The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1860-07-10
THE COUNTY CANVASS.

the Legislature and Tor Sherln opened the canvass
in Mecklenburg county Capt. John Walker,
democrat, and Col B. W Alexander, oppositionist,
announced themselves candidates for the Senate;
and John NJ. Potts and s. W. Davis, democrats,
and Jos. r. Gillespie, oppositionist, announced
themselves candidates for the House of Commons.
There are are eight candidates in the field for
Sheriff
Capt. Walker, Col. Potts and Mr. Davis are in
the field as the democratic nominees of an open
and fairly constituted Convention, composed of
delegates from all parts of the county, where the
humblest democrat in the county had as much
influence any other man, and where each Beat
was allowed only one vote, and that vote was cast
as a majority of the delegates from said Beat d.
rected. But how is it with our friends, Col. Alex
ander and Mr. Gillespie? Why it is well under
stood that they were brought out by few men
here in town in private consultation with few
from the country. At Providence on Thurs
day, Col. Potts and Capt. Walker openly charged
Messrs Gillespie and Alexander with being brough
out by a small clique. Col. Potts changed Mr.
Gillespie with being know nothing, and Mr. Gil
lespie acknowledged it by proclaiming that he
did believe that only americans ou3ht to RUE
1n,elica, and that nome Jut americans AouH BE-
pat upon guard. So the democrats of Mccklen-
burg will see that Col. Alexander and Mr. Giles
pie are the candidates of their old political enc
mies-the representatives of the -know-noth-
incorporation party. They are both good citizens
and very clever gentlemen-we know Col. Alex
ander well, and We know him to be gentleman in
every sense of the word-but we know that they
are both bitter enemies Of the democratic party
and are therefore not entitled to the vote of a
democrat in the county. No doubt Mr. Gillespie
hopes to slip in by the aid of democratic votes and
he was selected from the upper end Of the county
for the purpose ofcatchng democratic in that
direction, but we have too much conf lence in the
sterling democracy Of the upper end to believe that
they will endorse one of their old opponents. MIR
Gillespie having thought it necessary to "pitch
into " the Western Democrat, of course he must
consider our particular notice of him as legitimate
and proper, though we do not think there is any
danger of his doing much harm or OF being elected
either.
Democrats may expect to hear the same Old cry
raised against Conventions, but let them remember
that this la done to defeat the democratic party.
While the opposition party of Meckenburg are
pretending to be opposed to Conventions their
opposition brethren of Rowan, Davidson, and other
counties, have held Conventions and brought out
candidates, which is a much fairer way to do the
business than that pursued in bringing out Messrs
Alexander and Giilcspie-an open Convention is
better than private consultation, where Only
fcw pull the wires. Let 1t also be remembered
that opponents now supporting Mr. John
Pool, who was nominated by a convention, to
which convention the opposition party Of Mecken-
burg appointed delegates If they opposed to
conventions, why don't they repudiate MIR Pool
and his convention, as well as repudiate the scheme
of calling a convention to amend the Constitution
of the State The fact is, opposition friends
are acting inconsistent in this matter and their
only object is to defeat the democratic party.
At the opening ofthe in addition to the speak
ing by the candidates, Saml P. Smith, Esq, Assistant
EIcctor, made speech national politics: the
quest of some of the audience. Mr. Smith did not go
for the purpose of speaking; the contrary he
had made up his mind not to do So but after getting
the ground he urged by of his country
friends to speak He would have stopped after the
first day had it not been threatened to have to
meet him the next day. therefore he attended the two
next gatherings ut Morning Star and Providence, and
again made speeches, but meeting him, and
Guiding that probably it consuming too much of
the time of the candidates, he determined go fur
Their. We learn that friend Gen. Young, oppo-
sition went to Sharon Friday and made a speech,
and we know that had Mr. Smith been aware that the
General going there for that purpose, he would
have met him. But Mr. Abdon Alexander happened o
be present, and stated that naSmuch Mr. Smith
absent he would sit silent and hear such national
statesmen Breckenridge and Lane msrcpresented.
and he proceeded to reply to the Generals remarks,
defending the democratic party from the attacks of the
opposition.
Why IS IT Our opposition contemporaries in
North Carolina, some time past, denounced in
measured terms the doctrine of Mr. Douglas in re-
gard to Territorial sovereignty, and pronounced it
worse than the Wilmot Proviso. Now, why is it
that those same opposition papers have no good
word for the members Of the n. G. delegation who
have resisted the nomination of Mr. Douglas and
the endorsement of his views? Probably it is be-
cause they are democrats.
THE LINCOLNTON MAIL.-We surprised to
learn that the daily mail from this place 70 Inconton
and AShcve had been discontinued, and a tri-weckly
mail put in its place. Why the change was made
can't tell. The contract for mail six times
week, and we hope the Post Office Department viii
compel the contractor comply with the original
The change causes inconvenience to every
and especially to u.s. for heretofore we have mailed
n, hut