Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1870-10-28
1 For the Journal.
United states Senator.


OCTOBER, oath. 1870.
Dear Major:-I have been thinking, for
some time, that I would write TO You as to
the election of United States Senator by
our next Legislature. I regretted some
what the letter of Col. Cowan. I approved
of his nomination by you, but could not
then endorse his withdrawal, for the rea-
sons stated by him. In the light, however,
of recent elections, the course he recon-
mends is, doubtless, the true one. The
next Congress will evidently have de-
cided Radical majority ; we can entertain
no hope of general amnesty bill, and very
little of individual relief.
Under these circumstances we may re-
gard gentlemen who labor under disabili-
ty as excluded from the contest indeed,
think the Conservatives of North Caro-
lima have settled down to this conclusion.
The selection will, doubtless, be made
from those who have never labored under
the political disabilities imposed by the
recent amendment to the Constitution of
the United States, or whose disabilities
have been removed by act of Congress.
General NJ W. Ransom, of Northampton
county, is enc of the latter class, and must
confess that I prefer him for the position
above all others, and know that he is the
choice of very large majority Of the
people among whom I reside. l may be
somewhat Influenced by personal friend
ship and long intimacy, but these enable
me to form a just estimate Of his character.
Gen. Ransom is Immediately descended
from one of the oldest families in Halifax
County, and one of the very best stocks in
! North Carolina-a family which has
evidenced it's devotion to the canse of the
South by more than one soldiers grave.
Nor did he, when the war broke out, hest
tate one moment. He went Ill at the first
tap of the drum, was promoted to Lleu-
tenant Colonelcy, and came out as Brig
der General, side by side with, and one
of the trusted friends Of, our glorious de-
parted hero, at Appomatto1. No man
bore himself more galantly throughout
the whole contest, yet few had more ties
to keep them at home.
Since the war he has acted with all that
prudence, yet with all that fidelity, which
tho best interests of the South demanded.
[ know Con. Ransom well and intimately,
and know that North Carolina numbers
to the traditions of his Stale, or one more
allied to the great principle of Constitu-
tional liberty which drew us into the late
war: and vet there Is not one among us
whom q wise craftsmanship counsels more
to that moderation which Is consistent
with principle. That man is most to be
trusted whose feelings arc in the fullest
accord with our people, and yet whose
discretion enables him to mako the best
Of the inevitable.
Gen. Ransom is, moreover, Il man OF
undoubted ability, and of genuine elc-
quence, especially i'll "a studied produc-
ton, such as we may suppose adapted to
the floor of the Senate Of the United
States. He graduated at Chapel Hill
when Chapel Hill was in its prime, long
ere its halls were desecrated by the football
of the carpet Dagger, and divided the
honors with Pettgrew, one OF North
Cardinals ablest and most lamented sons.
He is a man, too, of fine address, "a gen
tleman and a scholar" and with him IN
the y. S. Senate his State would have
reason to be proud Of her representative.
I will not now refer to the question as
to which section, the East or the West, Is
most entitled to the Senator. think we
are more interested in the fitness Of the
man for this position than In the section
from which he may hail. l advocate the
election of General Ransom not because he
is an Eastern man, but because l believe
that he unites, within himself, more of the
qualities essential to the proper discharge
of the duties of Senator than any of the
eligible candidates who have been named
in connection Herewith at the same time
[ cannot close this letter without bearing
my testimony to the high ability and
sterling patriotism of the most prominent
eligible gentleman from the West, named
for the office bv his friends, i'll which, l
am sure, General Ransom would mos
heartily join me.
By giving this letter place in The
Journal you will confer favor on an
OLD FRIEND.