Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1862-04-24

Owing TO an unfortunate habit we have Of thinking
that two and two make four aud OF forgetting that by
any hocus p5cus it make five, doubt tell into
grave error aat week when speaking OF the time which
must elapse between the date of that writing and the
time for holding election for the next Governor OF
North Carolina, which put Of to some three and
half months or more.
We were aware that the CoDven ion or its members
considered themselves masters of the situation" and
above control by any impedmente that the constitution
of North Carolina might n,erpoae. hat hardly sup
posed or at any rate had forgo ten to make allow.
for the fact that they also ignored the laws pre-
scrbed for the regulation of the human constitution
trainers of present constitution or what was our
constitution before the Convention met were men of at
least fair common sense and might have been supposed
to have taken into consideration the fact that mps
die sometime, and that Governors being but men, may
die during their term of Office, we'll at any other
time. Seeing this, they made provision to fill any We.
cancy arising fron the DEATH absence inability of TIE
Governor. But so stupid they, as we are told,
that having their attention directed to this very matter
they left their business rdicuIously incomplete and left
the space of time between the first Thursday in August
and the first day of January incidental inerregnum,
liable, though not likely to occur every other year. To
suppose that this thing could have escaped the attention
of the Convention OF 1885 is to ascbe to that body
amount of willIu! faulty, the length and breadth,
depth and thickness of which it required the immense
Of the present body to and ponderae.
Yet the presumption that the Convention of 1885 left
such omissus in the Constitution as would leave
nearly the half Of every other year liable an iuerreg-
mr. in no men 10 hat ughi ch
the Convention proceed, if it declares the exist
of vacancy in the Executive from and after the
first Thursday in August next and proceeds to supply
that vacancy either by its direct action by pro-.
vidng for extraordinary election by the people, in
advance of the usual time. Plain people would be apt
to suppose that had died before 1885, and iadeed
there evidence that the Convention OF that
not wholly ignorant of this fact, or of the further
fact that every liable to die at least once and
that at particularly stated time. This evidence
afforded by its providing for the contingency Of death
on the part of the Governor but such provision il
the understanding OF the present Convention is the
rect one. To suppose such understanding correct
would be to attribute to the leading mindso the not
remote past degree of ob;usty which it is dsrespect.
tu in their descendants Or survivors to look
upon as possible.
However, as all things possible, need only add
that remarks to the remoeness of the time for
holding an election for Governor were based upon the
assumption that such election would take place ct the
usual time, and in the usual mauner. AS we have NO
assurance of that or of anything else, fear our re-
marks will have but little practical value.
We have been asked more than once if MIR. Graham
ia really candidate for Governor Or would even con
sent to be run. We do not know. We heard that d.
ring former sessions of the Convention when the idea
OF an election by that body was mooed, Mr.. Graham
positively would not accept if chosen. This was
on what we supposed to be good authority it certainly
was 60 far as the means of information possessed by
gentleman from whom We heard it went. We believe
it so.
Mr.. Graham is now pushed forward, whether with OF
without bis own consent cam Of say 1t cannot be
without bis knowledge. l., be the man, after all
that 10 really meant by the pshsrs, We will zee If VIC
| kesp our eyes open.