Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1860-03-17
Henry w. Miller.


and most brilliant ntellect-of laborious habits and
unpretendlng modesty, for fifteen years Mr. M. was
the AJAX lebanon of the Wing party in North-Ca
iina' Although under a constant press Of profess
sona business, and the and support of his fam
y on his hands, for many long years Mr.. NJ was
instant in season and out of season. whenever
and wherever his party friends called upon Hercu-
les to come up to their relief In prosperity and in
adversely, through veal and through wo he battled
for Whiggery, with giants might Often when
we thought Democracy was triumphant and victory
won, the voice of Miller could be heard rallyng the
routed Wing legions to the charge and assailing us
IN flank, when we thought ourselves in the full tide
OF successful pursuit. And when Whiggery died
out from mere inanition and Know Nothngism, ris-
ing from its ashes confronted the serried ranks of
Democracy, Henry W. Miller and his contrere Ken
meth Rayner, led the two wings of the Know Moth.
ing army in this State. We candidy admit the fact
now-they gave us no little trouble At one time
the prospect was so dark and lowering that nothing
out our mistaken confidence in the enduring might
OF TRUTH prevented US from despairiEg of the for
tunes OF Democracy. During all this time the oil
garchy that now controls the actions and move
ments of Whiggery in this State, stood and looked
on from affair." Too nice and fastdious to dirty their
hands with Know Nothingsm, they still surveyed
the fight from distance, with longing eyes and
watering chops-ready to come in at the DEATH and
claim the "spoils of victory" in case Know Moth
ingism won-and yet reserving to themselves the
chance at future day of saying they "never were
any thing but old line Wings" in case that Know
Nothingism lost the day. Not so H. W. Miller.
Misguided as he in judgment in that matter,
yet from honest convictions we doubt not, he still
bore alOft the banner of opposition, in his war
against Democracy.
At length Know Nothingism succumbed Abo-
tionism at the North regarded Know Nothingism
as sort Of Intruder in its domains dressed itself in
the robes of the latter and took possession of its
lodges and gave direction to its counSels 0ppoSi-
ton to Democracy, under the pirate flag of black
Republicanism, having routed the Democratic party
in most of the Northern States, the Wing olgarchs
who had so long been in state of torpor, began to
stir, like aligators on the approach of Spring; and
they now are preparing to profit by the blows un.
der which Democracy is staggering from the
sauts of black Republicanism. They protest that
they have no sympathy with black Republicanism.
Oh no! not they. They as indignant at the
charge of aiding and abetting black Republicanism,
as they were at the very idea of being Know Moth
ings. We do not make the charge-we are speak
ing of their now preparing to avail themselves Of
the defeat of Democracy, which they know can only
be accomplished by the power of black Republican
ism in the North. Not so Henry W. Miller. When
he saw that Know Nothingism had fallen, and
Americanism (as he called it) was no longer prac
A.
litionsm threaten the guaranteed rights, the domes
tic peace of the South, and the perpetuty of the
Union-when he saw Mr.. Buchanan interposing his
name and character and executive influence against
this threatening and daily increasing danger-then
it was that Mr. Miller proved that he loved country
better than he did party. Then it was he saw that
this great question of the preservation of Southern
rights transcribed in importance all the political is
sues of the day; and in spirit of patriotism and
manly independence he declared his purpose of sus
tanning Mr.. Buchanan and the Democratic party, as
long as they presented the only ralying point
against the aggressions of Northern fanaticism
Mr. Miller did not profess to have changed his views
in regard to other questions of public policy-and
yet for daring to carry out his convictions of duty
as Southern patriot he was denounced by his
9uond0m political allies from Currituck to Chero-
kee. The fossil oligarchs of Whiggery in the State
shrugged their shoulders and rolled up their eyes,
when his name mentioned. They said but lit
tie for is not their policy to speak decidedly any
more than it is their policy to act decidedly But
they set their whippersn after him, with orders to
hunt him down. They regretted, in fact, Mr.. Ms
change Of his party relations for he had been work
AZ L., L.
and they knew the value OF his services But their
fmgemen and drill-sergeants opened on him in full
fury. They have denounced, vilified, and abused
him-they have impugned his motives, and charged
him with being actuated by selfish and ambitious
vews-that his purpose was to get in the majority,
with view to office and place
The whole history Of Mr.. Mier's past life, gives
the lie to such imputation Mr.. Miller had for if
teen eighteen years been battling for his party. The
darker its prospects, the theoretically he had
sustained it. In its gloomiest periods of adversely
he had led its forlorn hopes-and this too, not only
without reward, when his party was in the ascen-
dant, but without even the notice of a compliment
tary recognition When his party was in power in
the federal government the oligarchs of the State
made effort to secure the appreciation of his SER
vices. They had their own selfish schemes to carry
out and the interests of their iegemen to take care
Of When in power in the State in the distribution
of honors and offices, Mr.. NJ. was never thought Of
He was thought to be good enough to s'ork for Them
and their interests required that he should be kept
for that purpose alone. Strange as it may seem, as
many years as the Wing party had control of the
Legislature they never even gave Mr.. Miller the
compliment of an election a Trustee of the Uni
versity at which he was educated, and to which he
is so much attached He was never even named
when the Wing party had control of the admins
traton of the State for the place of Bank or Rail-