Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1877-05-24

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country, because 10 man is enti
tied to respect who loves party
more than country.
L will venture a prediction. IF
trouble shall come to the Demo-
cratic party, (Which for years after
the war was known in this State as
the Conservative party.) aud it
should lose alike it's prestige and
its power, it will not be- by the faull
or misconduct Of the moderate
and thoughtful men of the party,
but on account of the rashness and
partisan bitterness and intolerance
of extreme men, and newspapers,
denouncing moderate and wise
men of their own party, whom
they shall fail to coerce and dra-
goon into thelt own unwise, if not
fatal, policies and principles, aud
continually reyilipg, with indis-
criminate censure. the policy and
measures of political opponents,
whether right Or wrong, wise or
wicked.
confess 1 am, and always have
been unalterably opposed to ex-
treme men and extreme measures
in church and State-in public
or in social iife-because preju-
dice and passion, in their mad
struggle for the ascendancy, can
never win the victory over reason
and wisdom and this is peculiarly
true of political parties; bitter par
tisans always weakening aud inju-
ring, while calm, moderate men
unite and strengthen party organi
zations;and the leaders of any party
who deal freely in vitupera'ion, in
stead of a gentle means of reason
and Cancellation, are seldom sue
cessful, and never ought to be.
And you will pardon me for
saying that though it has been my
fortune, several times, before and
since the war, to have to lead wha,
seemed to be forlorn hope with
large ma jorities against me, [ have
never been defeated; and my sue
cess has been due, not to any ca
pacity lay claim to as a public
speaker, but TO kind appeals, truth,
ful statements, plain talk and the
force of calm reason-lpstrumen
taIities that seldom fail to reach
the heads and hearts of the honest
masses of the country. And since
[ am defending myself and my
we'll known moderate principles
and conduct, | Will venture IN IL
lustration In point without, | hope
subjecting myself tc the inputa
ton of undue egotism. In my
first race for Congress, since the
war, the Republican majority
against ne In the district was
nearly three thousand .fUe hundreo
v0tes, while my competitor, the late
i General Scott was, a native of this
district, an eminent lawyer and ell
oqnent speaker, and Of irreproach
able character. We canvassed to
gether without jar, in an excited
campaign: and in a spirit of re
spect and kindness. l appealed te
aud reasoned with the moderate
Republicans until they focked te
my standard by thousands, and -te
the astonishment of my friends
and the entire State, l carried The
district by nearly one thousand
three hundred majority, effectine
change of almost five Thousand
votes, and This success, for the
first time since the war, gave the
Democratic party the popuia: ma
iority in the State. And am [ nov
to be censured for my life-lons
conservatism and principles o
moderation Has the party o
which | am an humble member
, gained no strength bv this course
of myself and others? And while
in Office, when have | shown {
want of teal'y to party obligation
And did | no; do all in my poweI
last year for the party, for foul
months, to the neglect of my pro
fessional duties and private affairs
And because | don't agree with eX
tremists and dance attendance up,
on every filibustering newspaper
ana plllIul ScrlOOler, am 1 TO ot
made the subject of unfriendly
criticism all over the land -?
Yon are men of learning an6
experience, and your editorials
though sometimes too extreme fo
my views, are written in fine taste
and with singular ability; Therefore
your paper, as leading organ o
thought, ought to exert a com
manding influence on the pnbIi'
mind; but the admission from time
to time into its columns of sucl
articles as that from Statesvlllt
against those of the same part,
who have worked faithfully ant
tried to do right will not, in NJ,
; opinion, nor as l think, in tn,
opinion of sober, thoughtful mel
anwhere, add anything to its repu
tation.
In futher defence I deem i
proper to say that my deep an,
, earnest devotion to Whig princi
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