Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1861-12-26

forthwith departed this ie seeking rest from his pe1se
Gator 10 the muddy and selling bosom of the Thames
might find counterpart in the good people of North
Carolina whose Mons, Tonson, with reverence be
it said lest the imprudent sayer be indicted for Sc
dtieu Yea with doubledistilled and much rectifed
fourb-proo reverence be it said whose Monsieur Ton
son embodied in the persons of hundred and twen
ty highly respectable citizens known collectively the
North Carolina STATE Convention, who keep coming
and going, and coming again" like unto the ndefati
gable prosecutor OF tie unfortunate Gau travelling at
certain rate of mileage and sitting at certain per
dien which makes up cost to the State of something
not under five hundred dollars per day. pleasant little
sum of fifteen thousand dollars per month, mere
trfe, of course, State perfectly flush and at
time like this, when money is plenty and trade known
to be fourishng.
Monsieur 1onson has gone home for the holidays
he is INDUCING himself 10 recess" but he will
come again to Raleigh, On the goth January l862
and forthwith will proceed to begin to commence to
carry out his programme.
The great majority of the members composing the
body which is thus Monsieur Tonsonized are about
sick OF the matter as the people are They stay IN Raj
egh at actual pecunary loss. 1t is weknown that
any movement to increase the compensation of members
of the Legislature the accustomed three dollars per
de has always been defeated for the reason that, in
asmuch the good people at the seat of government
know how to size the pile accurately to take
all any rate, be the less, there would be
no advantage in making it more as the result would be
prccS II same OF course this slanderous, but
who pays two dollars and fifty cents per diem for
IL: Al
sport clean Hnder-garment have muck money left
to 50 nd Oh oysters and trimmings, while
w0skey two days old, will be to him an unat'ainabe
luxury, and Old Nash not to be thought of.
1t therefore evident that il be the pay
that keeps the Members of the Convention in Raleigh
Perhaps it is patriotism " pure and simple" That is
evidently the explanation 1t is patrotsm-a desire to
se~7e the country the t,e, by laying plans to
for themselves the possession OF the Offices with
tier rank aud emo umens, power and patronage. OF
course all are not moved by this impulse and none Who'll
ly so, but then it is natural that men should aspire
ambition is the last weakness of noble minds, and in
a boCy OF one hundred and twenty gentlemen nearly
all of whom deeply impressed with their fitness
for high Office, and most of whom expect to attain it, it
is natural that there should be some mannugerpg to
to the couay the advantages OF their services in
the future in all positions of honor trust, profit We
respect the high motives of the members composing this
able and patriotic body-we bow before the Ituture1
senatorial dignity of resrect the Office of Gov
ernor in the persons of other luture ExceIen-
ces." We feel that the fuure] halls of Congress will
very properly resound to the sprit-strring appeals
of those honorable E" members who may at first
fail of exceency or senatorial
dignity, but with what lowness of prostraton what
profOandness of respect what depth of reverentia feel
ing do we lift humble ard unsanctied eyes to those
numerous great and good men in the Convention who
enjoy The sublime conviction that they were made for
the Presidency and the Presidency for them. The e-
fort take in this great da rather series of great
ideas has exhausted mental energies that must
pause and rest for time, and by concluding this para
graph prepare ourselves for the consideration of ques-
ons pertaining what the Shorter Catechsm used to
call "mere men,"
To compare small things with great, it must be evil
dent to the meanest capacity that the world does
and Of this may easily be couvinced-(in fact the
present we is convinced already by the great advance
which has been made in political economy since those
remote times in the which used to attend poltica
conventions for the purpose of helping to make
Presidents, Governors or Members of Congress, Of
other dignitares and officials. We were then forced
to attend to those things upon our own ex
penses and we found it decidedly burdensome bu
we felt that were serving our country and thC
world at large and we pocketed the individual loss an(
unprotected the Individual Dimes if not with cheerfunes
at least with resignation. Now, however, the State
fools the bills and existing Convention sits o.
long it pea5es and attends to these matters at it
leisure, quietly and periodically forming it's combina
tons and making up its issues for the future promotion
of its embryo Presidents, Senators, Governors Con
gressmen, etc. Manifesty this is great improve
mant, which ought to be duly appreciated, and
referred to without the most profound admiration.
is of the Improvements of the age for which an
kind is indebted to the noparty" party which thus
far surpasses parties heretofore existing who fool
shly enough carried on their political movements
such, and still fooishIy content to pay tbei
own expenses while doing so.
But the subject so grows upon US that we cannot d.
it justice in short article which we must now draw
: to close by remarking-what we presume every bod
else has already remarked-that inasmuch all the rea
public business for which the Convention was called to
gether could have been and ought to have been don
long ago, all the extra time that body has bee
> in session, and all the additional and still unmea
: sared time it may yet spend in session mus
be regarded being devoted to the sublim
and patriotic business of making the way straigh
for the advancement of the sundry PRESIDENTIAL Sepa
toria Congressional and other dig66ed aspirans here
toore respectfully and reverentiay alluded to, as
so for the future Cabinet Minister'S of whom we hav
far omitted mention, from absence of "dsnguisf
: ed consideration" They are included among the {
ceterdS.
r THE Charleston papers of Saturday report the
received for the relief OF the sufferers by the great fir
I'D to that date to be $lO6723 Is from all sources