Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1859-05-18
DEMOCRATIC MEETING IN CHATHAM.

According to previous notice. the Democracy of
Chatham held a primary meeting in the Court
House in Peterborough, May 10th instant Being
Thursday of May County Govt the attendance was
unusually large. Good men and true from all parts
of the county came up to sanction and encourage
the meeting.
On motion, DR.. John A. Hawks was called to the
chair, and William Griffin requested to act as Sec
rotary.
j. j. jackson, Esq, explained the object of the
meeting to be- as before announced to arrange for
a proper county representation in the district con-
vention, to be held in Graham on the 31st inst
On motion committee of five was appointed to
draft and report appropriate matter for the action Of
the meeting.
The chairman announced the committee as COM
posed of the following gentlemen:
L. j. Merritt j. j. jackson, 7. B. Leavy, l. F.
Rives and j. W. Hackney, Esqs
Mr. Cantwell of Wake was invited into the
meeting, and introduced to it by Mr. jackson. To
calls made upon him. Mr.. Cantwell responded in
thoughtful, argumentative and thoroughly Demo
cratic speech He is certainly entitled to the thanks
of the meeting He spoke at some length, and was
listened to with fixed att.ntionby crowded Court
House.
VIM McIver, of Moore, was also present. and the
meeting would have asked further entertainment
from him, but for the fact that Mr.. Gilmer in
waiting DESTROYS during the recess of the Court to
address his felow-citzens of Chatham.
At the close of Mr. Cantwells speech Mr. Merritt
said that under the instructions of the committee,
it was his pleasure and duty to introduce to the
consideration of the meeting as the result of their
deliberations, the following resolutions. He would
simply say as appropriate to their introduction that
the committee were unanimous in their approval of
them. He then read in an animated and distinct
voice the following to wit:
Resolred, That we participate with our friends in
the other counties of the district in their anxiety
for change in the representation from the 9Th dis
trct in Congress- represented in the last Congress
by gentleman, the Hon. John A. Gilmer, whose
votes radically at variance on questions of vital
Importance with the cherished sentiments of the
great body of the Southern people, in conflict as
well with the Democratic doctrine of the reserved
rights of the States with the safety and spread of
the institutions Of the Southern portion of them
and that whilst We dsapprove of his whole course
in Congressswe feel it a duty to make special con-
demnation of his votes against the admission of
Kansas as slave State into the Union, regarding
those votes as untrue to the interest of Southern
constituency, being in strange utilization with black
Importance to the South
ResOloed That in the expansion of our territorial
area we are in favor of no policy of conquest or
subjugation or the imposition of laws on unwilling
subjects but we favor that policy which under JEFF
terson, by the purchase of Louisiana gave US terri
tory enough for as many States as formed the orig
inal confederacy and the not less important add
ton to our national strength the right to control
the Mississippi, which, under Munroe, purchased Of
Spain Florida, and which, under Polk, acquired
Texas, and California, Utah and New Mexico that
in pursuance of this general policy of the Democrat
&c party we favor the acquisition of Cuba by any
means consistent with national honor and Justice
deemng the possession of that island essential to
the advancement and protection of the great COM
merclal interests of the country; and that should
Spain attempt to ALLEVIATE the island to any othe,
foreign power, or to Aficanize it by aboshina
slavery therein, then should this government inter
tere and prevent such action on the part of Spain
Resotred, That we re-affirm our adherence to De
mocratic principles as embodied in the nationa
platforms of the party and as exemplifed and ad
ministered by Democratic administrations from JEFF
ferson to Buchanan; and also do we rc-affrm GU,
opposition to the oft changing views, names ant
policy of our political opponents in the district.
Resotoed, That we extend to the administration
OF President Buchanan a cordial support, having
unchanged faith in his ability, patriotism and ma
tionality, believing that the constitution is safe il
his hands as well the constitutional rights of al
sections, as shown by his able message yetoinr tn
agricultural college bill, "a wild scheme for sauan
dering the public lands and by his national polio
and able messages for the admission of Kansas.
ResoIred, That we will gladly meet our friend
from the other counties of the district in convention
in Graham on the S1st inst, and heartily co-operat
with them in selecting candidate to represent u
in the next Congress-to that end we instruct tn
chairman of this meeting to appoint at least fift
delegates from the county to represent us in thu
convention and we hereby add to the list the chat
man and secretary of this meeting, and also an
good Democrat from the county who may be willin
to attend said convention to act with the appointe
delegates.
Resoloed, That We invite the continued aid an
cooperation Of all Wings who heretofore have stoc
firm for their country against the changing phas
and dangerous tendencies Of Know Nothingism, ar
who see in the recent attempts to revive the VIII
party, none of those great principles which in da,
past commanded their approval and support
hesotred That the proceedings Of, this meetir
be sent for mobilization 4, The D Il.