The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-02-04

crats. who wero IN sympathy win tne
influences which Led to SECESSION. az
he Union Democrats. who easeVeo
in the constitutional right OF SECESSION
but opposed its application.
h first event which reVeaieo thAS
phase Of party crisis was the Demo
cratic convention at Charleston Ine
North Carolina delegation, in which
the Union Democrats had a majority
was one of the determining influences
In that historic meeting. II WAS the
hope OF Mr.. Yancey and his follow
ers to win the border States TO tnen
program. They therefore gave n
chairmanship Of the committee on
platform to w. W. Avery. q radical
States-rights Democrat Of North Care
lima. But the Union delegates refused
to take any part officially In any OF
the. caucuses held by the cotton States
leaders. When the debate on the plat
form was held. the delegation as a
whole WAS in sympathy With neither
the northern Democrats nor those or
the far South. but favored simply the
readirmation Of the Cincinnati plat
form OF 1856. When it was evident
| that the minority platform would be
| adopted, the protest Of two North
| Carolina delegates caused the re5ec-
ton Of a clause referring the question
| Of slavery in Territories to the Su-
preme Court. When the report as a
whole was finally passed, the North
C~arolinians refused to follow the cot
ton States in withdrawing from the
convention. This action preserved the
party organization. for, il North Caro-
lima had withdrawn, Virginia, Tennes-
see, and the border States would have
followed, and the Democratic patty
would have ~disintegrated.
One result OF the Charleston o n
1870 10 49, <~-1S~ N
in favor CT Douglas in North Caro-
lima. -Four of the ten electors ex-
pressed themselves favorable to his
nomination etWee the Charleston
and the Baltimore conventions, while
the Standard was outspoken for him.
Mr.. Douglas also had personal ties
with leading Democrats of the State
But the events at Baltimore checked
the Douglas sentiment. All Of the
North Carolina delegates except three
withdrew from the convention. AND
only n Of these took any part il
its further work. Still. there was
some hope for Douglas. Two of the
electors resigned from the Breckin.
ridge ticket and acce oted similar Pc.
) sitions on the Douglas ticket. Their,
was also a demand. evidently by ths
friends Of Douglas, tina a party con
Eenttpn be called ia the State to de
eide for whom the electors sheult
vote. The State executive comnittes
me to consider this demand, but de
cided rot to cali the convention
Thercsipon the STANDARD proposed
, that b electors vote for either Breck
: inridge or Douglas, according to tn
, chances Of either to defeat Lincoln
: But as time passed the feeling grew
that Breckenridge was the stronger Q
the two Democratic candidates. The
upo a group OF Douglas men calle'
, a State convention at Raleigh. put III
, electors, and started a campaign
: newspaper. Forced to decide betwee
, Deussas and Breckinrtdge. the Stand
: ard turned to the latter. The Donxla
5 campaign was ineffective, his vote Il
!. h State less than 5000.
: In contrast to the division and I'm
. certainty among b Democrats wa
, the sense OF patriotism among tn
Whig1 The appeal to the Union an
, his Constitution Sruek a responsiv
= chord among the people, and the iarg
( Wing vote in the State elections wa
: an encouragement to all genuine low
q ers OF b Union. The principal fea
ture Of the WhiS campaign was
6 series OF mass meetings ia October
The greatest Of these was held i
. Salisbury. 1t was attended by dele
9 gates from all sections OF the STATE
The number OF people in fine mann
~ AAACtAA c. S,VVV, Il
total attendance was estimated at s
e 00e or 8.00o. The chief address wa
r by Zebulon E. Vance. who held tn
i, audience s~pellbound by his ~oratory &c
o two hours during a cold. dismal raj,
IS The prevailing sentiment vas to r.
s. buke the Secedefs of the South an
d the abolitioEists OF the North. and
&c rally in ORG great effort to save tt
Union T the Constitution.
i As the election approached tile IN,
,e tives which shaped thn cast Of ba ilo.
were conflicting. The. Wing appe,
as to the Union and the Constitute
e found a response in the col,seryatis7
C. Of the people and was IN line with II
at trend away from sectional issues
a domestic problems. On tho 9TH
T. hand, to defeat Lincoln seemed in
ae peratIFe to preserve the dignity,
~ not h rights. OF the South; and {.
re this duty Breckinridgc was undoub
On eddy the most promising candidae