Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1861-02-28
From the Daily Journal, 26th inst.
uNO Convention" means Z" SubmisslOn."--The
Interest and the Duty OF Observation-Disclosures.

tion-tha is if majority of the votes cast on the day
after tomorrow are for No Convention" then indeed
may the State be ranked with the submissionists-
Rightly or wrongly she will be so ranked and she will,
herself have given good grounds for this classification
Now, in this County Messrs. Wright and Dawson may
differ from Messrs Ashe and Cowan to the course to
be pursued in Convention, yet all acknowledge that the
position Of things requires that Convention should be
held. What would be the use of talking about debe-
rating if there is be no deiberative body What is the
use OF talking about what is to be done what should
b. done, if by voting No Convention" the people
virtually say that nothing is to be done, and that
thing ought to be DONE or tried to be done That
would be about what No Convention " would mean,
and it would mean further or be understood to mean
that the State approved of the sectional and aggressive
rule asserted over US in the election of Mr. Lincoln and
to be inaugurated with him. Are prepared for this
Are any of US prepared for it? We think not
But we have heard that it is talked around for the
purpose of making capital against Convention" that
the object of holding convention at all, is to change
the constitution so as TO keep poor folks from voting
and it is further urged in support of this view, that Mr.
Toombs some time since made a speech in which he
talked pretty hard about white people, who asSo
ciae with negroes AID tampcr with them Now, this
and reflection upon poor men generally. Surely, this
is outrageous There is honorable man, no matter
how poor he may be, that can in any way apply Mir.
Toombs remarks to himself There is no honorable
white man who will degrade himself to the level OF
negro by assocating with negroes as equals by lamp
erng with slaves OR instgating them to rob or steal
from their masters We say that those who tell the
nopsIavehoders of North Carolina, that expressions
10 low wit
negroes apply to them must have very little respect for
their intelligence and little belief in their disposition to
resent insult.
But if anything else necessary TO show up this
transparent humbug, might state two things first,
that the members Of the Convention will meet under the
obligation of an oath not to interfere with anything
but the Federal Relations of the State Second, the
people-the Door men about whose welfare so much
anxiety is manifested will have to vote upon everything
that the Convention may do What nonsense then to
suppose for moment that the Convention could or
would dare to interfere with the rights of those upon
whose will the validity Of all its acts must depend. 1t
is as much as saying that the people not capable OF
taking care of themselves.
But we are told that negro labor intereres with white
labor and reduces the compensation paid to the white
abOrer and that therefore, the white working man has
no interest in the institution, Or if any, interest op
posed to its continuance Now, saw few thipgs
last August that ought to have opened anybodyS eyes
on that subject. Happening to be in Boston, we were
strOng out day the suburbs, where number OF
men with horses and carts were employed in blasting
rock and hauling it away also plying pick and spade
in grading lots TO say that they worked like slaves
would be to say what not So. Wenever saw slaves
work half as hard Feeling some curiosity the sub
iect we asked one Of the men what wages he got and
he told US that he got eighty cents day. Recolect
that this was last summer before any panic In season
of prosperity, and also during the busiest time of the
year.
On enquiry we found that so cents day actually
the usual rate for able bodied men during the open season.
and it is not to be forgotten that there long winter
season in New England, in which outdoor labor must
necessarily be suspended What white laborer would
be content to work on the wharf elsewhere in Will
mington for so cents day? Yet such we know to be
rate in the model antisavery city Of Boston,
And then, again. it is urged that if convention is
held it may result in secession and if So that foreign
born citizens will be excluded or lose citizenship or
come to some untimey end. Now that is all nonsense.
and anybody who has marked the of events must
know that the conventions of all the seeded States in
adopting ordinances Oh the subject of citizenship, have
been exceedingly liberal in all respects. We wish to
indulge in no reflections that might look unriendly but
the proper enforcement of argument cOmpes US to
say that this great concern for foreign citizens is GER
tainly newborn with good many who exhibit it
now. II is not so long ago since they or a
good many of them, clamorous for the eX-
cusOn of fOreign-bOrn citizens from almost everything.
We repeat that refer to this matter in spirit OF
acrimony, but simply to illustrate subject Believe
u.s. when we say that have fears that subject
and Ne express ourselves thus plainly because although
being citizen OF North Carolina it is right and in
our position duty to express our views openly and
fairly there not wanting those who darky hint that
it is wrong for to exercise this right and discharge
this duty. This strikes being rather queer no.
ton. 1t is surely mistaken one.
Beyond oil reasonable question, it appears plain to US
that the nOnslavehOlder-he poor man--is even more
interested in the pending difficulty than the STAKEHOLDER
the rich nan, as he is called. Wealth has its power
it asserts itself any where. and when Abraham Lin
coin and Horace Greey and such like talk about the
equality Of all men, they don't exactly include themselves
aud other wealthy and influential individuals in that
category Not exactly No, by no means. Mr.. Sc
ward with his whtegloved walters and silver and gold
plate and all that sort of thing don't that negro
Is equal to him. but very probably he does think he is
equal to the white who occupies the position Of
fellow servant with him. There is no real equality
North that certain although the distinctions there
made by wealth, and thus happens that the poo
white is leveIed downwards- the negro leveeG
upwards. To preserve the dignity and selfrespect O
the citizen there must be mental class separated BY
race and by legal distinction. No Southern white mer
would occupy positions that are now filed by thousand
OF white men at the North.