Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1860-02-22
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
,r.r and that used to be the Wing party, and that
,sai TO be the Henry Clay party, and that used to
ba the Harrison and Tyler party, and that used to
ba the Judge White party, and that used to be the
anti Jackson party, and that used to be the federal
Dortv To oppose means to object contradict COM
b,t tbwart. Opposite means adverse, contrary.
0ppoxition, therefore, means contrariness double
distilled. 1t is contrary party. 1t never knows
ov,ctIv what it wants ITSELF what it wants other
roorle 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 befall the country, it lays
them all to Democracy If taxes are low, and inter-
nal improvements langush, Democracy did it-De-
mocracv is an old fogy-is behind the age; if taxes
90 m, and internal improvements prosper, DemOc-
racv did it-Dcmocracy is cXtravagant-tOo fast for
the times If sectional aggression threatens the
government Democracy did it-DemOcracy is sec
ona; if sectional aggression is arrested, it arrested
itself-Democracy had no handi that. We repeat,
it's contrary party.
Our Opposition friends, as we have said, will meet
to-day in the State Capitol to nominate a candidate
for Governor Personally they are clever gentle
men. and we are 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 hun
dred miesofralroad and has doubled the amount dis
trbued for purposes of education. These are great
facts seen and understood by all Her affairs have been
economically administered, not dollar has been
diverted from its lawful purpose, or misapplied;
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-
A iuct mil
never turns off faithful and tried servant for new
and unred 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-n 1852 by nearly 6OGO-
IN 1854 by ,, OO0-in 1856 by 13,OOO-in 1868 by
$1,000. 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 ftheir rank and file. All these, besides a
large majority of the young men who have passed
the age Of twentyone 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 1853, and we can per-
ceVe nothing in the future to diminish his strength
calculations based on anticipated divisions in the
De'HOcrauc ranks, will amount to nothing The
Denoeraey Of the State uM neither acrqngLe nor
u''"e. After the State Convention of the 8th of
iarch and after the national Convention of the 23d
fl, they will go forward in serried phalanx, like
."e va Guard of the Empire" over all opposition
va glorious victory Opposition will but stir their
D'OOo and animate them in their duty The con-
""9 party will find itself again defeated and will
p'Ooa0ly go to work with zeal and experience
O,uiy Oh better cause, to abricate some new name
N'"s' which to oppose Democracy in 1864