Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1867-05-03
Senator Wilson and his Southern Cam

Senator Wilson and his Southern Cam
paign.
We notice published call for great
National Republican Mass Meeting to be
held in New Berre on Saturday April 9th,
when the people will be addressed by Hon.
Henry Wilson, United States Senator, to
which persons of all colors and parties are
respectfully invited to attend. We sup
pose, from this announcement, that the dis
tinguished Senator will visit our city dur
ing next week and favor the public with an
address.
It was said, if not by Mr.. Wilson him
self, by some of his brother Senators, pend
ing the reconstruction measures Of Con-
gress, as one of the potential reasons for
such radical legislation, that the life of a
Union man was not safe in the South
Either the Massachusetts Senator had no
confidence LII the statement, or he has more
courage than the newspaper reports of the
first Manassas battle gave him credit for.
Or can it be, even III the Senate Of the
United States, a virtue to publish false
hoods for "party purposes 2
We have made reference here, however,
to the prospective visit and speech of Mr.
Wilson to make no personal attack upon
him, but to call the matter to the attention
Of our people and suggest the propriety,
nay, the importance, of his being replied to-
Certainly the distinguished Senator, the
chosen champion of Radicalism for evan
gelizing the South, could possibly have no
objection to be replied to on the score of
courtesy, and he would not of course fear
to break lance with our feeble knights
We must confess ourselves guilty Of an ex-
cusable weakness in believing that we have
persons, even in Wilmington, who might
be able to respond to Mr.. Wilson without
detriment to the cause of Conservatism or
the loss of much oratorical reputation.
The efforts which our enemies are MAX
ing to unite the freedmen with the disre-
putable whites who are seeking to array
labor against capital, to the injury of both
and to the ultimate destruction of the first,
warns us that we have vital duty to per-
form. Such interested and paid pilgrims
as Mr.. Wilson, must not be allowed to &C
complish their ends without a proper effort
upon our part to thwart them. We can,
and we must defeat the evil Vaccinations
of these men. All that makes life worth
preserving is at stake, and no feelings OF
delicacy or ordinary reserve must stand be-
tween us and our duty. Senator Wilson
can be and should be fully and ably replied
to. His and his partizan's foul-mouth Sian
der of our people, their merciless pOliti
cal prosecutions, their malicious and COW
ardly denunciations since, overpowered
and exhausted, we surrendered to the brave
men who composed the Federal armies
should be exposed and properly denounced
The patriotism of politicians, who fled
like tinid hares from battle fields, hav
ing most vaiantly refused to confirm
the appointment of such soldiers as Slo
cum and Blair to official positions under
the Government, whose honor and glory
they had sustained upon an hundred
fields, canvassing the South for pay
would be rich food for our public speak
ers, of which we sincerely trust, here ant
elsewhere, they will avail themselves
We have many gentlemen of ability ant
considerable experience on the stump wh'
can, and, if properly approached, vii
doubtless respond to the distinguished
orator, without fear OF favor. This SHOULD
be done, and we will be guilty of dan
gerous neglect if the matter is not attend
ed to at once. Senator Wilson shoult
not be permitted to walk over the cours
unopposed.