Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1848-09-01


Resolved Sd, That Committee of twelve be
appointed by the Chair to memorabilia the next
Legislature upon the subject of the work propo-
sed, and to take all other necessary and proper
steps for furthering the same.
The Convention then adjourned till 1-2
O'Clock, P. nj.
AFTERNOON SEssIoN.-The Convention met
pursuant to adjournment.
Speeches were then made in support OF the
Report. by J. ]. Jackson. and B. |. Howe,
EsGs., after which, the Report was unani-
mously adopted.
The Chair then appointed the following
gentlemen the Committee under the second
Resolution, viz:
Gen. Alexander McRae, Col. A. S. Mcneil,
and Dr. A. J. DeRosset; and, on motion of
Mr.. Haughton, the Chairman was added 10
the committee.
The following gentlemen were appointed
by the President, the Committee provided for
by the third Resolution, viz:
! Dr. Charles Chalmers, and A. R. Kelly,
Esq of Moore B. F. Atkins, and Col. A. 5.
| Mcneil, of Cumberland; ]. J. Jackson, J. II.
Haughton, w. Stedman, Isaac CIegg, w. T.
Harriss, NJ e. Waddell, and DR.. Hall, OF
| Chatham; and Fl. B. Elliott, of Randolph
On motion of Mr.. Loring, it was
| ResDlred, That all money collected for the pur-
pose of survey of the contemplated improvement,
be paid to the chairman of the committee of three
and if the amount subscribed be insufficient, the
said committee shall take the necessary steps to
increase the same by application to the Finance
committees heretofore appointed, and if there shall!
be an excess, it shall be sealed to the subscribers
pro rata, and that those to whom subscriptions
have heretofore, or may hereafter be made, be re-
quested to collect the same forthwith.
On motion of Mr.. Haughton, it was
ReS0lUed, That G. w. Pegram, DR.. J. w. Nc
Kay, and ]. L. Bethea, be added to the Finance
committee, and that the committees heretofore aP-
pointed to collect funds for the purpose of sur
vey be continued. with arequest that they proceed
with their labors with all possible despatch, and
that they report as early as practicable to the
chairman of the committee of three.
On motion of Mr.. Jackson, the thanks OF
the Convention were rendered 10 the officers
thereof
On motion of Mr.. Stedman, it was ordered
that the proceedings of the Convention be
published in the Communication, and that al
the other papers in the State be requested &c
publish the same.
The Convention then adjourned sine die.
F. J. HILL, President.
ALEX McRAE, A. S. MCNEIL, c. CHAL
MERs, THos. Parish, Isaac CLEGG, Y. PreSd'tS
A. J DERossET, Jr,, w. STEDMAN, SecfS
IMPORTANT AND INTERESTING LET
TER FROM SENATOR FOOTE.
To the Editor of the Union:
SIR To the numerous and oftentimes de
mandatory structures upon my conduct as ;
L. L IL Al,
: newspapers of the country, l have been il
general altogether Indifferent, and in all case.
, heretofore | have been absolutely silent
Nor should vary from my ordinary course
upon the present occasion, but that it is fear
ed by others, whose counsels greatly respect
that silence on my part might be construed
into tacit acquiescence in certain misrepre
sensations, which, if efectual, might by pos
sibiIity do more or elss injury to a cause t.
; which my life has been devoted. l find my
self charged with having declared, during tht
last hours of the session of the United States
! Senate, that Cass and Butler, in consequence
of the conduct of some of their northern
> friends in Congress upon the Oregon question
would lose the whole vote of the southern
States in the approaching presidential cleo
, ton Now this is not on y wholly wlthou
foundation, but is most lidiculously false
What | did say, in substance, was this: |
will be borne in mind, that the Oregon bill hdt
been returned TO US from the House with ou
amendments to it stricken out. There wa;
reason to believe, had a committee OF confer
, ence been allowed us, in accordance with
well-known Legislative usages, that satisfac
tory compromise of all the matters in contro
versy could yet have been effected. Various
facts were stated by myself and others, show.
ing, as think, concusively, that a compro-
mise might still have been attained through a
f committee of conference. The senator from
Illinois, (Mr. Douglas,) who had prlncipa
charge of the Oregon bill, had consented to a
committee of conference, and had even urged
it upon the Senate with his own characters
tic manliness and ability. Other distinguish
| ed democratic senators from the North were
| more than willing to try the experiment Of ;
committee OF circumference. Under such circum
: stances, the senator from Missouri (N1r Ben
tony insisted upon his motion to recede from
our amendments; which, taking precedence O.
the motion to refer the subject to a committee
Of conference cut off, if successful, all hops
of present compromise We had struggled
for a committee of conference during thu
> whole of Saturday night. Sunday morning
had arrived, when | took occasion in thu
course of speech running through some fiji
teen or twenty minutes, to warn certain sena
tors against the possible consequences of thei
= rigorous coercive course. urged upon then
that their conduct was likely to be regarded
as eVlncing settled hostility and contemp
Tor the soutn and southern men. I went 81
Tar as to express fear that their indiscretior
! and seeming llllberality might have the efec
e OF weakening our presidential ticket in SOM
; quarters of the south, or might at leas
: impose upon its southern advocates heavy
s and oppressive burden of explanation. be
sought them earnestly yet to allow a commit
2 tee OF conference, and thus place our tickle
! beyond the reach of misrepresentation and in
: jury; avowing, all the while, that | knew
a Gen. Cass to be thoroughly sound on the VIII
e mot ProvisO question, and that l should b.
l the last man in the Union to forsake him.
+ When Sunday had passed away, and Monday
morning was IN progress, the Senate was a
gain IN session. Southern men had reflected
well upon all that had occurred Southern
democrats had conferred together They
bore IN mind that northern democrats, in boil
houses of Congress, had been sustaining th
constitutional rights of the south, and beer
laborlng to secure our safety, when northern
wings, TO man, had proved hostile, and ev
en- southern men had shown themselves I'M
mindful or regardless of southern interests.
They recollected that explicit assurance had
been given us by the senator from Illinois
LMr DougIas,] with his own characteristic
manliness, that he and his friends would agar