Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1860-02-22
The Opposition Convention.

The OPPOSITION convention
The North Carolina Opposition Convention will
assemble in this City to-day, the ODD of February
This Opposition party used to be the American
party and that used to be the Wing party, and that
used to be the Henry Clay party, and that used to
be the Harrison and Tyler party, and that used to
be the Judge White party, and that used to be the
antJackson party, and that used to be the federal
party To oppose means to object, contradict, COM
bat, thwart Opposite means adverse, contrary.
Opposition, therefore, means contrariness double
distilled. 1t is a contrary party. 1t never knows
exactly what it wants ITSELF what it wants other
people to do. 1t is simply opposed to every thing
and every body who will not go with it in opposing
every thing and every body. 1t IS positive only in
negatives. 1t is positively opposed to Democracy
No matter what Democracy teaches, or does, or
leaves undone, it combats Democracy. No matter
what evils threaten or befall the country it lays
them all to Democracy If taxes are low, and inter-
nal improvements anguish, Democracy did it-De-
mocracy is an old fogy-is behind the age; if taxes
go up, and internal improvements prosper, Democ-
racy did t-Domocracy is extravagant-too fast for
the times. If sectional aggression threatens the
tona; if sectional aggression is arrested it arrested
itself-Democracy had no hand in that We repeat
it is a contrary party.
Our Opposition friends, as We have said, will meet
to-day in the State Capitol to nominate candidate
for Governor Personally they are clever gentle
men, and VIC arc bound to believe they wish well to
their country. True, they have singular way of
showing this wish, but it by no means follows be-
cause person is contrary that he is not honest.
We are not in their secrets, and cannot therefore,
tell what they will say and do Rumor has it that
they will nominate for Governor either John Pool,
of Pasquotank, or Alfred Dockery, of Richmond, or
George Davis, of New Hanover Their platform will
of course be-Opposition to Democracy.
The affairs of North Carolina have been in the
hands of the Democrats for about nine years. During
that period the State has made greater progress in
wealth and prosperity than she had made during any
twenty years of her previous history. During that
period she has increased in wealth not less than
hundred millions Of dollars has constructed five hum
dred miles RAILROAD and has doubled the amount dis
tributed for purposes of education. These great
facts seen and understood all Her affairs have been
economically administered, not dollar has been
diverted from its lawful purpose or msapplied;
while her credit has been BETTER and uniformly bet
ter than that of any Southern State. We do not
say that Democracy has accomplished all this or
that the State would not have prospered in other
hands; but we do say that Democracy has been in
power while these great results have been achieved
and that Democracy has been the agent of the peo-
pie in achieving them. A just sagacIous employer
never turns off faithful and tried servant for new
and untried one especially does he not do So if the
new one bases his claim to. employment on the fact
that he is opposed to all that the old and tried SER
want has DONE
Our Opposition friends were defeated in 1850 by
nearly 5000 maJority-in 1862 by nearly 6,OOO-
in 1854 by 2,OOO-in 1856 by 13,0OO-in 1853 by
10000 During the last six or seven years We have
captured, by force of argument and soundness Of
position at least dozen of their chiefs and thou
sands Of their rank and fle All these, besides
large majority of the young men who have passed
the age Of twenty since the last election will be
with US in August and November. What chance,
therefore, have they Of success? Gov. Ellis is
stronger now than he was in 1858, and We can per-
ceve nothing in the future to diminish his strength
Calculations based on anticipated divisions in the
Democratic ranks will amount to nothing. The
Democracy of the State ciU neither wrangle no,
dioide After the State Convention of the 9Th Of
March, and after the national Convention of the 23d
ofApr they will 60 forward in serred phalanx like
the "Old Guard Of the Empire" over all opposition
to glorious victory. Opposition will but stir thei,
blood and animate them in their duty. The con-
trary party will find itself again defeated, and will
probably go to work with zeal and experience
worthy of better cause to fabricate some new name
under which to oppose Democracy in 1864.