Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1864-04-07
,,.,os,, North Carolina.

x,.,,,.s ,n North Carolina.
Tbo,e arc sorcce. ourselves among the number, who
,,onn Gladly avoid the excitement and tormo of po-
Bt;caI contest this year in North Carolina. We think
one contest that with the forces aud government Vi
LINCOLN is about enough. But much as we "ouio "Su
this We cannot shut eyes to the fact 'u"'
any agency of ours, indeed against our eaine0
the canvass has already commenced Will al ~
that bids fair ere the day of election no" oEei oui
months off, to rival in excitement ana ar eAceeo LII oi
sny of the contests of former times We sup
..o o4ances must come, but woe unto those by whom
offences come
We did not help to elect Gov. VANCE, but he "as
elected and the Standard and its editor with its sattle
ites took much credit to themselves therefor lnoeeo
they exalted themselves as it were, and felt proud
They crowed and strutted The contest then was one
into which we entered reluctantly We tried to avoid
it. but it was pressed on US, and we could not.
The time for another election. begins to approach,
though cannot but regret the early opening of the
canvass and this spring finds even opposed to
political campaign in North Carolina than were
two years ago, and reluctant to engage in
We are willing to solve the difficulty by letting the
reelection of Governor VANCE pass without op-
position believing that to be- upon the whole the best
thing for the State and for the country This is no
being candidate although certainly it is not weaken
ed By that event When the Progress, its CORES,
pondents talk about the for favouring the
reelection of Governor VANCE, they be at no loss
to find them We have stated them over and over
We have already stated them ia this brief article
Permit u.s. however, to retaliate by asking why they
now oppose Governor VANCE? Let them speak out
boldly and say what he has done that they against
bin. They knoW-eVerybody knows-that it is Gus
tomary for a Governor of North Carolina to run for
two terms and that the incumbent is never abandon
Led by the party or parties which supported him with
out the imputation of fault upon his part the stain
OF bad faith upon theirs.
What has Mr.. HOLDEN and his supporters to charge
upon Governor VANCE, to relieve themselves from
the stain of treachery above alludedto? Unless they
have charges to prefer and able to support them
they must stand convicted of bad faith to the Conser
vative" candidate whom they supported, and they
proudly boosted, were instrumental in eectng and
worse than this, they must appear in the attitude o.
those who without cause, SEEK for purposes of self
sh promotion, to violate the established usage of al
parties and OF the State, and TO embroiI needessy
in an Irritating and uncaed for political contest In
this case, it should be remembered that MIR. HOLDEN
and his friends seeking to unseat Governor VANCE
man whom they themselves supported and endorsed
and that it is ercumbent upon them not simply to show
that Mr.. HOLDEN as fit for Governor, and ought to be
elected but in the first place to show that Governor
VANCE is not fit and ought to be unseated.
Surprising, however, that Mir. HOLDEN and Mr.
HeLDEN's friends should charge and even show that
Governor VANCE is not the man. it would strike most
persons that doing they would be simply charging
and proving that they themselves not two years since
supported and recommended the people of the Sta
for the highest Cce In their gift, unfit improper
person. If this is the fact it would surely look better
fer them 10 let somebody else bring out the next cand
date since they had by their account, failed in TIT
one they had brought out. What guarantee would th
people have that Mr.. HOLDEN and bis clique molt
worthy of confidence than in 1862, that theiI
Can didate now brought out is worthy of conf
dence than the then brought out and supported bu
now abandoned and opposed.
Let them take which horn of the dilemma they please
it must appear either that Governor VANCE is fl
man and that Mr.. Holden and bis friends tathess
in aban dOning and opposing him. the other hand
that he is an unfit and that Mr.. HOLDEN having
supported him and pressed him upon the people tvs
years since, is himself unworthy of the public confidence
\ now.
The truth is that the whole burden both of proof and
of contradiction rests with Mr. HOLDEN and Mr.. HoI.
DENIS friends We do not claim 10 be especial support
ers of Gov. VANCE We certainly are not partiz ans
We will support bis re elton Or the sake Of peace
Why does Mr.. HOLDEN lot do so? Why does be de.
sert and oppose Gov VANCE? Is he opposed to
peace and harmony among ourselves? Is be prepared
TO say that he two years ago brought forward and
youched for a candidate whom he cannot support
When these thirgs ere disposed Of 1t will be time for
us to pay some attention to MIR. HoLDEN's claims on
the public confidence.