Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1872-07-05

|
ciples. Such is the character of the men
we have nOminated-men who, if elected,
will devote themselves to the conscientious
| discharge of the duties of their office, and
| will not use public position as a cover for
the oppression OF their people and their
own emOlument.
At the head OF our ticket we have a
standard-bearer worthy of our support.
He deserves to be honOred with the highest
position in our gift, if but for his moral
courage in declaring that as a Judge he
should administer the laws Of North Caro-
lima in their purity, and in resigning his
office rather than obey the behests of mill
tary satrap. Independent of this, for which
| he is entitled to our gratitude and admira-
| ton, his energy, his fidelity, his integrity
| and his acknowledged ability, eminently
tit him to take the lead in contest so po.-
| tentous of veal or woe to the future of
North Carolina. Whilst L entertain the
highest regard for the honorable gentle
men brought forward for the nomination
in the Convention, A. S. Merfimon was
my first choice, and if had had thousand
| votes, and had been at liberty to cast them
tor him, should have done so with all nv
heart. shall do all in my power to pro-
mote his success, and th nix may safely
pledge for him the highest white vote ever
poiled in Halifax county-we have a host
| OF young men-goOd, speakers all, an they
will unite their eXertions, With my own, to
effect such result. Let us elect him, my
| friends, and we will begin a new era Of
prosperity, TO be noted as much by integ-
rity in the administration Of the laws, as
the past few years have been marked by
official turpitude. When we consider the
distinguishing characteristic of the govern
ment of the State, during the dynasty of
| carpet-bagger and the scalawag, to end, /
| trust, with the present Radical nominee
for Governor, the period must be designated
by the historian as the epoch OF s'The
| Forty Thieves" | commend this point to
the consideration of Governor Graham,
should he indeed crown the labors Of his
| life by writing a history Of North Carolina.
And now a few words to my friends Of
| the West. have never visited your sec
ton Of the State, still know that it has all
the elements of prosperity, and deserves to
be ranked among the finest regions in the
world. But my friends, have your people
done their duty Of late years, on election
day? | say it not in anger, but simply to
impress upon you the necessity ofincreased
| eXcItiOn, that all tie elections we have lost
since the war, we have lost through the
| supineness Of the West. You may send
| your orators among us in the East-wC
will receive them with open arms, but let
me tell you that " The poor Greeks are at
| your very DOORS You need vour speak
ers at home to rouse your people into ac-
ton. Although the white men of the East,
especially i'll the second Congressional Dis
| trict, have been turned over to negro dom
inatiOn yet, excluded as they are from To-
cal position, unseduced by the desire for
office, they are faithful andtlue. You need
have no fears tor us, VIC will march III solid
column to the polls for MerrimOn; can you
say the same? We have placed before you
for your sutfrages one Of your own distin-
guished sons-shOuld he be defeated, yours
will be the shame, and yours the disgrace
should you, his own people, desert him
in this contest, you do not deserve ever to
see tunnel through your mountains, or
ever to hear the shrek OF the locomotive in
your valleys-but you should again, as in
such ali event, you surely will be subjected
to all the evils of Radical rule. Let me be-
seech you then my friends to go home with
the determination to do your duty, and
your whole duty. Let every man OF the
least influence devote all the time he can
spare to the canvass-make known even to
the humblest of your people, the fraud, the
corruption, the spoliation of those who, of
late, have had the government of the State
in their hands, explore every place where
vote may be found, and bring your fel-
low-citizens to the polls, then in August
West, from the sea shore to the mountains,
will mingle in our universal acclaim OF vic
tory.
Although have detained you so long |
cannot close without referring to the taste
with which our hall was decorated | was
especially pleased with the national flag,
placed behind the chair of the distinguished
President of the Convention, and could
not but regard the legend upon it, "In hoe
signO riaceS," as OminOus OF victory. First
seen upon luminous Cross, at midday in
the heavens, by Constantine the great, it
became the device Of his banners, and led
him on to triumph over all his enemies.
! SO inscribed upon the flag Of the Union, it
shall become the harbinger of our redcmp-
ton. The blatant demagOgues, whose pa
triotiSm is ever subsidiary to their personal
gain, and whose adherence to any cause is
measured by the extent OF their profit and
loss, say that we are traitors to that flag.
But it is ours. A Southern man first gave
its name to undying music and Song-on
the fields of its greatest triumphs, it was
borne by Southern hands, and sanctitied
by Southern bloOd-eYcry principle that has
made it famous and dear to the lovers of
liberty throughout the world, has been con-
secrated by Southern genius and valor, nor
has it ever yet waved in any part of the globe
that it has not reflected the fame of some
Southern warrior or statesman whose deeds
have made it illustrious. We are not now
and we have never been, foes to that flag
we are the foes only of those who would
dim the brightness Of its stars, and make
its stripes the emblems of blood. Men who,
although the rage of the battle is over, car
ry hatred and revenge Ing their hearts, and
would deprive us Of all that makes life ell
durable. With these men we are still Wag-
ng a fear ful contest and the issue is,
, whether the Constitution sh4ll be pre-
served, or whether, upon its ruins, d cen
traliZed dcSpOtiSm, more lntOlcrable than
the autOcratic government of Russia, shall
be erected. Can the issue be doubtful p
Under that flag still so dear TO us, by that
sign, g IN hOc Siyn0 rinceS." and animated
by the purpose to restore the government
to its original purity, victory must be ours
Let us OnWard-let us march to the music
, of the Union, to do battle for the right be
fore the forum of public opinion. Our foes
in the contest are the foes of liberty every
!, where. and you can rally under the cry
We're on the soil that bore us,
. The Oid flag floating DER us.
The friends we've tried are by side,
And the foes we've dared before us
To enjoy 4 cool, pleasant summer a
home, read DR.. kanC>s Arctic Expedition
One Of the most useful things in Tho
long run, for all classes Of society is