Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1850-05-24

ties appointed 0eIeSotcs'
New Hanover County Convention win meet ON
Tuesday Of june County Court
s4ate TnAprovements. GEc.The Position Of tho DEM
Ocratlc Party.
As the time for holding the Democratic State Con-
venoa approaches our attention is more particularly
drawn to the position Of the democratic party in the
coming ranvass-sspeciay in relation to the acts of
the last Legislature Within a few weeks past, we
have received divers and several communications
upon this suhiect-some in advocacy Of and some in
hitter and unmeasured denunciation of the system
OF Internal improvement bills passed by the last Gen.
eral Assembly of North Carolina AS all these COM
nunications purport to come and do come from DEM
ucrats we have no doubt that they will excuse us
from publishing them at present, when they reflect
that we almost upon the very Threshold OF the
canvass and that time could be selected for
ordinations or recriminatons, if any such exist
Those who are opposed to the Central Road &c.
must be aware that that project may now be regar-
ded as a fixed fact" and its charter thing with
which no subsequent Legislature can well Interfere
without violation of vested rights They will see
vered in may, and indeed must operate disastrousy
upon the democratic party, it can have no effect
whatever upon the matter at issue. The future is
thing which may be controlled and to that should
look. We cannot alter the past even if We wished.
But there are two subjects upon which we have
been particularly Intercepted viz: Our understan-
ding of the doctrine of the democratic party upon the
subject of Internal improvements by the States and
Also upon the subject of banks with especial refer
ence to the charter recently granted to the Fayette
vile bank. We shall endeavor to give our views
upon these topics as briefly as possible.
Of course, every one is that opposition to
Internal Improvement by the General Governments is,
and has been one of the cardinal principles of tho
democratic party and the grounds upon which this
opposition is based distinctly laid down in JACK
SONS Message vetoing the Maysville Road bill, May
q, 1880. The first ground s that the General Gov
eminent has not the right to collect money and ex-
pend it upon projects of local character, or for
purposes not strictly national The second is that
even supposing the General Government could make
such appropriations it could not exercise any uris
diction over such improvements without violation
of the sovereignty of the States, within whose Dor
ders these improvements might De constructed
Such appear to have been the opinions of the great
lights of the democratic republican party but
none of them that can find, question the indubta
BILE right of the sovereign States to exercise the pow
er within their own borders. JACKSON, JEFFERSON,
MADISON and others, speak with especial reference
10 the General Government and JACKSON especially
urges the necessity of wellregulated system of In
ternal improvements, and says that many of the
States with laudable ZEAL and under the influence
of enlightened policy, successfully applying
their separate efforts to works of this character."-
1MaysriHe Road Vcto)
In Mr.. MoNRoE's message, vetoing the Cumber-
land Road BILL (May H. 1922 he lays down at large
the constitutional principles which he considers ap
picable to the subject He clearly of opinion that
under the constitution, the matter rests with the
States 1t implies the exercise of an inherent SOW
eregnty which the United States do not possess but
which cannot be denied to the several States, with
out limitation of that sovereignty. Our research
es have not discovered leading democratic au-
thority in opposition to the powers, right policy
of the States to engage in jwdtctouS system of In
ternal improvements neither do we believe that ii
has been seriously questioned in any State in the
Union. Among the States most actively engaged
in such matters the strict constructionist demo
cratic States of Virginia and South Carolina. The
question would seem to turn upon what constitutes
iudicio,s and proper system, and not upon the pro
prety of some system; and also the economical anC
impartial management thereof. So much for ou
understanding of the democratic doctrine upon tn
subject. We will now endeavor to apply it to on
position in this State.
We cannot say that all the schemes of the last LIE
gislature met our hearty approval very far from it
neither do believe that they entirely appro
we'd of by all those who voted for them The Contra
Railroad is too expensive project for the interior
sparsely settled agricultural State, and although
may ultimately produce benefits which will NOR
than counterbalance any and all expenses attendin
it. the effect at first will be disastrous to the
improvement in the State we do not believe tina
the direct revenue received from it will pay the ii
terest upon the money expended in its construction
not, at least, for some years to come. We belieV
however, that the increased value, and, of cours
the increased assessment of the land along the lin
will make up the deficiency without requiring a
increased rate of taxation throughout the State.
should also be borne in mind that if this charter
not the very best that might have been conceived,
is the best that could be obtained under the crcun
stances; and that had it not been passed, the Sta
must inevitably have been cut in two by Road pas
ing through its centre from Charlotte to Danvill
and its resources, now drained to a great extent
Virginia and South Carolina, become entirely trib,
tary to those States-and the East and West, t.
much strangers to each other, even as the matte
stands, would then have had no more community
interest feeling than either section has with til
State of Vermont. For the future we are opposed
any lines of Railroad in North Carolina, or,
least to the States connection with them. We al
opposed to throwing away any more money upon tn;
miserable abortion, which ought never to have bee