Year: 1860

ing of success by fair and legitimate discussion o
the principles and measures to which they have
hitherto professed to be devoted the nameless hop
Hess, reckless opposition of our State seem bent or
/ rule, even if ruin follow in its wake.


After for years pretending to deplore the section
al phase assumed by national politics, and to depre
Lcate the dangers and difficulties thus produced
after denouncng the democratic party as the sose
active of the sectional dixisinns 4' .Fn'rF


-oeasfns them OF fanni the flames of discord for
the purpose of making br themselves political capi-
tai, and then for this uncommitted crime, exhaust


ing their whole vocabulary of vituperation and abuse
upon them, we find the opposition attempting
to bring about exactly the unhappy condition
of affairs in State politics, and evidently with the
very criminal and mercenary motive which
they have heretofore falsely charged upon the only
pure and national party in the country.


| They have in their late convention at Raleigh
put forth platform, which however fmsy it NAV
be in other respects has for its aim tendency and
effect the enkndling Of the most combustible ele
ments in our midst and the stirring up Of fearful
| conflict in our Commonwealth. 1t seeks by means
| of the slavery question to array the West against
the East and with delusve hopes to rouse the poor
man to upon the rich and him who has no
slaves upon the slave holder. And thus at the ex
pense of the public peace by the high handed viola
ton of vested rights by the utter subversion of
the first principles of the government established by
fathers, by appealing to the most sordid and
unworthy feelings of Western brethren, by
breaking through the most important legislative
compromises of history, does this shameless op-
position seek to foist itself into public favor and
overthrow the last and the only efficient friend of
our national union. Now, no matter what may be
the intrinsic merits of the proposed change in the
~


of taxation, considered question of abstract
policy, were perfectly just and equal the present
state of the public mind in the South precludes the
possibility Of its agitation without engendering
bitter strife between the different classes and sec
tions of the State.


The slave interest has been goaded by injustice
well rgh jealous frenzy for the last thirty years


has ad to battle with the fanaticism of the North
it has been and is still being driven from its out.
posts-the frontier States.


The slave interest in the South feels that it is


g. y -:>t, -rrzys--
upon it, naatter from what qua4ter it may come
or how specious and plausible its form. It feels
that this attack (the proposed change in the system
of taxation) is the more dangerous and the more
ungenerous because it is insidious, coming
from those who have hitherto been looked upon as
having with them common sympathies and friendly
feelings. 1t feels that RCWsEer intended, 1t is caro-
played into the hands Of the anti-slazery party Of
the north-hat it is calculated, if not intended, to
weaken the cherished institutions of the South that
it is sordid and ungenerous, not to say cowardy
assault upon their vested and dearest rights.
! Feeling thus, the shareholders of North Carolina
will not submit without a bitter contest and des-
perate struggle They know that the permanency
of the institution and the safety and the value Of
their property depend upon successful resistance
to the proposed extermnating policy for they know
that in the face Of the fact that further South, the
policy of the government the fertility of the SOIL


and the genial nature of the climate, all con-
spire to render slave labor profitable than
here-that the adoption of this policy will sound
the death knell of slavery in midst, that it will


work an entire change in the character of the in
stituons of the State-that it will force upon the
slave ding portion of our community the terrible
alternative OF changing entirely their life long habits
of selling the slaves who been bequeathed them
by their fathers, and who perhaps they have learned
love almost their children else to break up
all the cherished associations that bind them by
ties of holest love their native State, and to look
out for more genial laws and less tyranical gov
ernment Well knowing that this is the real issue
broached in their platform, the opposition with that
reckless want of patriotism which has characterised
| them IN latter times, nave proposed deauly Sec
tional contest in the faint hope of dearly and
shamefully purchased party triumph; in so doing
they have filled the cup of their political nquity
and boldly invoked the overwhelming vengeance
of the wronged and nsulted patriotism of the land
| They have sowed the storm-they should reap the
whrlwnd they have disgraced themselves-they
should be disgraced they have endeavored by their
unprinciped and trucking policy to turn one sec
tion of our State against the other taking care to
identify themselves with the strongest. The honest
voters of both sections, with patriotic unanmty,
should unite together and by covering them with
confusion give signal rebuke to political corruption
and wireworking hobby-riders.


So much then, briefly, for the peculiar circum-
stances which, independent of the real merits of
the question render the ad catorena system objec-
tionable on the score both of policy and principle,
But apart from the peculiar elements OF danger
which at thus time the agitation OF this subject
certain to stir into fearful and destructive conflict
the policy proposed when stripped OF all extraneous
considerations and subjected with its real merits to
the test Of abstract principles of right and wrong


cannot comma and the appreciation of any candid and
| fair minded man.


| The proposition fairly stated is this: that every


man should taxes in proportion the protection
nvfn ,.}0I