Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1863-09-02
The Alabama Elections.

The recent elections in Alabama have resulted in
an overwhelming defeat Of the Davis administration.
correspondent Of the Macon Telegraph notices
the result as follows:
ut.sTo express 1T in few words, and in the aill-
sst form, it means that the people of Alabama are
nearly unanimous in their dissatisfaction with the
Pfesent status of the war; and hence have defeated
fersGovernor and for Congress those men who were
known as original secessionists and who were warm
supporters of the war measures of the Davis admin
istration. Does this mean reconstruction? Not
necessarily So Col Watts, who has been elected
Governor by an overwhelming vote, is understood
to be true and reliable man. He must be sound
on the Southern question, else Mr.. Davis never
would have appointed him Attorney General in his
Cabinent No one believes that he would willingly
lend himself to any scheme looking to the termna-
ton of the war by restoring US to the arms of Abra
ham Lincoln.
1t is, however, undenisby true, that all the ele-
hents of faction in Alabama-the reconstruction
sts those who confess to being already subjugated,
the croakers and GROWERS every where, from the
mountains to the Gulf, united in his support, and
are rejoicing in his triumph. Governor Shorter is
gentleman of unceptionable character, superior
executive talents, great personal popularity, and
has nobly sustained the powers in Richmond, in all
their measures for the defence of the State and the
successful posecution of the war. The President
has often been heard to remark that no Governor
in the eonfederacy has co-operated with him more
heartily than Gov. Shorter. Yet, we see that he
is badly beaten in nearly every county in Alabama
He has been highly honored by our people. He
presided for years as Judge of the Circuit Court;
was appointed Commissioner to Georgia to induce
her to secede from the Lincoln Union; was elected
by our State Convention to the Provisional Con-
gress without any knowledge on his part that his
name was to be presented as candidate and filled
the Office to the entire satisfaction of his cofstit-
uents. Afterwards he was elected Governor over
Watts, by naarly ten thousand majority Such are
some of the antecedents of Gov. Shorter,
What are those of Mr.. Watts? He was origi-
nally Union Wbig and led the Bell and Everett
ticket in Alabama.
several Congressional districts In the Mobile Dis.
trict Langdon is elected over Dickerson-the for
rner was Union Whig, the latter Secession Dem.
ocrat In the Eufaula District Pugh, the present
incumbent, Is badly beaten by Wiley. Pugh was
Secession Democrat and sustained all the war
measures of the administration; Wiley was an old
Union Whig In the Montgomery District, Chill
ton, formerly Union Whig, is reelected. Rails,
present member from Northeast Alabama and Cur
~ from the Talledaga District both originally Dem
ocratic secessionsts and Administration men, are
defeated by gentlemen who were Union men in
1880 Clopton' from the Tuskegee District, is
barely reelected, although he opposed the war
measures and. tax bill in the last Congress
These are well ascertained facts, and every one
can draw his own moral from them It is un-
derstood and believed that all of the above named
gentlemen who have recently been elected are in
favor of prosecuting the war; But there is neyerthe
less something very remarkable in the results Of
these elections, and it will afford subject for much
reflection and speculation. Many fear that Col.