Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1859-07-20
For the Standard.
THE DISCUSSION IN YANCEYVILLE.

rOT tue OtaDCaTO
THE DISCUSSION IN YANCEYvlLLE
MESsRs. EDIToRs: was in Yanceyville on Tues
day of the County Court of Caswel, and had the
pleasure of hearing the discussion between Messrs.
Williams, Waddell and Gilmer, the candidates for
Congress in the 9Th District.
The discussion was opened by Mr. Williams, in a
speech of marked ability. His vindication of the
Democratic party Clear concise, and conclusive.
He demonstrated that it is what it claims to be, the
only national party,-national, because it is COM
posed of the greatest and best men of all sections of
the country, because it administers i'm
partial justice to all sections of the country.
Having replied in advance to Mr.. Gilmer's attacks,
he himself became the assailant, and having pro-
duced the record, he showed up in terms of indg-
nant eloquence, the vaciiating and time-serving
course pursued by our late Representative. Was
Mr.. Gilmer, a Southern member, trucking to the
numerical strength of the North? Or did he dare
to believe that responsive cord could be touched
in any North-Carolina heart?
Williams appearance and manner are admirably
fitted for the stump. His selfposscssion is remark
abe:in fact he never loses it. And yet there is
nothing forward or obtrusive in it. Quiet delibe-
rate, but ready his forte to lie in clear
statement of facts, from which his deductions natur
ally and easily follow. No move on the political
board, made by his able and wary opponents, dis
concerts him for moment. Do they seek by artful
QueSIlOllS W lcdu ldlSc pOSlGlO, liz SctS
himself right with scarcely effort Do they at
tempt to palm off, by dexterous management, novel
and dangerous theories upon the public he instant
ly detects and exposes the trick. He was listened
to with marked attention, and evidently made de-
cided impression. Caswell will roll up one of her
heaviest majorities for him.
He was followed by Mr.. Gilmer, in speech of
considerable ability long and successful practice
of his profession had evidently prepared Mr. Gilmer
TO ol-of <of Av,l
was an irksome task. If he appealed to "Sam,"
and he may have done so, and have made the secret
signal of that distress which his countenance so pa
thetcaly bespoke, there was probably not more
than one man present who could respond. If he at
tempted to justify his course in Congress- and pre-
sented labored explanation of his speeches and his
votes, the stern and lowering brows of the Caswel
Shareholders warned him to desist; that in that in
terest Of all Others they could have no coquetting
with their rights.
Ingenious as the speech was, Mr. Gilmer's course
has been so indefensible that it misled no one
Even his political friends are, many of Them much
dissatisfied with his course and their disapproval
has been by means lessened by the statements of
Mr.. Waddell who followed him upon this occasion.
A humorous correspondent of yours recently re-
marked that Mr.. Waddell had but one plank in his
political platform, and that "tha. plank was Gil
mer's back" If that be true l can only say that
no platform was ever more fully occupied by the
candidate
He commenced by stating that when a candidate
against Mr. G., that the latter made frequent propo
sails of compromise to him, which he rejected until
they agreed at Pittsboro to leave the matter to six
of the friends of each and let them determine which
of the two should be the candidate; that the COM
mttee decided in favor of Mr.. Gilmer, and that he
(WaddelD withdrew. Mr.. W. then read certificate
from two of the members of that committee stating
that they understood that Mr.. G. was to have the
nomination for that campaign, and that Mr.. W. was
to have it for the next
Mr. w. further stated, that upon withdrawing, he
wrote note to the editor of the Raleigh Register
to that effect and that before sending it. he went to
Mr. Gs room and read it to him; that Mr. G. started
up, took him by both hands, said that he and his
children would always be grateful to him for it; that
he had saved him from defeat that he thought that
the position would be due to him (Mr. W. next
time, and promised the support of himself and
friends. Mr. W. said that during the present cam.