Carolina Watchman
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The ''Carolina Watchman'' was an American weekly newspaper published in
Salisbury, North Carolina Salisbury is a city in the Piedmont region of North Carolina, United States; it has been the county seat of Rowan County since 1753 when its territory extended to the Mississippi River. Located northeast of Charlotte and within its metropolita ...
, from 1832 to 1937. It variously supported the Whig, Democratic, and
Populist Populism refers to a range of political stances that emphasize the idea of "the people" and often juxtapose this group against " the elite". It is frequently associated with anti-establishment and anti-political sentiment. The term developed ...
parties, as well as the Confederacy during the
Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
. For a few years, it was mostly politically independent and known as the ''Watchman & Old North State''.


History


Early years

The first issue of the ''Carolina Watchman'' was published July 28, 1832. The founding editor, Hamilton Chamberlain Jones (1798–1868), started it as a weekly newspaper competing with Salisbury's other newspaper, the '' Western Carolinian'', which had turned from supporting
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
Andrew Jackson Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was an American lawyer, planter, general, and statesman who served as the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before being elected to the presidency, he gained fame as ...
to supporting John C. Calhoun. The ''Watchman'' has been described as being founded in opposition to
nullification Nullification may refer to: * Nullification (U.S. Constitution), a legal theory that a state has the right to nullify any federal law deemed unconstitutional with respect to the United States Constitution * Nullification Crisis, the 1832 confront ...
, though it has been described as anti-Jackson as well. Early editions frequently contained humor and had a couple sketches by Jones. In the 1830s, it printed several advertisements seeking escaped
slaves Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...
. In the 1830s and the next decade, the ''Watchman'' supported the Whig Party (while that party existed). After that, the newspaper was described as "liberally conservative".


1850–1890

John Joseph (J. J.) Bruner (1817–1890) left an apprenticeship at the ''Western Carolinian'' to join the ''Watchman'' in its early years, and he became part-owner at age 22 and full owner at 33, in 1850. Though he often sold the paper to start other ventures, he often would buy it back too. Bruner developed a reputation as a forceful voice for the common man, and he used his newspaper to advance his interests, such as supporting the Confederacy in the
Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
(he did not print anything negative about Salisbury nor the Confederacy). A national newspaper directory from 1876 states that the ''Watchman'' "resisted the disunionists" before the war, was "thoroughly confederate during the war", and was "thoroughly union now, and democratic". Publication was suspended for six months in 1865–66. In 1866, Lewis Hanes (1826–1882) launched a competing newspaper, the ''Old North State''. Two years later, the two papers merged as the ''Watchman & Old North State''. Upon the merger, Hanes became editor and Bruner remained publisher. Hanes claimed that the paper was politically independent, which was true during his editorship except when it backed the unsuccessful conservative effort to stop the adoption of a new state constitution in 1868. Bruner bought the newspaper back when Hanes left Salisbury, rebranding it as the ''Carolina Watchman'' in 1871. With Bruner as editor, the ''Watchman'' circulation apparently reached about 50 counties in North Carolina, and it was said that he fended off competition from more than 50 other papers. An 1889 newspaper catalogue lists the ''Watchman'' as a Democratic paper. In Bruner's later years, while he was one of North Carolina's oldest editors running one of its oldest newspapers, other editors in the state called him "Father Bruner".


20th century

An 1898 catalogue lists the ''Carolina Watchman'' as a
Populist Populism refers to a range of political stances that emphasize the idea of "the people" and often juxtapose this group against " the elite". It is frequently associated with anti-establishment and anti-political sentiment. The term developed ...
paper, with editor H. J. Gasque and a circulation of 1,000. A catalogue fifteen years later says it was a Democratic paper, with a circulation of 2,327. On January 29, 1937, the weekly ''Watchman'' announced that it would be succeeded by the ''Rowan County Herald'' beginning February. The latest known issue of the ''Herald'' was published June 18, 1937.


See also

*
List of defunct newspapers of North Carolina Most of the newspapers started in North Carolina in the 18th-century no longer exist. The first newspaper, the North Carolina Gazette was published in New Bern, North Carolina. These defunct newspapers of North Carolina were replaced by newspap ...


References

{{Reflist


External links


Partial archives of the ''Carolina Watchman''
at DigitalNC Defunct newspapers published in North Carolina Salisbury, North Carolina Publications established in 1832 Publications disestablished in 1937