party, to arrange
plan for the senatorial districts and to report to the
House its reassembling in the afternoon. The
proposition was concurred in, and Messrs. Avery,
of Burke, and Phillips, of Orange, were appointed
Col. Puryear voluntarily arose and pledged himself
to the support of any plan that committee should
recommend. There had already been much con-
tention over the matter, and much ill.feeng en-
gendered.
When the House again met the committee made
their report. Instantly Gen. Leach, of Davidson,
sprang to his feet and opposed it in violent speech
COL Puryear raised voice in favor of it, and did
not cote for 1t. On the contrary, he sat by and
saw the time off to within ten minutes of final
adjournment; and when the Speaker usurped the
power and put the question on agreeing to the
Senate resolution to postpone the adjournment COL
Puryear did not vote at all, as the Journals show
Is such man worthy of trust? Who can rely
upon him?
But the darkest part of Col. Puryear's political
history remains to be told When, at the COM
mencement of the late Congress, the contest for
Speaker between Black Republican and a
Democrat, Mr.. Puryear and his K. N. friends refus-
ed to unite with the Democrats and the result was
the election Of n. P. Banks now the Coloners
brother " American" and candidate for Governor of
Massachusetts,. He voted for Fuller for Speaker,
Fuller for Pennington, and Pennington for Banks.
Wheel worked within wheel until the South was
defeated and Northern fanaticsm triumphant.
And when that fanaticism had adjourned Congress
without passing the appropriation BILL leaving the
government dsorganized, Col. Puryear hurried
home, notwithstanding he knew the President had
issued his proclamation reassembing Congress, with
the false and unpatrotic expression that The
Democrats had got the country in fix and they
might get it out" Even if it had been true that
the Democrats had brought about the state of affairs
then existing, it was his duty-it was the simple
dictate of patrotism-that he should stand to his
post and do all he could to avert the impending
peril. But he went home, remained there several
days, and was at last literally driven back to his
post by the murmurs and indignation of his own
friends. He had drawn his $1,000 salary, and was
of saving the country. He had saved his salary
that was enough for him.
Will Southern men again trust such represen-
tative? How can they do it and be true to them
selves?
We have not, in this article, alluded to Colonel
Puryear's vote against the Nebraska Kansas bil
where he voted side by side with the entire body of
Black Republicans and against the entire body of
the Southern Representatives, with two or three
exceptions. This alone should be sufficient to con-
denim him With Southern constituency.
On the other hand his opponent Mr.. Scales, is a
gentleman of the first order of talent-ar superior
to Col. Puryear, and is honest and reliable. No
charge of broken pledges can be brought against
him. He is true to the South, to the Constitution
and the Union. He is unstained by contact with
Black Republicans, and far above suspicion. He is
worthy to be honored with the trust which Col.
Puryear has abused. Let the people of the sixth
district weigh the men, their principles, their former
courses, and decide becomes freemen jealous OF
their rights and determined to maintain them.
The First District.