The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-07-26
Conservative Stump Orators Using
Inaammatory Language
to the Blue-Noses.
SECRET REPUBLICAN TACTICS
An Administration Victory by Small
Majority Fully Conceded.
MORGANT0N, Burke county, N. O., I

Here in the centre OF the great western mountain
region OF North Carolina, the canvass has reached
its highest pitch Of political excitement. The
tire country, ranging from Virginia to South Caro-
lima and from the middle OF this State to Tennes.
see, is fairly alive with stump speakers OF every
grade from the candidate for County Commissioner
to the aspirant for the Gubernatorial honOrs OF
North Carolina. Along the line of the Western
division Of tho North Carolina Railroad from Sails
bury to this point, counted nine political meetings
Of both parties, and, taking these a basis for
estimate, am satisfied That the number held to-day
throughout this section OF country must reach
several hundred. Governor Caldwell, the re-
publican candidate for reelection, is here
abOuts, as are also few other republican
speakers, but where exactly have not yet been
able to find out. All business seems to be tempo
rarily suspended, and the popular mind Is wholly
devoted to the Importance of the canvass. TO say
that there is great enthusiasm would be but q mild
way Of giving expression to the feeling of the
people, 1t is now nothing short of the most in
tense political excitement, and this, too among
people who are naturally hard to be aroused and
who have been used to regard politics with the
greatest aversion. Whites and blacks, farmers
any laborers, brandy distillers and brandy
drinkers, blacksmths and woodchoppers, and
even the hardy mountain women who chew and
take snuff and smoke tobacco, clad in their native
hOmespun, thrOng to political meetings to hear the
issues national and State, discussed from every
standpoint. These mountaineers. whom the read
ers Of the HERALD have already been informed are
for the most part original UniOnsts have generally
been regarded republicans since the close of the
war; They were bitterly opposed to secession, and
when that became fixed fact they stubbornly re-
fused to join the Confederate cause, were hunted
down in consequence many of them shot, their
families left homeless and latterly, like Secretary
Boutwell,, they were opposed to shaking hands
across the bloody chasm. Heretofore every effort
to induce them to register and vote
proved failure. II secessionist or
supporter Of the lost cause" had any
connection with political movement he could
not be induced by the most plausible pretensions to
have anything to with it, ana republicans of the
most ultra carpet-bag stripe found it difficult to
bring few Of them to the registering Office and
to the poles. Recently, However, quite
A POLITICAL REVOLUTION
has taken place in this respect. The present con-
stitutiOn, with its oppressive system OF taxation,
its township system and its MANY other objection
able features has been sorely felt by them, and
having never had any OF the benefits of
negro slavery, they begin to feel aggreved
that SO much national and State legs-
lation should be expended upon Sambo,
which seemed to grind them down while it elevated
him. While they are excessively poor, and in most
instances very ignorant, yet they have intelligence
enough to discern that the negroes are far more
favored than they are by both the national and
State governments. Governor Vance and his
brother, who is the conservative Congressional
candidate in this district, and General Clingman,
Judge Merrimon, General Shipp, Senator Upton and
other orators now in this section touched the right
chord when they held up to the poor white noun
taiueers the patronizng manner in which the in
terests of the negroes were fOstered and looked
alter by the government, while theirs were almost
totally neglected
is one OF the most serious grievances but the poor
people OF this section and the conservative speak
were not slow to take advantage OF 1t and make
strong point in their own favor. Living remote
from any but unfinished and projected railroads,
and with no markets at which to dispose OF the
vast fruit products OF this region the people OF
necessity were driven to the dstillation OF fruit
into brandy, which could be more easily trans
ported and then easily sold. most extensive
trade was done In this way, and until the Internal
Revenue law was applied to it, 1t Was quite lucra-
tive. After that, which q sad blow to
the poor mountaincers, the whole western section
OF North Carolina became a field for spies,
nformers, and revenue 'leeches Of every character
and description, disreputabe and bad. Their wag-
ons were seized on the highways, their property in
their houses the men were imprisoned and ruined,
and in thousands or instances their families left
homeless and starving The distillation OF fruit
no longer profitable and the people were thus de-
prlved OF one or thetr main anu chief sources OF
subsistence. This made the national government
very unpopular with them, and IL became ques-
ton with the poor uniOnists of the trying times of
the war, whether the Coniederacy, with all It's ter
rors and denominations, was not better after all.
The next subject which was brought fOrciby to the
attention OF these people was
THE HOLDEN-KIRK WAR
OF 1870. Now, II there is one horror which they
regard as worse than another it Is the presence
among them of soldiers armed with muskets ana
bayonets. The mention of them recalls WILDLY to
their minds the terrible and often atrocous scenes
That transpred in their midst, and OF which they
were the victims, between the 10Th OF May 1861,
Cllngman-a recent strong republican, whose
name seems TO be household word In this section
all the horrors to which the people of Alamance and
Caswell counties were subjected in 1870, by the
Tennessee jayhawkers, commanded 10y Kirk, under
| the orders OF Governor Holden, they were
amazed. With wrapt attention they listened
! to the details OF that infamous dcspotism
| which was SAID TO have received the sane
ton OF the federal government. How all the
! leading citizens, and those only, were torn from
their homes and families and crammed into dun
| geons by ignorant and Orutal soldiers; how many
| Of them were Knocked down. beaten, constantly
insulted aud the worst indgnites offered them;
| how numbers were threatened with death, with
THE PISTOLS NUzzLE AT THEIR HEADS,
| If they did not divuge secrets which they did not
nccks until life became nearly extinct, In order to
| force them TO reveal such supposed secrets; how
whole communities were IN constant terror
| OF being dragged from their homes at mid
night and cast into prison by these Ten
nessee miscreants; ana how the women and chll-
dren-wives mothers and sisters OF the men-wcrc
openly insuted, Indignantly treated, the effect was
magical, and many sovereign nom that moment
resolved to vote the liberal ticket This has proved
the most effective card for the liberals III the West,
ana II they arc successful 1t can be attributed to
that Iact. But II the people were at all Undecided
when they heard the tale OF woe from Alamance
| and CaswelL all existing doubts were dtspelled
when IL was gravcy and socmnly announced
to them that the republican convention which
nominated Todd X. Caldwell for Governor,
endorsed in its platform the H0lden-kirk
war OF 1870. This settled the ques
ton, and with q unanimity scarcely ever Wit
| nessed In anv pOitical campaign, the people re-
solved to vote against such platform and Its can
| didatea am informed that IL Ii because Caldwell