The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1860-07-10
MR. McRAE's SPEECH AT RALEIGH.

speech delivered by d. K. McRae, ESQ., at Raj
egh, on Thursday evening the 18th ult, in favor
of Mr. Douglas and in opposition to the action of
the true National Democratic Convention which
nominated Breckenridge and Lane. We had in
tended to postpone the discussion of the action of
the two Conventions until after the August cleo
ton, (not wishing to fill our paper almost entirely
with political matter at this time) but Mr. McRae
in his speech has made some reflections on the
n. G. delegation which We cannot allow to pass
unnoticed. The Register reports Mr. McRae as
saying:
q The adoption of the majority report of the Com
mtee on credentials caused the secession at Baltimore
The North Carolina delegates never waited for bal
lot 1t was in vain that overtures were made. Do
you suppose the seceders have stated the ground
of their movement? No. Something lies beyond
There was motive in their action. North
Carolina went of the Convention under circum-
stances which he could not applaud. She waited until
Virginia rose. At that moment Yancey seated
among the North Carolina delegates, like dark pail
lowering over them. No sooner had Virginia moved
than, like tail pinned kite North Carolina follow
ed lanceys language gives us the true reason fthis
movement. 1t was because the regular Convention
fused to adopt Congressional protection
We might very easily show that it does not be-
come Mr. McRae to question the motives and re-
fleet upon the action of such Democrats as Bedford
Brown, VIM. S. Ashe, John Walker, VIM. Lander,
W. ". Avery and other gentlemen, who have
spent lifetime i'll fighting for the principles of
the Democratic party; but we desire to say moth
ing now in reference to past differences.
at was in vain that overtures were made" says
Mr. McRae Now, we should like to know what
overtures he aIludes to. None were made by the
Douglas men to our knowledge or that we have
even heard Of and if Mr. McRae knows of any let
him make them known. 1t is true, North Caro-
lima did not wait for a ballot. She did right in
Withdrawing before ballot was taken. The South
ern delegates saw that there was a determination
to force Douglas and his declarations upon the
Convention without the least explanation or con-
cession; and if there had been no previous
for withdrawing, this Of Itself was sufficient.
But Mr. McRae makes gross reflection upon
those who withdrew from the Convention by say
ing they have ''not stated the true ground of their
movement-that something lies beyond there
was some secret motire in their action" Those
who know the character of the withdrawing dele
gates, (some of whom are known to the people of
the whole State as straig bit forward honest poli-
Clans will at once see the injustice Of Mr. McRaes
remarks. For the present will let that pass,
and notice the remark that North Carolina waited
until Virginia rose" 1t is well known by every
member of the n. delegation (and Mr. McRae
knows it, that large majority Of the n. c. dele
gates resolved On Thursday, the day before the
Withdrawal took place, to retire from the Douglas
Convention if it persisted in refusing admission to
regularly accredited delegates; and the sneering
remark of Mr. McRae, that North Carolina followed
Virginia, "like tail pinned to kite" is not only
in bad taste, but ungenerous. The fact that Nir-
ginia first announced to the Convention her deter
mination TO withdraw does not sustain Mr. McRae's
insinuaton. Some State of course would be in
the lead, and it so happened that the chairman Of
the Virginia delegation caught the of the
President first. But if North Carolina did follow
Virginia, that is no cause of complaint-she only
followed the representatives Of State that has al
ways cast her vote for the democratic candidate for
President in every elecion-representatives who
have done everything they could to produce har
mony in the democratic party, which is more than
can be said for some of those who censure their
conduct. And the insinuation that Mr. Yancey
the action of the n G. delegation is in
correct and entirely unfoundcd in anything that
was said or done on the occasion1
There are other reflections aud statements in Mr.
McRac's speech which require correction (for in
stance his statement that Mr. Douglas was nominal
ted by more than two-thirds of the electoral VOTE
when the record does not show that there was a
two-thirds vote in the Convention but we pass
them by for the present. We have questioned
the motives of no man who supports Dougas--we
concede to others the ri ehts claim for
ourselves to think and act as their judg mcnt may
in justice to the gentlemen who
Withdrew from the Douglas Convention, we
not allow Mr. McRae's ungenerous remarks in Raj
eigh to 90 unnoticed Ever since we old
enough to do anything, We have been working and
contending for the democratic party and the sue
cess of its princi ples-never swerving in any in
stance from a straightforward course-and we do
not desire to quarrel with any one who pro-
fesses to be democrat, but shall ever lie found
ready to resist unjust imputations no matter by
whom made. We do not object to Mr. McRae's
speech because he is Douglas man-he may favor
whoever he peases and We shall not obiect-but
we will not remain silent when he attacks gentle
men who have always proven their devotion to the
democratic party both by practice and precept.
We suppose Mr. McRaes speech at Raleigh will
be quoted by the opposition against the democratic
party throughout the campaign, and we therefore