The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1858-03-02
MIR. MAcRAE's SPEECH.


others came in afterwards which swelled
the number a little. But if the audience
was small, very respectful attention was
paid to the speaker.
MIR McRae spoke about two hours and
half-devoting about an hour and half to
the Editors of the Raleigh Standard and
Western Democrat.
He commenced by saying that he had
travelled all the way to Charlotte for the
purpose of defending himself against the
foul aspersions - of his motives and char
acter by portion of the democratic press,
and especially to repel the charges made
by the democratic paper printed in Char
lotte. The editorial article of which he
complained, mainly, appeared in the Demo
crat of the 18th of December last, and is
as follows:
"a Prominent DEMocRAT."-The opposition
papers speaking OF the distribution letter OF Dun
can X McRae, styles its author "prominent demo-
Graf, ma prominent member of the democratic par
ty," &c. Ii they mean he has been prominent
democrat seeking Office, the terms used may ap-
ply to him correctly but If they mean to convey
the impression that he is true democrat, even
| has been an honest democrat, we beg leave to
demur and show cause to the contrary. Perso: al
Iy, we have nothing aga nst Mr. McKae, bat
politically have obJectous to him, tor we have
ever viewed him as acting with the democratic
party only for the purpose OF satisfying his ambitious
desires.
! At one time it was uncertain (even with HIM 10
which party he would attach himself; and the first
demonstration he made in politics was to take
the stumpin Cumberland county for The Legisia-
in opposition the democratic candidates al
ready in the field. This was the first display of
! his democracy. Two worthy democrats OF that
county were IN the field, and hardly pHshed by
wings but McRae willing o Jeopardise the
success OF the democratic bafty IN order to CRAFTY
his lnordmate ambition. The matter was settled
! by Mr. Atkins (who had canvassed nearly the
whole county, Withdrawing and allowing McRae
to keep The field and go to the Legislature. He
did not again, he found out probably that
forcing klmse upon the people would not prove
SUCH an easy matter the second time.
This was his first move as prominent demo-
GRAFT" lis second consisted in his taking the field
IN opposition 10 the regular candidate for Congress
in the thnd District little over four years ago
! he opposed the Hon. VIM. 5. Ashe for Congress,
and then ADVOCATED a distribution OF the public
lands No doubt the mann reason why he acted
at that time was. that he had applied to Mr.
PIerCc'S Administration tor an Ct.!ce abroad and
had concluded that he not TO get it, therefore
he determined to lake revenge by opposing the
democratic candidate III the Sd Congressional
district Unfortunately he was appointed Consul
10 Paris while acting in opposition the party.
Ii he had haen allowed TO continue in the field,
VIC should not Re bothered with him Tow, for he
would have been beaten so badly that the hand OF
| resurrection could never reach him.
When democrats expressed regret n leading
! men N Washington at such an appointment, they
/ were tod that the appointment was made before II
! was known that he was in the field a dIsorgan-
| IZer.
Those who heard Mr. McRae on Thurs
| day night will please bear in mind that
while he denounced the above as false from
beginning to end, he actually acknowledged
! the truth of our charges with the excep-
ton Of the first one) by explaining his
conduct and accusing US of using language
calculated to make q wrong impression.
With regard to the first paragraph OF
tho above article, Mr. McRae claimed to
have always been democrat, and referred
to his course in 1910 to sustain his clains
said that the editor OF this paper was toe
young to know anything about his position
at that time. The gentleman should re-
member that youthful impressions are gen.
orally lastin9.] When We said AT one
time it was uncertain to which party
he would attach HIMSELF VIC had in oul
mind the recollection of conversation we
heard between Mr. McRae and two other
gentlemen living in the town of Fay
ettevil!2, in The latter part of the year 1885
ton took place on tho steps Of the Post
! Office in that Town, and although we were
but q boy at the time, we were then i'm
pressed with the idea that the gentleman
was ION the fence in other words, haG
not determined with which party he would
act. We distinctly remember hearing one
of the gentlemen say to Mr. McRae, You
| had better come out for the democratic
party" What Mr. McRae's answer was
we do not so distinctly recolleet, but al
least it left the impression with US that he
was undecided about the matter. This is
our authority for the first charge.
The second charge, that Mr. McRae took
the stump in Cumberland county in oppo,
sition to democratic candidates already in
the field, we re-assert, and refer to MI
McRao's admissions on Thursday night tc
sustain US. He explained how he came tc
be a candidate as charged above, (although
be it remembered, in the opening part o.
his speech he pronounced the whole state
ment false.l He said that he became 6
candidate at the solicitation of prominent
democrats-that if there were democrats ir
the field, he had right TO run; said thai
we sought to make the impression thai
those gentlemen were regularly nominated
candidates. The reader will see that we
conveyed no such impression, although Nj
McRae admitted that the candidates in the
field when he took it were brought out by
democratic meeting in Fayetteville. II
speaking of the matter we used the word:
democratic candidates already in the
field" So far as this charge is concerned
we have nothing to recant, but on the con
trary, consider that our remarks about the
matter accord with Mr. McRae's admissions
We thought the gentleman placed himsel
I a.