Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1859-08-26
premnture Agltntlon for 1he Presidencx.

1t may fairly Ee taken for granted that whoever the
Democratic Convention at Charleston may nominate for
the Presidency, will hear of all the niquitcs that he
ever did in his lcat he ever thought of when awake
or ever dreamed of when asleep, and also that he will
hear of great many more that he never did, thought
OF, nor dreamed about Every charge that can fairly
or unfairly be preferred against him will be preferred
every measure that he has ever forwarded will be con-
demned or his motives in connection with it impugned
We think that the truth Of these remarks will find
confirmation in the history of every Presidential
canvass. The bitterness with which candidates of any
political party pursued by the party opposed to
them arises from the nature OF and things and need
not be commented upon That the fact is so, none
will deny. No party need trouble itself to abuse
find fault with its own leaders. The opposite party
will do enough and too much of that.
The tendency however, of too early agitation, not
for the Presidency exactly, but for the Democratic
inaton therefor is to make Democrats play into the
hands of their opponents and do their work gratuousy
and far efficiently than these opponents themselves
could do under any circumstances Suppose that an
embittered be got up for the nomination. and
such embittered canvass is pretty certain to flow from
any premature agitation in the interests of particu-
lar men, then may be sure that whoever the
nominee may be, some Democrats, bitterly opposed to
him likely to stand in the way of their tavorite,
will have said enough during the canvass for the nomi-
nation, to furnish the opponents of the party with
effective weapons when the actual party contest begins
and these weapons will owe their point and efficiency
to anything in themselves that might not be easily
met and overcome but to the fact that they brought
forward as Democratic authority.
If we wanted an example and a warning we need
only turn to the late contest in Virginia. in which we
barely escaped being beaten by weapons placed in the
hands of our opponents by members of the Democratic
party.
The political opponents of Mr.. Letcher found their
arguments ready cut and dried in the columns of leading
Virginia papers The contest among Democrats arising
out of the gubernatorial nomination dsorganized the
party in the congressional districts Virginia had al
influence upon North Carolina, and to the contests o.
personal asprants and their friends in Virginia. good
ly portion of reverses in this State as well as that
may be attributed.
If the present system be carried on-if Mr.. Wise be
pushed and Opposed-Nlr. Douglass be pushed and or
posed-Mr Hunter, do, Mr.. Dickinson, do, Mr. Brock
enrdge d. and so on much of the work of the opposi
ton will be done to their hands, no matter who may b.
nominated matter what his record there will not b.
wanting prominent Democratic authority" to show tina
in the opinion of such prominent Democratic authori
ty" the nominee is bad man and unsound any wa,
you can take him.
P. S. Such Prominent Democratic authority geue
rally means some interested friends of some partcua
asprant or aspirants