Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1858-04-09
The Charlotte Convention.

Charlotte
We would beg leave to remind our Democratic friends
in the several counties where paper crcuates that
the Democratic State Convention will meet at Char
lotte on Wednesday of next week. being the l4th inst
and that it is full time that arrangements had been made
to have every county represented therein We would
further urge upon the delegates appointed from each
county, the propricy of ascertaning who and now many
can 90 from the county, to make sure that some
do co. or at any rate that the county is represented if
not personally at least by proxy although proxy not
half as good as personal attendance We want per-
sona meeting and consultation of the people themselves
as far as possible. Now do give few days to your
country and to yourselves The expense is really next
to nothing and for less than ten dollars railroad fare
going to and returning from Charlotte you will traverse
the whole centre Of the State large part yourselves
and at Charlotte you will meet with people from nearly
all the balance.
The Convention of the 14th inst. is really most I'M
porant asscmbage not simply to the Democratic party
but to the State generally 1t may exert no nconsider
able influence in shaping the of State policy for
some years to come, and much may therefore depend
upon the prudence and sound Judgment of its councils
The nomination of Governor may be quite a subor-
dnate consideration for the simple that be-
lieye any reliable and competent Democrat who may be
nominated will be pretty certain to be elected About
that we have few anxetcs the fewer because we have
seen no name proposed for the nomination that does
not belong to a gentleman sound and competent
But the deliberations of the Convention likely to
assume another kind of Importance The representative
body acting to some extent as the of the acknOw
edgedy dominant party of the State its recommendations
may be potential matters of policy well as of prn-
cpIe and more may be expected Of it than fairly comes
within its province its powers and thus tests be IN
troduced or attempted to be introduced, embarrassing
alike to the Democratic party and to the State. The
general principle of extending fair and liberal assls-
lance to works for the development of the State and Its
different interests as fast the of the State
will prudenty admit Of such assistance being extended
is one generally conceded it is also conceded that IN
regard to the works to be assisted and the extent and
character of the assistance to be granted to hcm wise
discretion should be used. Thus far all are prepared to
20. But how much farther can any party be expected
to 90 without establishing tests arbitrary as the bed
of Procrustus and as impossible of enforcement. Men
of any party may fairly concede every general principle
claimed and yet find it impossible to agree about Partlc-
uar works, their practcability usefulness. Fake
Deep River for instance. A may think the work I'M
practicable, may think it every way practicable
They do not differ about the principle of assisting
meritorious work. but they differ in opinion about the
deserving of this particular work TO require Or at
tempt to enforce conformity of opinion i'll such case
would be evidently foolish and tyrannical The same
will apply to the demands Of the mountain district for an
extension Of the Central Railroad through to the Tenn
essee line While conccding the general principle, men
may fairly and honestly differ in reference to the expedl-
ency and discretion of going farther at present They
may form different estimates of the resources OF the
StateOf the probable cost of the proposed work-o1
the advantages likely to arise from its construction, &c
this almost inevitable as it is certainly natural and
therefore no rigid line be drawn above ALL no Con
vention remaining in session but day or two at tarth
est without documents Or data without time for full
understanding of all the details of the subject can bt
expected to go into these details
Unfortunately, some warmth has been impaired t.
newspaper discussions of the claims of candidates fo
the nomination. Let have full gathering of TIT
Democracy that antagonisms of men will sinkjntC
nsgnfcance before the majesty of the Democratic party
Let meet as friends and brethren, nhexibe where
principle is concerned anxious to YIELD concede to, anC
prefer each other in every other Not demanding
too much from the Convention from our brothe
Democrats. We may thus promote the solid interest
of oar State and our party.