Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1858-06-30

the Obses a. sil I 81 sc.
give belou tks from tie Fayetteville
Dbsercer, referred to in our last The O6sersst t.
honestly and sincerely in favor ofintsrna, improve
ments, and would do nothing calculated to injure
State character and State credit; and hence though
ct one time committed to Mr.. McRae, it now comes
tprward to declare it cannot support him. That
paper says:
b :" There was time, not very distant when the
old Wing party, aided by q few enlightened and
patriotic democrats bore the brunt Of the battle in
favor OF rail roads for developing the rich but hidden
resources of the State. 1t needed only the result of
few completed works to force the democrats into
the support of the system We had thus arrived at
that happy condition in which no party could ex-
clusveiy claim the honor, nor was bound exclusive
~ to assume the responsibility of such works. and
OF such taxation as is indispensable to their compile
ton. The State is undoubtedly thriving, even under
the generally injudiciously located works already
completed Its productions have increased though
not at all as yet in proportion to their future in
crease its lands are far more valuable because of
the Increased productiveness and because people
are not as formerly running off from them to the
new States its population, the best that any State
IN the world can boast Of are tempted to remain in
the land Of their fathers, and to improve it. And
perhaps more than all these, the character Of the
State IS elevated in proportion to the deep depres
sion it would have experienced if we had done moth
ing 70 Keep pace with our neghbOrs.
In the midst of these actual benefits and larger
hopes for the good old State an attempt is made to
array great party against any further taxation
any further appropriation for internal improvements
from the State Treasury. The people are excited
by truly eloquent but very highly colored statements
Of the burdens of taxation, and of the dangers of
bankruptcy. And the opposition presses of the
State, contrary to all their antecedens, which were
liberal and enlightened have generally joined in the
hue and cry.
We cannot do so. When we heard that Mr. Nc
Rae would be candidate, we did not wait for fuN
exposition of his views. He was our townsman,
man of decided ability, in favor of distribution and
also in favor of the greatest State work in pro-
gress and now struggling manfully without State
aid We could not but prefer him, democrat as he
is, to his competitor, with whom we have nothing
in common except that he favors Internal Improve
men,s.
We could have stood Mr.. McRae's impracticable
scheme Of aid to the Western road, for we feel as
sured that he is sincere in it. But we could not
stand his poisoning the public mind 1--WE use the
term in no offensive sense) by eloquent appeals
against State aid and of course,
full stop to our system, for nothing can be done
excepting, as we hope, the Western rail road)-
without State aid. We therefore, some weeks ago.
came to the determination to stand neutral in this
contest. But whilst we felt it due to Mr.. McRae to
cause him to be informed of our dissent from his
views, We did not mean to say any thing about it
publicly. We now do only because we are freely
mentioned in some quarters as his supporters, and
it is reported that Mr.. McRae himself, in one Of his
speeches, spoke of Judge Ellis's organ. If he
did So he is greatly mistaken. The only thing that
we have done that has the remotest bearing that
way, was to give brief but faithful account Of his
speech here-an account which we assured Judge
Ellis has repeatedly and uniformly admitted to be
correct-but which was written and published with
out the remotest knowledge of its contents by the
Judge, whom We did not see nor hear from after he
spoke, and with whom we had conversation on
the subject before.
We hope we shall not be quoted hereafter as for
either of the candidates. 1t has been and will be
endeavor to keep readers fully and accurate
~ informed on all points Of interest they occur
We have avoided, as We hope and believe, injustice
to either candidate"