Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1860-04-11
The Register and Mr.. Rayner.

The Register and Mr.. Rayner.
Whilst we cheerfully accept the disclaimer Of the
Register of any design to revive "any old quarrel
or difficulty" between the Hon. Kenneth Rayner
and ourself we must at the same time say to that
paper for and ai that if it is its purpose to
persist in its attacks on Mr.. Rayner we hope it will
not attempt to mask these attacks by assailing Mr.
Rayner through us. We are not Mr. Rayners
champion, nor the guardian Of his reputation and
character Mr.. r. belongs to the Registers party,
and the Register is more responsible for Mr.. RS
position than we are. Of course we speak of the
Register in this connection in its partizan character
as an Opposition Journal
1t does not require any extraordinary shrewdness
to discover the game the Register is attempting to
play. By assailing Mr.. Rayner and the Standard
at the same time it hopes to drive into the de-
fence of Mr. R., for the purpose of injurlng him
with his own party. We will not crafty you in
this respect, Mr.. Register. With Mr.. Rayner's po-
cal shortcomings, with his present political posi-
ton or future political prospects we have nothing
to do If his own party is disposed to give him the
cold shoulder-to whistle him down the wind, We
cannot help him. He has for years been a most
violent and intemperate assailant Of the Demo-
cratic party, first as Wing and then as
Know Nothing Of the most intolerant stripe
Whilst with other leaders of Know Nothing Whig-
gerry warfare against Democracy has been an
episode in their pursuits and employments, with
Mr.. Rayner it has been the great labor Of his life.
The Democracy have less cause to like him than
any man in the State We mean politically of
course; for privately and socially Mr.. Rayner is an
amiabe, high minded gentleman. His traits Of char
acter in this respect are appreciated by gentlemen
of all parties as they deserve to be. Ardent and
impetuous in his nature, he has often gone to
lengths in his assaults upon Democracy which he
regretted himself as we have often heard him admit
This in turn has subjected him to harsh and severe
animadversions on the part of Democrats, but no
one, we presume, who knows Mr.. Rayner well,
doubts his honesty and sincerity as politician
wayward, misguided, and violent as he has been
The Register having taken Mr.. R. in hand, We hope
that in administering its discipline to him for his
obduracy ad oalorem, it will do so without lug
ging US into the controversy. We say Mr.. Rayners
obduracy on account of ad ralorem. That may be
the prctext for these attacks on him; but, strange
as it may seem to the Register, We Democrats know
more about the wire-working and secret influences
vention than that paper imagnes. There were
leaky vessels in that Convention who either forgot
or disregarded their darklantern oaths to keep
dark" Some of them spoke I" in achisper" to
A told it to B, and B hinted it to us. Did not
Mr.. Rayner take ground in the recent of the
Know Nothing party against the recommendation
Of the constitutional Union" Committee at Wash.
ington for each State Convention to nominate two
candidates for the Presidency? If we were dis.
posed to tell secrets we could inform Mr. Rayner,
and give him our reasons for knowing that this is
the objectionable sin which he has committed Mr.
R. evidently was not well posted. He had not beer
confded in as TO what had already been decided
that Gov. Graham was to be nominated for Presi
dent and thus honorably removed out of the way
of another's aspirations for the Senatorship mex
winter. Mr.. Rayners speech against this Casio
and Pollux nomination was construed into wan
of zeal for Gov. Grahams Presidential aspirations
That is the reason why Mr.. Rayner's few Easter
friends found it so difficult to get his name throug
the Committee of sixteen for delegate at large t
the nominating Convention at Baltimore. That wa
the reason why his amendment to Mr.. Smiths resc
luton "of thanks" to the Opposition members G
Congress from this State for voting for various Dem
ocrats for Speaker, was so summarily rejected
That was the reason why certain new convert t
ad calorem was SO Justify applauded when he rea
Mr. R. lecture for his remarks in relation to Win
ter Davis. And that is the reason why the Raleig
Register so authoritatvely notifies Mr.. R. that un
less he is prepared to 60 to Baltimore and zeaous
work to secure Gov Graham's nomination for tn
Presidency, and to 60 in heartily for ad ealorem, s
as to secure an Opposition majority in the Legisl'
ture to elect a certain other person to the Unite
States Senate heis MOTTO 60 to- the Convention at al
but must hand over his credentials to his alernat'
As We have said before, this is family quarr'
with which We have nothing to do; and We do nc
intend to allow the Register to involve us in i
We intend no personal unkindness to Mr.. Raynel
Our frequent alluson to his name, Of late has bee
forced upon us by the Register. In taking leave I
this feud between the Register and that gentleman
we must say, however, that we hope Mr. R wi
proht by it. He has devoted the greater portion
MS life to an unsparing and bitter warfare againl
the Democratic party. He sees that his efforts AZ
IN vain, for, despite his assaults, Democracy sti
lives and triumphk i He now sees tie Denoczaati
> y-s5s sssaK