The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1866-10-09
From the Raleigh Standard.
GEN. DOCKERY DECLINES TO BE A
CANDIDATE FOR GOVERNOR.

CANDIDATE FOR GOVERNOR.
We regret to have to inform our readers that
Gen. Dockery declines to be candidate for
Governor. The meeting which recommended
Gen. Dockery had good reason to believe that he
would run, but, on reflection, mainly on account
of the shortness of the time, and the fact that
he could not even make partial canvass of the
State, be has declined. His friends will regret
this, bat, under the circumstances, they will not
complain of him for it.
We point with pride and pleasure to bis
patriotic and admirable letter. which We give
below. Gen. Dockery was as much attached to
the Presidents plan any one, and as anxious
for its success; yet he does not close his eyes to
the fact that this plan has not been carried out,
nor to the action of the Congress and the North
ern people; which clearly shows that unless the
Howard amendment be promptly accepted, We
may look for the most stringent, and, it may be,
the most calamitous measures in the future
Who is there that will say that Alfred Dockery
would advise any thing which would degrade or
dishonor our people? He has been in the pub
lie service nearly forty years. His good name
all that he is, all that be has, all he can hope
for, identifies him inseparably with our people.
He would have been glad if our State had ac-
cepted the Presidents plan in good faith, and
thereby secured representation in Congress but
~S'o3
in all probability, he is prepared as man OF
sense to accept the next best thing he can get,
He now takes the ground,
First, That it is better to accept the Howard
amendment, land, underit, establish the white basis
with white voters, than to run the risk of having
the next Congress force negro suffrage upon US.
Second That it is better to prescribe tenn
porarily few Office holders, than to run the risk
Of having one-third or one-half of our people
prescribed both as voters and ice-holders, and
our lands and houses confscated and sold to pay
the expenses of the war.
Third, That we can hope for no adequate
protection to our interests, and for no we'll
grounded prosperity, until our members are ad-
mitted to their seats in Congress; and as an in-
dspensable step to this, those members elect
who can not take the oath, should retire, and let
members be elected who can take it.
Such are the views in this crisis Of one Of our
purest and most sagacious public men He can
no oficeseeker or office holder H declines to
be candidate for Office He is simply a we'll
wisher to his country, who suggests the best
means to extricate the country from the perils
which surround it,
1t is true, Gen. Dockery declines to be can
didate, but the people have a right to vote for
him: Their minds have already been turned to
him, and they are anxious to express their con-
fdence in him at the ballot-box. Let them do
it. Let every Union man in the State, and
every citizen in the State who desires to see the
Union promptly restored, vote for ALFRED
DQCKERY, of Richmond county, for Governor
10 former days, it frequently happened that the
best men were chosen to Office when they were
not candidates. The Office sought the man
not the man the office. If it should be so now,
the strongest proof would be afforded that the
people, disregarding the politicians, were taking
their own affairs into their own hands.