The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-05-09

to Southern UniOnlSts.
- In May, that party NOM
ioated Abraham Lincoln Tor the
u..iaoncv senator Crittenden, OF
rentuckv, was at the head Of a coterfe
~ nnhIir men. chiefly Wings, under
u,nca anspices there was formed a
nor- marty. the Constitutional Union
Party whose object was to preserve
tho I1ni0n. Bell of Tennessee n Ever
stt If Massachusetts, were their nOml-
nee. III Democratic Convention met
Al charleston on April %, there being
much enthusiasm and seNeral aspl-
rants for the nominations. Tennessee
presented Andrew Johnson, q native
o. kaleigh: Many Of the delegates We're
earnest supporters of Jefferson DAVIS:
y - u Hunter of Virginia. was hope
fnI of the nominations. n indeed sew
eral states had faVorite sons. Likewise
there we're several asplrants Tor the
Nicc-PTeSidency. among them William
$ Ashe. whom Governor Ellis and a
considerable number Of North Caro-
Inians had agreed to press for that
nomination.
The Northern States, being the most
numerous. controlled the Committee
on J IEt II 61 w -
ton. n the views of Judge Douglas
measIrably prevailed. His position
on souatter sovereignty and or CO.
errion prevented him from being &C
ceptabIe TO the South. and many OF
the southern delegates, dissatisfied
with the platform, withdrew; but,
while a majority of the convention
sustained Douglas. he could not Sc
cur the tWO-thiTdS vote necessary
under the rules for the nomination. At
length. after a protracted session the
Convention adjourned to meet again
in baltimore on June 10th. The
delegates who had withdrawn, having
organized another convention, ad-
journed to meet in Richmond. In the
meanwhile steps We're IKE to fill
the places of those delegates who had
Withdrawn; but even with these
changes Douglas could not secure the
necessary tWo-thirds majority. Later,
there was another withdrawal Of mem
bers, who organized q convention,
composed i npart Of those members
lesion. This body nominated J.. c..
Breckenridge, then Vice-President.
and General Joseph Lane. Of Oregon,
but of North Carolina origin. The
other convention nominated by a mere
majority vote Douglas and H. Y. john
son, of Georgia. Thus in the summer
there were four presidential tickets in
the field; all sectional: none with a
national following. But Douglas had
married in North Carolina and had
some warns friends in the State, while
a few others, like the editor Of the
Standard, thought it best to support
him. This destruction of the national
character of the Democratic party
gave great concern. 1t put in peril
the presidency, and was not only a
fruitful cause Of animOsity and rancor
put It involved the political situation
IN a cloud Of apprehension. The North
and the South had drifted apart and
The sectional character Of the cam
p* I'll foreslladoWeu that National af-
lars We're approaching a serious crisis.
The leading issue in State matters
was q proposition by the Wings to
introduce the ad-valorem system Of
taxation, intended to tax negroes ac-
ofdinS to their value instead Of on
the poll. While the Democrats OPP
posed this proposition, the Standard
Was committed to it. and sc gave it's
party but Indifferent support. But,
nevertheless, Judge John w. Ellis was
successful over his Whig competitor.
John Poo1, receiving 59,463 votes
against 53,123 cast for Pool, the total
Vote being 1855; and the Democrats
also carried a majority of the coun-
ties, having control Of the Senate by
ten. and of the House by fourteen
majority.
The presidential campaign brought
out the strongest speakers, and there
Vas much heat n bitternss and also
personal denunciation. But notwith-
standing the sectional issues discuss
ed the vote fell off 17,5oo-the ag-
SFtsate being only $500: of which
breckenridge received 4S,539; Bell
1870; and Douglas 2,401. North Car
"Ilna remained Democratic and in line
with the cotton States. Bell carried
me States Of Virginia, Kentucky and
tennessee; Douglas was successful i'll
missouri, and also received three cleo