The Western Democrat

IN NORTH CAROLINA.
Our information, private and public, from different portions of the State, lead us to expect confidently that North Carolina will give a larger majority for Breckinridge than she did for Gov. Ellis in August last. Our opposition friends may consider it a matter of course that we should express this opinion, but they should remember that we have never been in the habit of boasting previous to elections. We may be mistaken, but if there is anything in the signs of the times to indicate public sentiment, we think it is evident that a large majority of the people of this State are for Breckinridge. The leading friends of Mr Douglas do not pretend that the Douglas ticket stands the least chance of carrying the State--in fact the movement has proven a complete failure, and, so far as we can learn, nearly as many whigs as democrats have gone over to Douglas. Anyway, Douglas stands no chance, and the contest in the State is between Breckinridge and Bell. It would be well for democrats to remember this, and, if they are really attached to the democratic party and its principles, let them vote so as to sustain that party without regard to their preferences for individuals merely.
"We also deny that Mr Douglas ever said he would "coerce sovereign States." He is too wise, understands the theory of our confederation too well, and is indeed, too good a "State Rights" man to make any such threats.--Douglas Democrat.
Well, now let us see what Mr Douglas did say--let us see whether his organ here in Charlotte understands his position or not. When Douglas was making a speech at Norfolk, Va., the following question was asked him: "If the Southern States secede from the Union upon the inauguration of Abraham Lincoln, before he commits an overt act against their constitutional rights, will you advise or vindicate resistance by force to their secession?" Remember now, Mr Douglas was asked if he would "advise or vindicate resistance by force to their secession"--the secession of Southern States. He replied as follows: "That it is the duty of the President and all others in authority under him to enforce the laws of the United States as passed by Congress and expounded by the Courts, and that he, as in duty bound by his oath of fidelity to the Constitution, would do all in his power to aid the government in maintaining the supremacy of the laws against all resistance to them, come from what quarter it may." And in his Raleigh speech, Mr Douglas said: "If Lincoln should be elected President of the United States, or Breckinridge, and any other man, after such election, should attempt to violate the Constitution of the country, or infringe any law or right under it, I would hang him higher than Haman, according to law." The above is sufficient to show that Douglas did threaten to "coerce sovereign States," for the question was asked him what he would do if Southern States seceded from the Union. Not only so but he threatens to hang any man who would uphold the secession of a State. In that case he would have to hang most of his friends about here, for we suppose they all believe in the right of secession. And inasmuch as our neighbor has already absolved himself (by resolution) from all allegiance to the Federal Government, we advise Mr Douglas to attend to him immediately. We also call our neighbor's attention to the fact that his brother Douglas editor at Raleigh publishes an article to justify the coercion of a sovereign State. He seems to understand Mr Douglas just as we do about that matter, and he substantially admits that he (Douglas) is for coercion. How do you like that?
HE IS A SLAVEHOLDER.--The opposition have endeavored to create suspicion as to Mr Breckinridge's loyalty to the South by asserting that he is not a slaveholder. It is unfair to measure any man's patriotism by the number of negroes he may own, but inasmuch as the Bell papers have done so by publishing to the world that Mr Breckinridge owns no slaves, we give the following note from the Postmaster at Lexington, Ky., by which it will be seen that the evidence is direct that Mr Breckinridge is a slave-owner:
LEXINGTON, KY., Sept. 15, 1860.
Dear Sir: Your letter of the 8th instant is to hand. I can say to you in reply to your inquiry, that John C. Breckinridge, democratic candidate for President, is now, and has been for years, the owner of slaves. You will find the same question answered by me in a letter, which was published in the Coosa River (Ala.) Argus, of Sept. 8th, and copied into the Louisville Courier of this date.
Respectfully, your obed't serv't,
Jesse Woodruff, P. M.
To M. E. Papy, Esq, Jacksonville, Fla.
Our neighbor, it seems to us, ought not to complain if others follow his example. The articles which he accuses us of having "garbled, patched together," &c., we gave to the public just as we found them in other papers--without the dotting of an i or the crossing of a t--as extracts from his own.--Douglas Democrat.
"Other papers"! What papers? Name them. We think you are mistaken about the extract to which we object, appearing in other papers before you published it. After it appeared in your paper, the Douglas paper at Raleigh copied it, and some of the Bell papers may have copied it, also; but we never saw it in any paper before it appeared in yours, or we should have alluded to it sooner. The extract misrepresents our meaning, because it is composed of different lines from different articles, with intervening lines and parts of sentences omitted. In that way we are misrepresented, and of that only we complain. We deny that such garbling is justified by our example. The Douglas Democrat says something about our "reading men out of the party." We have done no such thing; but we say that all who are pursuing a course calculated to give the State to Bell (like the Douglas men are doing) have no right to claim to be in the democratic party. Some of the leading Douglas men in this State have previously been disorganizers, and the most of them violent secessionists and disunionists, and the democratic party can do without their aid now and hereafter as heretofore. They have read themselves out, of their own free will and choice.