Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1861-10-12
The CIoven Foot of PARTY.


The last Ashevile Nesos, announcing William II.
Thomas, Esq, as candidate for Congress in the
10th District says:
"'Onder old party divisions, Col Thomas was a
Democrat of the jackson school. he is an ardent
and devoted Southern man, and attempted last win
ter to get bill through the Legislature to purchase
arms and prepare for the conflict which he then saw,
and warned the Senate, was inevitable. The bill
was defeated by the watch and wait gentry, and
we are now suffering the consequences of their want
of foresight"
Our readers in the 10th District will perceive from
the above that the Nescs is responsible for the at
tempt to revive party spirit in thtir midst. That
paper compliments Mr.. Thomas for his effort to get
a bill through the Legislature last winter to pur-
chase arms and asserts that the bill defeated by
the old Union men. This is not true. The Legs
lature, at its winter session. passed bill authoriz
ing the Governor to call out thirty thousand Uotun
teers if he should deem such call necessary and it
also appropriated three hundred thousand dollars for
the purchase of arms and munitions of war, and d.
rected the Governor to make the purchase. What
more could Mr. Thomas have asked at the winter
session? If the Neos doubts this statement, we
would ask its attention to the laws this subject
ratified in January and February, 1861, and publish
e. by the State printer.
The Governor expended only $50, 900 Of the $780,
00Oabove appropriated and reported the fact to the
extra session in May If the volunteers were not
called out and if the whole of the 100000 was not
expended for arms the fault does not lie at the door
of the old Union men.
We now state-what has not heretofore been
stated-that in January, 1860, soon after the John
Brown raid we urged Gov. Ellis, as we'll personally
as in the columns of the Standard, to convene the
Legislature and recommend to that body an appro-
pration of one million Of dollars to put the State in
aposture Of defence. The Governor declined to take
our advice. Our object to preSerUe the peace by
preparing for acGr; and also, if must come, to
be ready for it. This is what one of the watch
and wait gentry" did, long before Mr.. Thomas ex-
erted himself as the Ne1s states "to purchase arms
and prepare for the conflict" The truth is, Mr.
| Thomas foresaw the conflict no more than others
did, but he did all he could to destroy the
old government and bring the conflict. We
award him all the credit Or this score which is
claimed for him by the News. Why did not this
watchful sentinel, Mr.. Thomas, urge Gov. Ellis to
expend the whole Of the $780, 900 at once, when he
might have purchased arms at one fourth the price
which the State is paying for them now?
If Mr.. Thomas is damaged in the estimation of the
good people Of the 10th District by this exposure he
must blame the Neoos for it. which has made, in the
above extract most wanton and unjust attack on
the old Union men. Indeed we must a6d that we
greatly obliged to the Ne,rs for not having de-
nounced the old Union men as "submissionsts y"
and TRAITORS" But what objection has the Neus
to the reelection of Mr.. Davidson to Congress? We
will tell you, good reader-it is party That is all.
The Neus is for the country, and would like to see
the country defended but party or faction must be
preserved and perpetuated at all hazards.
Mr. Thomas, it seems wants a little of every
thing. He is member Of the State Senate, and a
member of the Convention, and now he wants to go
to Congress. Is he equal to all three of these posi-
tons? Besides, it is rumored that he is raising a
company of Indians to defend the country. Can he
occupy at the same time seat in the Legislature,
seat in the Convention seat in Congress, and com
mand the Indians on the battlefield? We protest
against this png of offices man. Is the 10th
District poor in talent that it has but man tc
fill every important Office? Surely not