The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1858-11-02

| least antained average position with the
sentatyes of other parts of the Union Some who
born and educated among have while citizehs of
other States attained the hest positions known to
the Republic. is nevertheless undoubtedly true that
sons have not while residing among us, been the
recipients of fair share ofthe public honors This is
think, to be attributed two causes. During my
time in public life those whom we have sent to repre-
at Washington have been in political sense
reliable In other words, matter to what party
association they might belong, it known that they
would stand firmly by the principles they professcd
Representatives from of the States by threaten
ing aSsail their party, find favor, and have
honorable appointments bestowed on their Immediate
| constituents, because politicians often meanly
selfish enough quiet opposition, and buy support by
the bestowal of the Offices in their gift 1t has thus
sometimes happened that State has beer punished
for the fidelity of its representatives. am far from
thinking, however that it is misfortune citi-
generally that they holders offedera Offices
| happeued % mention last winter, a prominent
statesman, that during the whole of General Pierces
administrations and of Mr. Buchanans up to that time
there had not been single application for Office
under the federal government from citizen of my
| district. lie at declared that the fact
honorable the district that it ought to be universal
| ly known. And do hold that nothing be
honorable to people than the fac: that they should
| be willing to rely their honest industry, at
home instead of hanging about Washington for liveli
| hood. Still our State has not, am sorry to say
abroad all times, the consideration and weight she
would have if her oftener the recipients of
| the higher honors tf the Republic.
! In the second place, it has been sometimes said
that we have not always been ready some Of
/
This, if true have thought was, in great measure
due condition of things which it is in power to
remove. Owing to the form of the territory of our
State there has been heretofore little community of
feeling between the different parts of it. The eastern
counties have from their position been isolated from
the of the State. the northern connected with
Virginia. and those the southern with South Carroll
na while the extreme west has stood as it were alone
| The State has therefore been very much broken up
into sectional divisions In filling the prominent
| political positions to which entitled combira-
! OF o
formed for temporary purposes. 1t may have happen
cd that account of these sectional rivalres, strong
men have sometimes been set aside. Envy is said %
love shining mark and she sets after the fashion of
Taroun when he cut the talleSt puppes. Our people
have been accustomed to lament the fact that have
no large cities In which the opinion OF the State could
be concentrated and a proper given its feelings
But large cities attended with many evils that
by some they regarded in the body poll
tic. They less favorable perhaps, to the increase
of wealth and population than the rural districts
and attended with far more of pauperism, vice and
crime. The general extcnton of railroads and tc!e
graphs seems about togvc to the country many of the
advantages of the city without its ORA backs. With
their aid now pass through State in but little
more time than he would formerly have travcrsed
large city Iy these means \, h Carolina citizens
have the benefits which arise from rapid inter
change of views with each other, without the evils that
attend the crowdng of population into large cities
We thus have the strength of characterization without
its wickedness and knowledge and refinement without
vice. Already the progress made in our works
in this respect to have produced favorable change
|
may to-day lave in the breakers of the Atlantic
and tomorrow stand among the clouds, on the
taintops of the distant when the whole State is
| thus brought together. you will then have North
Carolina opinion concentrated and energetic that it
! will become efficient and give that consideration
| abroad to which shall be entitled.
have already intimatcd that there is danger which
threa in the dist ncc. Such is the strength
of the United States that they have nothing fear
from foreign violence The evil which menaces us is
wholly from within. | do not merely allude to
| which III
States, and which threatens section. Its gov
crnng principle is hostility to the South. No matter
| what might be the opinions of a any political
social or moral question il he only known TO be
| intensely hostile to us if he anxious that all the
powers of the federal government should be exercised
GainSt and FIR destruction, such Il
gardcd as worthy member of the organization To
suppose that the south would willingly submit to be
governed by such party would be implication that
| she wanted the common instincts of humanity. No
man is to be expected to submit himself if he by
any possibility avoid it, the control of one whose
only principle is enmty to him. Waving for the
present however all thought of this danger there is in
the future ground for experimenting evil to all the
hers of the conedercy We have seen that great nations
have in the end, suffered from the exactions
their governments. Were this consolidated
public it could not hope to escape, for long period,
the fate of those which have preceded it, In the or
ganization of system, however it has been most
wisely arranged that the powers of the central gov
erument should be limited and well defined Two
main reasons led to its formation: The first
bic it manage the foreign relations of the States
| hence it was invested with the power to make
against and treaties with foreign nations and rcgu-
late commerce with them A second prominent object
t. prevent collisions and misunderstanding be-
tween the States themselves, and it authorised
regulate commerce between them, coin money, &c.
Most ofthe leading powers belonging to it fall within
these classes 1t was, however invested within certain
other attI butes not OF the first magnitude but which
it could conveniently and advanageously exercise. In
Crdcr that it might have the means O: sustaining
Itself and performing the functions assigned it,
invested with full pow, raise revenue by taxa
tion and with limit, except what its legitimate wants
might fairly require All other powers were retained
by the States.
Notwithstanding the and foresight manifested
by its founders. it has nevertheless greatly incrcas
much tos having assumed new powers, flor the at
pretty successfully rcsiscd,) the practices which
have grown up under it. Combinations have bee n
formed by certain Classes to make of IFS powers
their own advantage. | will refer a few examples
to make it manifest, that it is treadng in
ties are given 10 those engaged in certain kinds of
fisheries, and these by means the NEST difficult and
dangerous. 1t cannot be shown that those thus en-
poycd more mcrturous than the classes taxed
for their benefit The original given for this
measure that 1t was necessary to create navy, long
er exists, hecan We havea commercial marine equal
to that OF the first nation in the world and it is singu-
lar fact that other branches of the fisheries have
inc reased much faster than those favored In the
second place, avgation laws unjust ALL cx-
Cept those engaged in commerce. If the agrcuturist
wishes to transport his grain, cotton tobacco from