Wilmington journal., 1872-07-19
Kifchin xa. Thnrnna-

We have already referred to the discus
sion between Captain Kitchen and Judge
Thomas at Newbern. We now find the
following particulars in the Newbern Jour
nal of Commerce :
MIR. Thomas opened the discussion
and made the speech he usually declaims,
when addressing this community. Lau-
dations OF himself, and worshipping praise
on Grant and Radicalism, with full flown
admiration and heartfelt love for the dear
negro who has done so much for him that
his white brethren left undone-these,
with stereotyped abuse Of his opponents,
formed the sum and substance Oh his great
speech.
Capt. Kitchen rose to reply, and it was
soon evident that he was quite familiar
with the record of his opponent. He
fearlessly pithed in, and as with ruthless
hands he exposed the glaring inconsisten-
cies of the political life of Mr. Thomas, the
shouting Radicals became silent, and they
showed by their action and conduct how
much they regretted their chosen compan-
ion should have been guilty of the folly OF
dividing time with our candidate.
Capt. kitchin among other good hits
made the following: lie had been twitted
with his want of a thorough education
no one could regret this more than he, and
he charged Mr.. Thomas with being in a
great degree responsible for it. That gen
| Ieman, by signing the ordinance Of seces-
sion and taking the State out Of the Union
had forced him to give up the advantages
of an education, and to seek, musket in
hand, to uphold the honor and the fame of
his good old mother, North Carolna-and
while he was thus ilnperiling his life, at
the front, the honorable gentleman safely
III the rear was keeping himself office side
up with great care and success.
Mr.. Thomas expressed great regret at
having signed the ordinance OF secession,
and stated that he had repentcd sincerely
for the commission of the great crime of
his life, into which lie had been led by the
| force of circumstances.
Mr.. kitchin rcjoined that the gentleman
had been leading life of political repent
ance for more than IS years; and though
! he bOaSte1 that an old negro had told llEl
that he (the negro could sleep securely
! While Mr. Thomas was watching Lis inter
| estS Ill Congress, yet the old darkcy had
| better be careful, or he oulu wake up
some morning and find that Mr.. Thomas
| had been Undergoing another one Of his
! periodical fits Of repcntancc-that MIR.
| Thomas had commenced political life us Il
Wh!@, and on being beaten in his native
county, Caltcret, he rcpcntcd Of lis whig-
| cry and became n Know Nothing, the
| popularity of that party warning, he i'pent-
| ed himself again and became Il Buchanan
| democrat, and though some had expressed
| surprise that he clung to the democracy
| Tor SIN years without repentance, it must
| be remembered, III excuse for this six years
unusual consistency, that the democratic
| party still remained in power and true to
the great principles Of his lie, love for
the wanting side, the gentleman chung
With tGnacIty to the successful democracy.
But the hour OF repentance was at hand.
The democracy was beaten in 1860, and
in moment, in the twinkling Of an eye,
the gentleman rcpented of his Brccken-
| -seccsSiOn-democracy and became
a Holden ''Watch and watt man. The
| fact is the gentleman has been repcuting
and SHINING and repenting, politically,
since 1854, and it will require but one
sound defeat of radicalism to place the
gentleman again on the ''Stool Of repent
ance."
There was one doctrine, or political dog
ma, clearly euunciated by Mr.. Thomas last
night which your correspondent thinks
should cause his deic,t even in lis over
whelming Radical district, and it would do
so, if both races wee true to their natural
instincts, and to the first law Of nature
and preservation. The doctrine of social
equality with the negro was boldly pro-
claimsd and advocated, and it was affirmed
that the mission of the Radical party would
not be ended till their equality was secured.
In this connection, bis negro listeners We're
invoked to continue their devotion to Grant
and Radicallsm till they had forced the
white man to grant everything that the
most pronounced and bitterly fanatical
Radical had ever demanded for them.