Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1856-12-12

ton was organized by appointing Dr. Server, Iempo
rary Chairman, and MIR. Tbackston, OF Petersburg
Temporary Secretary. A committee OF one from
each State was appointed to report permanent officers
There were representatives present from Virginia.
North Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Maryland. Ala
hama, Louisiana, South Carolina, Texas and Florida
The Committee on permanent organization report
ed for President James Lyons OF Va; for principal
Secretary, N. B. Cloud of Alabama, with Vice Pre-
sidents and Secretaries from the several States Mr.
Parks of Charlotte being Vice President from North
Carolina and Mr. Yates, of the same place, Assistant
Secretary. Mr. Dortch, Of Goldsboro', was on the
committee on organization. The Convention adopt
ed as far as practicable, the rules of the House OF
REPRESENTATIVES The President was conducted TO
his seat by Messrs Mcleod, of Texas, Cochrane, o.:
Alabama, and Shafer, OF Virginia.
On taking his seat, the President made short but
eloquent address, acknowledging The compliment paid
him and referring 10 The objects of the convention,
which were not those of dissolution but of union-a
union to be secured by securing to the South that
development and independence necessary to the full
equality, without which no real union could long
subsist He alluded 10 The struggle through which
the country Lad passed. and to the threats of aglta
ton against our institutions still rife at the North
On motion, Hon. A. Dudley Mann, OF Washington,
was invited to take seat in the Convention as one
of its members, and 10 take part in its deliberations
And on further motion, the President was authorized
to appoint committee of 20 10 report business for
the action of the Convention. To this committee
Mr.. Mann was added making it 81. The Conven-
ton adjourned unit o'clock on Tuesday morning
Thus far we CLEAN from the Savannah papers of
the 9th which are the latest that have reached u.s.
We are indebted the courtesy of friend from this
place for the following letter, containing some addi
tonal items:
SAVANNAH, Ga, Dec 9th, 1856.
MEssRs FULTON & PRICE-Gentlemen II blinking
that YOU would be anxious to learn something rela
to the business of the Convention, have taken the
liberty of writing you letter, which is necessarily
blef, because little nothing has yet been done in
the way Of business.
You will learn through the papers enclose you, that
the Convention was organized on Yesterday, and also
the names Of the officers, members of committees, etc.
To-day has been consumed by resolutions of all kinds
and on all subjects from the re-opening of the slave
tade to the admission of all editors in attendance
on Convention as Secretaries OF the meeting. con-
ceive that no subject of Commercial interest has as
yet been Introduced for the consideration OF the Au-
gust body.
The only thing in any definite shape that has been
presented, was contained the remarks of Hon. Mr.
Belhoon of Georgia, relative to Free TTade-the abo
litOn of the Custom Houses and duties on imports,
and the substitution of direct taxation for the support
of the General Government in all its branches. He
is down upon all tariffs, and from them all of
our commercial disasters, reverses and difficulties
He is a gentleman of talents and an honor to his
State.
Our delegation is large but will stand compari-
son in numbers with the delegations from of our
sister Stales We are all rght-a say nothing kind
of fellows, but " some " 10 keep in check any
wild schemes of hot-headed extremists and hand
at any time for anything that promises substantial
good 10 the South
The Convention is now fully organized There
are about six hundred delegates from all parts of the
South, and more are arriving every day
qSs-Again, let us say that we will have hand in
getting up undue excitement or l-feefing in connec-
ton with the approaching municipal election. If
such be gotten up, it will not be by the Democrats
For our own part mean TO make no other reply 10
the exciting articles of the Herald on the proceed
ings of the Legislature than is contained in pub
LEGATION of the whole laws complained Of They will
be found, every word of them in our paper to-day
To them we point the public as the best answer to
all such talk.
The now existing law is better in every way than
aborve registration affair, more efficient in guarding
the purity of the elective franchise and securing the
rights of all. 1t dispenses with no necessary pre-
caution, and allows of the neglect of no necessary
duty. Read the thing and think ii. Re-
member that The registration law was public safe
guard The registry book, after being closed was
not made public in any way tending to the detection
of errors or illegal entries Where in crowded
cities divided into wards, registration is necessity,
the lsl of registered votes in each ward or precinct
is printed and stuck up for inspection during election
day and before Not SO with our registration law.
With all the entries its face, correct incorrect,
tgoes or went to the polls unrevised and unscanned,
so far as the public was concerned and really formed
little or no safeguard nothing equal to the existing
law requiring six months residence. Under the ex
listing law taxes must be paid. That is as es.
sentia to voting now before.
AS for the Inspectors, it is hardly worth while
making fuss about that since ii is nothing new, but
simply restoring the old order of things which existed
before the passage of class of laws of which nobody
knew anything until long after they had passed
Until sort of special legislation changed things the
appointment of inspectors had always been vested in
the County Court 1t is now placed back there
again.
This excitement and warmth is 80 far all on one
side The Democrats keep cool, perhaps too much
so. At any rate, they are not going 10 squabble or
higge over things. They content with assigning
the reasons for any they may pursue and eav
ing the public to decide. So far their opponents beat
the air.
Our MINISTER TO NIcARAGUA-We see it stated
in some of the papers that Hon. John H. Wheeer,
our Minister to Nicaragua had been peremptory re.