The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1859-08-10
HOW OUR GREE AND INDEPENDENT
COUNTRY rs GOVERNED.

COUNTRY is GOfEkNED. Ii
The following admirable article in the
last Baltimore American presents, untortun-
ately, teo true picture Of the mode in which
public opinion is manufactured, aud great
men made. The reader, even in compare.
lively honest and unsophisticated North Car
DINA, will be at no loss to make the appllca-
ton. There are plenty Of Major John x.
Smiths" even among US, but in the Northern
and Western States they are the people that
flourish. They hold all the primary meet
ings, and fill all the Offices. Therefore we
have the Slckleses, and the MattesoIss and
other FIRST cousins Of Major John 4, in Con-
gress, in the Executive Offices, and even In
the judicial Offices, especially where Judicial
officers are elective. But read the article,
| as follows: Fayetteville 0Lssrsr.
4 PRIMARY MEETINGs.--Major John \. Smith
(of the Militia,) published card in the Ga
lena Banner. calling county Convention to
nominate candidates for Congress and the
State Legislature. The Galena Banner is,
or was. weekly paper, published somewhere
out West, on the outskirts Of civilization.
This was twenty years ago, and tor aught
{ we know 10 the contrary, the Banner may
haze grown into mammoth daily, with two
n or three editions per diem, a column or two
Of I" kilograms and monthly supplement-.
The particular Galena may be a considera.
Bile metropolis by this time. and Major Smith
may be one of the few available candidates
for the Presidency in 1860. In 1889, how>
ever. the Banner was small sheet, and the
Major small though an enterprising maH,
unknown 10 tame. Galena was city, con.
tanning printing office. blacksmith shop.
tavern, a store, and saw mill. The private
history OF the Convention, indiscreetly de-
tailed by an eyewitness, was as follows:
There were present Major j. X. Smith, Mr..
Washington Napoleon Thompson, bottle
|, OF old rye. pitcher Of water. and two tum-
, blers. MIR. Thompson was the Majors bro
Their. law. The meeting was called to or
der and Major Smith to the chair. Mr..
Thompson was unanimously appointed Sec.
retary. The Convention took a drink and
= proceeded to business. The next weeks
issue OF the Banner gave an entire column
to the description Of the Large and enthu-
siastic meeting Of the citizens OF Washington
COUNTY" and published the nine resolutions
of which the body was delivered. The FIRST
seven of these resolutions discoursed about
matters and things in general, and about the
immutable, uneonquerable and unterrihabe
nature Of Democratic principles in particu.
lar. They begin wah our Revolutionary sires
and General Washington. and ended with
the immortal Jefferson. The eighth resolved
that Major John y. Smith was the unani.
mous choice Of that Convention TO represent
that district in Congress. The ninth re-
, solved that Washington Napoleon ThomP-
sen was the only living man who could save
, the country from ruin by serving term in
J the State Legislature. !.
This was a regular primary meeting. and
! in all essentials was exactly like all other
primary meetings that have been held from
: that ,lay TO the present. Ifambitious Majors
do not always take the chair. they are at
least power behind the THRONE" and ne
] YER let 90 the wires. II is said that me-
mortal does not amount to anything, because
anybody can get any desired number OF sig.
natures to any sort Of memorial. Nothing
is necessary but industry and brass. So the
things that are . Resolved in primary meet.
ings do not indicate anything beyond the
effrontery OF the candidates selected. Some
nominations cost only few drinks OF bad
: liquor others cost round sum OF hard dol
lars. But the fitness Of the candidate is a
! thing never discussed, and perhaps never
thought Of in the preliminary meetings. The
!. moral character OF man who is to represent
! the tenth part Of State in Congress. is a
A thing too sacred to be spoken Of in a public
! assemblagc. He may be bully. adrunkard.
Sabbath breaker and an lnfidel, but no
whit less good representative. ltdoes not
make the case any better. either. To admit
. that the persons who ordinarily attend these
meetings are not troubled with much unne-
cessary refinement. II is burning shame
|. that our lawmakers should be even ostensi-
! bly, selected BY men Of the lowest class OF
!. society. Is the power really in their hands !
Have our institutions become so thoroughly
|, democratic that no decent man can have in
fiuence:
y Whether the thing Is attracting Or not, II
seems clear enough that il is the duty Of
!. good men TO interfere little in these mat.
n tiers. n old party lines are still TO be drawn.
!, and we are to have none but candidates Of
\ the right Faith on either side, at least let Us
Z insist that honorable men shall be nomina.
I. ted. n the polls are 10 be 10 possession ol
4 rowdy associations belonging 10. or rather
) orning. either party. let Us at least see that
: al the tickets contain the names OF respect
4 able men. II The good q the Commonwealth
! Is really second TO the success Of q party, lei
|. us insist that the dear party Is not damaged,
!, by selecting honest representatives,. IL we
4 must have primary meetings, let Is attend
them. II may be that we can select some
better presiding ofhcer than Major John X.
Perhaps we can slip in a resolution or two
e that was rot cut and dried BY the erpeetani
!. candidate. And who knows that we may
4 not be able. By straightforward. honest ei'
< fort, for which the wire .pullers are not pre-.
Il pared, to secure the nomination Of efficient
II and reliable men ! Tie lottery dealers, the
e Sabbath liquor men. and other disregarders
y Of Law and morals, confidently expect "a
d manage the neIt State Legislature. Suppose
a those uf Us who arc conscious of the posses.
u sion Of souls spoil their game. by sending
men to Annapolis who cannot be bribed
~ We can do il &c We choose, but in order "a
\. DO Il We msy rely upos Il that one Of two