Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1876-09-08
PLYMOUTH ROCK.

The Radical candidate for the Vice
Presidency. Hon. VIM. A. Wheeler,
recently made a speech somewhere
down East at a place called st. AL
bans, in Which he fairly bes!obbered
with praise New England generally
and Plymouth Rock in particular. He
said that he believed in New England,
but believed more in that Rock of
Plymouth, and made the astonishing
declaration that every church, every
school house, every town-house even.
from the Atlantic to the Pacific, has a
fragment of that said rock for its
foundation stone.
The exhibition of righteousness
which SO frequently crops out in New
England, would be simply amusing
and might readily be passed over with
a smile as harmless egotism, were it
not that we owe nearly all our troubles
to the teachings and the principles of
this same New England. It is re-
freshing to notice the self-comp!acen-
cy with which certain people OF
that section Of the country arrogate to
themselves all the virtues attainable
by poor human nature, and refuse to
allow even a small fragment to their
benighted kinsmen.
But it SO happens that we outside
barbarians have thrived better. have
approached nearer to the golden rule
as laid down in the good book, when
We have pursued the very opposite
course to that laid down by the de-
scendants of the Mayfower. If our
memory serves us right, it was in that
section of the country and that aloha
where the stake and the fagot usurped
the place of the bible, and the gospel of
peace was converted into an instrument
of wrath. Beneath the shadow of Ply
mouth Rock the Hartford Convention
was held, the first organized body that
threatened the dissolution of the
Union. Nearly all the isms which have
exercised such a baneful influence
upon the morals of society have origi-
mated there or taken deep root in that
most congenial soil. And yet we are
gravely told by this Vice Presidential
candidate that he regards it as the
greatest honor of his life to be the rep
resentative of New England ideas.
We must confess to having had a
better opinion of Mr.. Wheeler. We
were led to believe from his action IN
the case of Louisiana q year or two
ago that he was inclined to represent
the more conservative element of his
party, but in his recent speech he has
gone back on his record and now
faunts the bloody shirt with al the
venom Of. Morton or Blaine. The
nomination for the Vice Presidency
has been too much for him, and he has
seized the first opportunity that pre-
scented itself to exhibit such speci-
men of a lofty backward somersault in
in the political arena as would eclipse
the most renowned acrobat in Old
JOQQ 1SODlQSOn b ClTCuS>.
t'Straws show which way the wind
blows" and from the evidences dailv
exhibited by our opponents it is mani
testify evident that the campaign is to
be conducted on their part on the war
issues solely. Judge Settle in his
speech here on Wednesday night at
the Radical ratification meeting most
| feelingly enquired, "are we never to
have pes &C." The answer to his en-
quiry comes direct from Plymouth
Rock through the lips of his candidate
for the Vice Presidency, that there
shall be no peace if tho success of the
Republican party is to be jeopardized
thereby. Should he addreas his Ell
quiry to one still higher in au-
thority, he would be pointed to
cleaning bayonets and FURNISHED
artillery now being sent into his own
section to overawe the people and
destroy the freedom of elections. We
of the South have longed for peace,
but the Radical voice is still for war,
and there will be no peace until that
party is hurled from power. Then,
and not till then, will unity be restor-
ed, the differences of the past be for
gotten, and our country spring for
ward with new life and energy in the
fulfilment of her high destiny among
the nations of the earth,