Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1859-12-29

ne The Wilmington Herald Of yesterday replies at
some length to an editorial article which appeared in the
Journal of Tuesday with reference to the attempt made
to throw the responsibility of the failure to organize the
House upon the Democratic members.
Our object in that article was to expose the r,se by
which Mr. GiImer and his friends sought on Friday last
to place the Democrats in a false position This we
think succeeded in doing What inference the pub
lie will draw from Mr. Gilmer's course is for that pub
lie to say-the facts before it. 1t is not necessary
for us to add comments further than the state OF the
requires. The Herald itself took up the cry against
the Democrats responsible for the nonorganzatOn Of
the House, and in replying to this attack upon par
ty we referred to Mr. Gilmer because he happened to
be prominently mixed up with the affair." not because we
cared to 60 out of way to refer to him particularly
We think the Herald will find out that Mr.. Briggs
will be found acting against the South pretty generally
The class of hybrid politicians to which he belongs, al
ways are. We have no sort of doubt of his Repubi-
can leanings But letting that pass let turn to the
reference made by the Herald to Mr. WnslowS avowal
in caucus last week. that he would rather vote for
Anti-Lecompton Democrat than an American The
Herald goes on to say The Anti-Lecomptonites are
very thin shade-if even that-better than Black Re
pubcan-a kind of distinction without a difference"
This is the Herads judgment upon Anti-Lecomptonsm.
Let us see how it applies to Mr. Gilmer In debate
in the House Of Representatives, Monday last Mr..
Gilmer rose to question of privilege for the purpose
of making a personal explanation denunciatory of
newspaper article connecting him with the Helper pub
caton In the course of his remarks he used the fol-
lowing language
"In the discharge of a conscientious duty differed
with my Democratic friends in the course which they,
no doubt, from similar of duty conceived they
ought pursue. They sustained the Senate bill provi
ding for the admission of Kansas into the Union as
State, under the Lecompton Constitution | voted
honestly and conscientously against that bill then
believed, then satisfied all men are nou salts
fed, that it was an infamous frGud and infamous
SWtndte.''
Is not Mr.. Gilmer an AntLIecomptonte? II he
isn't, who is? According to the Hcrolds own charac
terization, is not Mr.. Gilmer very thin shade-f
even that better Black Republican, kind OF dis
tincton without difference" Mr. Gilmer appears as
she representative of the Americans. Surely if Mr..
Winsow should have to choose between a Democratic
antLecomponite and anti Democratic one he would
as Democrat, choose the former as tie least of two
evils. Ne man knows the standing and tendencies of
men in the House better than Mr.. Winslow, and no
would be less apt to vote for Hickman or Has
kines than Mr.. Winsow He does not regard them as
Democrats any than do and bis language does
not include them.
We do not charge Republicanism upon Mr.. GiImer,
we do not wish to charge it upon any Southern repre-
sentative if avoid tive do not wish to believe
it our ourselves, but we say that in his hostility to
Democrats and Democracy, Mr.. Gilmer allows himself
to become mixed up with opposition tactics in such
way seriously compromises the position Of South
Representatives, this has been carried so far
to afford aid and comfort to the enemies of our in
stutons being quoted and referred to in many of the
Republican papers evidence Of growing friend
Illness to their cause at the South.
We trust that we have answered our neighbours
fully and courteouSIy. If avoid controversy where
controversy do good do from no feeling of
disrespect to any of contemporaries. In regard
the antLecomptonites, if right upon other points, we
do not see any for irrepressbe conflict with
them. We do not go for dividing our strength upon
dead issues-what Daniel Webster called obsolete
ideas" The next few days will show the metal of the
six or seven antLecomptonites who yet stand out and
refuse to vote for Sherman. Only to have yet fallen
The Indiana and Illinois anti-Lecompton Democrats act
with the Democratic party in good faith.
Daily Journal, 22d INST