The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1864-08-02
For the Western Democrat
THE CONTEST IN NORTH CAROLINA.

THE CONTEST IN NORTH CAROLINA
A Virginia paper has correctly represented the
political contest now pending in North Caroline
between Vance and Holden, as similar to the two
men who started out together on the same road te
reach the same point They travelled 90 merrly
together, soJourning at the same houses, eating al
the same table, and sleeping in the same Red
Finally they came to where the road forked, and
Sdropping the hsure) Vance took the right hand
and Holden the left They Had not proceeded far
before Vance supposed (erroneously) that Holden
mad the shortest road, and he commenced cutting
new road through the woods to get 10 ahead of
MIN. lhls gives concise but pit Illustration of
the past and present political relations of the two
Candidates Tor The Gubernatoral honors of that
sterling Old State North Carolina Vance started
nearly right, but when he reached the forks of the
road after the separation, recoecting how he was
elected Governor of the State two years ago. his
courage failed him, he began to falter and as soon
as he heard from Georgia, he commenced to eut
the new road to get In ahead Of his wily
He knew the arts of the demagogue by which Hol-
den had elected him, and at once he begins a
TRADE against the Confederate Government and its
acts of administration. This eliminated in his
message to the Legislature on the Habeas Corpus,
&c. Holden had nominated and elected Vance
two years since by general abuse and denunciaton
Of the Government and its policy. All the bitter
inVectlve, vituperation and misrepresentation that
even the Standard could bring to BEAR were pour
ed out upon the devoted head Of Jeff Daois and
his "depotisn.!" The Conscript Law (Which saved
the country was the leading theme of Holden's
attacks upon the. Administration. 1t was new and
awkwar1ly executed in the State, and caused a
change of 10000 votes within six weeks of the
election. This, together with general TRADE
against Virginia aristocracy and South Carolina
chivalry, and much other such slang and msrep-
resentaton, secured the election of Governor
Vance Previous reverses to our arms caused at
that time gloom and dependency to hang like a
pail over the public mind, and it was easily i'm
pressed. Vance quietly and silently acquesced in
all this and received the benefit, while his oppo-
nent stoSd in the breach, bxeasted the popular
rent, maintained the Conscript Law, defended the
Administration and the Southern cause, never even
condescendiDg to notice the many pit;abe misrep-
reservations made against him by the Standard.
Vance has that this game of deluson and
demagoguism succeeded once and be still thinks it
may be trump card, and he is trying out Ho-
den Holden at his game. The consequence
SIS; in panderng to the Hodenites he has lost many
active and influential friends, and will gain nothing
from the deluded followers of oden. He should
not condescend to rival his opponent in his pecu
liar mode of electioneering In that he will GER
ainly be beaten, and the people of the State will
not feel that he has paid them any compliment
1t was not to- be expected that maa of Hodea's
status could appreciate the intelligence and pat
riotism of the people of the State, although he may
have deceived them once More expected
from Vance. The former appeared willing to
wreck all our hopes for North Carolina and the
Southern Confederacy in this great and fearful
struggle for freedom or slavery, life death, in
order to succeed in bis mad and wicked ambition for
Office; while regret to say the latter has appear
ed willing to trife with the means of our defence
to secure political preferment his unworthy
opponent. The mad schemes of politicians
generally the causes of the downfall Of republics
While the contest is in wise creditable to the
State, there be no doubt of the result 1t is
believed that almost any good and true man could
beat both OF them but the mere apprehension that
in the vcissitudes of war should overtake
us aud dependency follow, Hoden's chances
might brig hten, every patriot to stand aside
No true will take the responsibility Of promo
ting, by any possible contingency, bis cause by
taking off thirty forty thousand votes which
will be g ven to Vance not choice but as
cessity. Let not Governor Vance deceive himself
These votes will not be cast for him account of
wise administration patriotic principles pro-
claimed but because he is better than his oppo-
nent. Many of them, under patriotic of
duty, will vote for him with an open ticket, that
the world may know that they did not tarnish their
COED names and those of their posterity by voting
for ". w. Holden with that black spot which will
s'neyer out" When this is over and our liber-
ty won, which is sure just Providence rules,
be will be assigned to his proper level and 90 down
TO the dust whence he sprung "unhonored,
unwept aud unsung." INDEX.