Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1858-03-19

aQ nave IouS VLlCOrlalSy attempting 10 pOhc luu az
Mr.. Bggs, net only as one of Senator'S but pros
peCtvey az U. S. District Judge to which Office 1t IS
generally understood that Mr.. Buchanan has appointed
this gentleman. The Herald " formally protests
against this appointment for several reasons that are
given in detai,-prOminent among these is Mr. Biggs
unftness for the position When the Herald insinu
ates that the Hon. Gentleman is unfit and unqualified for
the Judgeship if he means thereby that Mr. Biggs is
not resident of the City" of Wilmington, that he is
not Of Cape Fear origin or allied with the hrst
families of the Cape Fear region, and that ne hves sui
icenty far from the South Carolina line to be NOrth
Caroinian in heart well as NAME then we agree with
the Herald that the appointment is unsuitable one,
and that Mr. Biggs is not qualified for the position
But if the Herald by its nslnuatiOns that MIR.
Biggs requirements as a Lawyer arc not such as to
qualify him for the Judgeship then must differ with
the Herald, and beg leave to enter our formal pro-
test against the Heralds writing of that Of which
it knows nothing or of disappearing fact. We
know that the City of Wilmington claims in almost
every particular to be North Carolina " in the
gy enterprise and business abilities OF her merchants we
admit that she exces the rest of the State we admit
that they have found out the great secret of paying debt
Of $1,000 with $780, in advance of the balance OF the
State; we admit that they have the whole State under
tribute to them; that all pay taxes to build roads
and improve rivers for her advantage and Tor which she
gets the credit In these particulars, Wilmington IS
North Carolina" But that all OF the responsibility,
intelligence and mind of the State is the corporate
limits of your City, MIR. Herald, not so ready
a very literary one-that you supported handsomely
several fine book stores-that you had Historical
association, and that your young men had large and
increasing Mercantile Library that you frequently
were blessed with literary lectures and that your ct-
zens were upon the whole very intellectual But MIR.
Herald to YOU belongs the glory of being the first to in
snuae that all Of the intellect of the State was IN your
City, and that all those whom the Supreme Court have
dgnfed with the title Of Lawyer that do not reside
in your " city, are FOOLS " little monuments, and
1,,C1 Nv tbnt baV
some eminent Lawyers in your City; that your bar
stands whole head and shoulders above that OF any
other in the State but must beg to remind you that
occasionally we outside barbarans can raise Lawyer
that will compare favOrably with any OF your great
lights" and Mr. BiggS is one of these
We know, Mr.. Herald, that if Mr.. BiggS' rccOmmcn-
daton to the President had been signed by the whole
State-minus your " City that his recommendation
would not have been respectfully signed as MIR.
Holmes was by your city folks IN your cSmation'
Mr.. Holmes we have heard of IL respectable Lawyer,
and should not have rdiculed or Vlled him. II the Pre-
sdent had seen fit to give him the JudgeShp-we should
have Thought it good appointment II Mr.. BggS has
been appointed, we klOU it to be CrCciiCm one and
are satisfied that he will discharge the duties OF the po-
sOn, not only cre1itably to himself, but to the honor
of the government and the satisfaction of dH RecOect
Mr.. Herald we don't claim for Mr. Bgg8 that he is
either Clay OR IL Webster, but only that he is known
2che1e lie IS knOh good, sound lawyer, fully equal
to nny of those composing the bar, which stands " Il
whole head and shoulders above the rest of the State
Mr. BiggS is a of modest professions, tho one OF
true WORTH and of practical understanding. lie is a
of industry and business habits and will, IN these
respects be valuable addition to that bench lie has
worked his way from comparative Obscury to his pre-
sent elevation by the force OF his character, and is
not therefore to be despiSed Though OF the straltes
sect OF the Democracy he has never been offensive to his
opponents and in private life has always been gentle
We always glad to SEQ snch mon rewarded
even at the expense of the Cape Fear exclusives.
The above queer production forms the leading editor
al in the last weeks issue of the Dispatch paper pub
shed in the town of Washington, Beaufort county, n
G.. We quote it partly because it queer, and partly
because queer as it u.s. it forms 10 bad specimen of a
sort of nonsense not unfequenty INDUCED in by persons
who know little of anything, and almost nothing of Will
mington-absolutey nothing except what has reached
them through the distorted medium Of prejudice.
The writer in the Dispatch may bear down as hard
as he pleases upon the Wilmington Herald for It's at
tacks upon Mr. Biggs, which were, we must think
too aimless to indicate anything more than the
dislike of the writer for Mr.. Biggs but what has al
that to do with the attack upon Wilmington, made by
the writer in the Dispatch Might respectfully in
quire, Who struck Billy Patterson? What has Viii
mngton done to the writer in the Dispatch? Wher
has Wilmington arrogated anything to herself that right
~ belongs 10 OLneS one respects Her pdI duu VIII
Justice but she claims precedence, and surely the
Northeastern section of the State, two of whose law
yers were employed the last revision Of the Statutes
can have no cause of complaint.
But the nonsense of the thing is in saying that VIII
mngton has the rest of the State under tribute to her
That we all pay taxes to build roads and improve
rivers for her advantage We have heard this sort
thing before and it is about time to prick the bubbl
and let it burst. The obligation is the other way
North Carolna-the treasuryof North Cardinals un
der obligations to the Town of Wilmington, not tn
Town of Wilmington to the State or Treasury OF n ort
Carolina OF the money raised by taxes in North Caro-
na how much goes to pay interest on any debt incur
red for subscription to either of the roads running int
the Town of Wilmington? Not dollar The Who'll
public stock in both roads amounts to six hundre
thousand dollars belonging, not to the public fund.- bu
to the Literary Board, forming no part of the publ
debt and besides paying per cent dividends. Th
Town of Wilmington alone went farther, subscribe
more money for the line Of roads traversng the Stat
through its whole BREADTH than the State of Mort
Carolina did. The County of New Hanover pays on
twentieth of the State taxes herself The Counties aon
the line of the two roads running, out of Wlmingto
contribute far above their average amount to the SUI
PoFI ol Lle OIdtC OoNCuulel'' "u loi 'no"oo'o "ll
tens Of thousands Of additional revenue yearly resutn
from the construction Of these roads the State of orr
Carolina is charged with no debt and pays no neres
Upon whose side is the obligation?
The State is not in debt for Wilmington works. He
citizens are not taxed for Wilmington works. Tn
North Carolina Railroad, with its Eastern and Westcr
extensions, is not Wilmington work, but otherwise
The Deep River works have been carried for the d.
velopment of the mineral wealth of the centre of til