Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1859-04-20

tor or this writer that we know him quite as we'll
as he knows us and that tricky, scurvy, unprin-
clped intriguing politician is very apt to charge
others with such tricks as he does himself But we
have no wish to pursue the Giraffe further. 1t is
an object rather to be pitied than assailed 1t
thought, no doubt, it had done smart thing when
it monopolized those proceedings for its own COL
umns; and it has thereby reminded us of the ass
thst played the flute 'by accident" This happened
in this wiSe:-
The fable VIII now present. occurred to me by accident:
stupid ass one morning went into field by accident,
And cropped his ud and content until he pied by
cdent,
flute which oblvious gent had left behind by acct
When shifting it with eager SCENT he breahed it by
cident,
And made the hollow Instrument emit sound by accident:
'Hurrah! hurrah " exclaimed the brute. how clevery
play the flute!
fool in spite of natures bent may shine for by &C.
cident."
And so it was with the Giraffe. He was made Sec
rotary of the meeting, and thereby enabled to
emit one Democratic sound "by accident! He
SMILED the flute with equal surprise and eagerncss
and as the tones gathered in his collardike ears
and fingered about his nose he exclaimed with
voice worthy of his well-known stupidity, how
cleverly play the flute" And MIR Cantwel stood
by, admiring the proficiency and the shining quail
ties of his pupil and predicting for him still longer
ears, still sleeker coat and a still heavier feed
| of oats.
/ We repeat what we said last week in relation
I to Mr.. Cantwell We entertain no i'll will to-
wards him personally, and we speak of him not as
man. but politician; and so feeling and so speak
ing, feel bound to say that he has been here what
he was among the Democrats of New Hanover, a
source of disquiet and discord and an actual draw
back to the cause. We, as he well knows, have al
ways treated him with liberaty and Kindness So
far from prosecuting him, have been anxious to
correct his waywardness Democrat, fq sage him
for the cause and on his account and lokee him
prefer his party and its principles to his own inter
ests and his inveterate love of office In 1852, about
! the first time him. we met hin, in the
Baltimore Convention He claimcda seat there from
one of the Counties of the Cape Fear District; and
he well remembers that and another mutua!
friend delegate from the Guord District, took his
part, most probably should not have done,
against majority of the delegates from the District.
He was ousted properly as we think, and the seat
| he claimed given to another gentleman He talked
loud and long in favor of his right but his own peo
pie voted him down. The next we heard of him he
was editing sort of redistribution" paper in Will
mington opposing Mr.. Ashc for Congress, and disor
ganizing generally. Soon after that he came to Raj
cigh to edit the =" Statesaan" That precious sheet
lived but two weeks. How much money Mr. Can't
we'll got for that, we do not know; but We have
heard that he was well paid for his services. The
o1:o g a., fl, az
redistribution and it failed only because the money
was not forthcoming when needed. If Mr.. Cantwe
had succeeded then, the probability is that Gen.
Dockery would have defeated Mr.. Bragg, and the
State would have been distribution" State Some
time after this he took his sea. among the Commits
soners of Raleigh, having been chosen thereto by
Know Nothing Board; and he acted as City Attor-
ney having been appointed thereto, as he admits IN
his letter, by Know Nothing Mayor. His position
and his purposes about that time in politics, were
certainly doubtful We do not believe he joined
the Know Nothings, or attempted to join them, as
Mr. Harper Whitaker did but he took Office at their
hands, and shivered in the wind. Every body in
Raleigh knows this. Still, as have said above,
we were anxious to save him. We urged him to at
f tend Democratic meetings; and we remember well,
as no doubt he does, that about this time, while
Democratic meeting was in progress in the Court
House, and while addressing il, he came in
that we gave way ON his account sooner than We
otherwise would have done, and before taking oul
seat we called him out. He responded to the call
and addressed the meeting. For a while after thi:
he did pretty well as Democrat for the party was
t rapidly gaining strength; but always doubted
his firmness and fidelity. His defeat for Senate
rial Clerkshp in 1854 disgrunted him, but his cleo
ton as Chief Clerk of the Commons in 1856, ap
= peared to give him fixdy and consolation. During
n the McRac times however, he wrote very singular
e letter, in which he declared he nerer had been fo
distribution and that ne had only goneintoa "kick
n up for it at one tine to kill it! Every body laugh
t ed some repeated their old doubts to the sound
of his Democracy, and all thought his reasons
A for his "kck-up" very extraordinary and very anu
IL sing -
IF OF Mr. Cantwell's course in relation to this Con
gressional District propose in closing to say bu
t. little Mere conecures and opinions do not amour
J. tomuch andwe haveno positive facts that we have
e right to use. We believe however, that much
r not all the unpleasant feeling existing here and else
where in the District and which we trust will soo
], pass away may be traced to Mr.. Cantwell. This i
:, belief and we have right to indulge and ex
e press it.
e We have now performed duty by no mean
], gratifying or pleasant. We would have escaped i
l. if We could; but VIC have been placed here as
J. sentinel on the watchtower of Democracy, and W
must be true to our trust If we see that plots ar
4 forming threatening injury to the cause, or tina
treason is being hatched it is duty to speak be
fore the injury is done the treason takes wing
r. The health the comfort and the safety of tn
is ship sometimes requires that Jonah shall be cas-
n overheard. The old Democrat ship is the larges
Re and the strongest that ever sailed but large sh