Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1861-03-21
THE WILMINGTON JOURNAL,
jVT=5T7eToa \. g. THURSDAY. MARCH 81, 1851.
= M FovetteviIe observer in its last issue inul-

- THE Fayetteville Observer in its last issue indul
~ itaIf in large amount of highly characteristic jar
o. o,d Recommendation of matters and things in
General and of the sayings and doings of the Whining
ton Journal in particular. Now, we have no idea that
we could please the Observer under any circumstances
and we have not the slightest anxiety even curios
IT, as to whether do do not Our paper not prin
ted for that purpose However, when the Observer says
that the meeting of any number of gentlemen at Colds
borO' would be Illegal it asserts the most ridiculous
sense so ridiculous that it would be beneath notice, did
not its cool assumption reach the confines of subimiy.
Does not the Observer know that none of the party
conventions preliminary railroad conventions or 9TH
er unofficial bodies meet in pursuance of law, but will it
pretend that their meeting is contrary to law-hat is
iegaP We pretended to say that the delegates
could, under existing circumstances, meet officially at
GOldsboro elsewhere or that they could claim the
right to exercise any powers under the act of the Lgs
lature calling the election of the 18th u We simply
claimed that they occupied the position and clothed
with the moral power attaching to citizens chosen reg
uary by their respective counties. There no
on earth why 120 citizens of the State should not meet
quietly and peaceaby at any point in the State that
might be agreed upon They could not meet members
of Convention called by the Legislature or the peo-
pe since in fact there is such body. Their meeting
at Goldsboro or elsewhere would be no assumption of
power, for they could not meet in virtue of power
which was never vested in them.
But it is hardly worth while pursuing farther thing
80 seEevident. The proposition had been brought to
attention through private communications from
more than one part of the State and thinking it OF
sufficient Importance to be given to the public, gave
it. We are inclined now to attach greater Importance
IL firutc no
which the wouldbe dicators attack it. They fear dis
custom They would repress enquiry They pronounce
meetings of citizens illegal The next thing will proba
bly, be censorship of the press. The Observer assumes
something of this censorship summary Of news
matters made by in recent issue of the Journal given
precisely for what they WORTH and substantially
found in our exchanges The best informed Republican
papers specuaed last week about the destination of
tain war vessels and merchant vessels all in commission
by the General Government. Their destination was
only surmsed at 1t is said that portion tc
take off troops from Texas-others to transfer troops
etc. between points the Gulf while there still
mains Margin like the closing sentence in the title Of
an omnibus bill, for other purposes"
It is naked and bare-faced assumption on the part
of those who say that do not respect the will of the
people, nor abide their decisions II to renew an effort
which barely failed Of success- to appeal to the
people themselves be to treat the popular will with dis
respect then, indeed has the Opposition party of NORTH
Carolina been in state of chronic contumaey for
Why suppose this sort Of logic had prevailed some sew
enty-odd years ago. North Carolina would have
been in this Union at ALL if the first decision of the PEG
pie had been the final one and appeal for reconsider
alton had not been permitted.
Speaking about news items, does not the Fayetteville
Observer know that all that story about the Floating
Battery at Charleston is bosh? 1t copies it from the
Albany Evening Journal and appends note semi-con
Trajectory but worded really to convey the impress
sion that the story is true.