The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1865-09-12
From the Raleigh Standard.
THE WAR DEBT.

/ -&
The approaching State Convention will have
the important duties imposed upon it OF passing
such ordinances as are required Of the State,
before we cab be restored to equal rights IN the
national government An ordinance aboshiEg
slavery in North Carolina forever must be passed,
and ought to be passed with promptness and
unanmity. It ought to be passed in such a
spirit as to show to the government that We
have made up our minds to cheerfully comply
with the terms required of Us.
When these alterations of the constitution
shall have been adopted by the Convention, they
ought at once to be submitted to the vote of the
people Of the State.
| 1t will then be the duty of every man in the
State to go to the polls and vote. The vote OF
the people upon the adoption or rejection OF the
acts of the Convention will measure our loyalty
to the rational government. The authorities
will judge North Carolina by the number and
unanimity of her citizens who shall vote at that
election.
IF the vote is united and large, ge shall at
once be treated with great bberaity, and have
every consistent privilege extended to u.s. But
if the poll shall be small and there is much divi-
sion apparent from it, we shall be regarded with
suspicion and shall BE watched as disloyal
people. 1t is of the utmost importance that our
vote shall be united, and that it shall be such as
to convince the national government that we are
unanimously agreed to cheerfully perform such
duties as it has required of u.s.
For these reasons it il highly important that
nothing shall be brought before the Convention
that is not positively required to be passed upon.
Especially should the Convention avoid raising
any unnecessary question that might make
division amongst the people. And for these
reasons the war debt of the State should not be
passed upon by that body. IF that debt should
be Endorsed or repudiated by the Convention,
and this ordinance together with the others
should be submitted to the vote of the citizens,
the vote will be very much divided. When this
divided vote is seen by the Northern people,
it would at once be taken that we're divided
on the subject of the abolition of slavery. Such
divided vote would do the State great damage
The principle laid down in this paper, as
non-assumption Of the State war debt, does not
mean, and was not intended to mean, a repudia-
ton Of that debt. It only means that the Con-
vention should not interfere with that debt at
all, but should pass it over, aud leave it exactly
as they found it. It is the general understand
ing that the debt rs not binding on the State,
until it is sanctioned and endorsed by the Con-
venticn or by the Legislature therefore it is
debt at all until it shall have been assumed by
one of these bodies.
this subject shall not be delayed at present I'M
til the people are thoroughly informed as to the
nature and amount of the liability. Let the
facts go to the voters and let it be discussed, if
necessary, SO that every may comprehend
the subject, aud may vote as he may think best
under the circumstances. Then the Logisla-
ture Or Convention, if it has not finally adjourn
ed can take exactly such action as the majority
of the citizens of the State shall desire, as ex-
pressed by their votes.
AS we have already stated, there is, however,
an additional reason why the Convention should
not assume this debt. Every argument seems
to urge that no action at all shall be taken by
that body, but if any ordinance is passed it ap-
pears to US that it should not be one assuming
the debt because the terms of capitulation
agreed upon between General Sherman and
General johnson were rejected by the President
and his Cabinet, for this reason amongst others,
'that theycertainly subject the loyal citizens of
the rebel States to the debt consummated by
the rebels in the name Of the State AS this
is reason given by the President and Cabinet
for repudating the terms Of surrender it is fair
to conclude that they would lot be willlngto
sanction the action Of any Convention, that as
sumes the war debt of the State Therefore, it
was stated in this paper that the war debt
should not be assumed by the State Convention.
For these reasons, as we'll as for many others
that occur TO every man, it is highly important
that the Convention should avoid any action on
the debt OF the State, or upon any other unim-
portant subject, and should coufne themselves
strictly to those subjects that they COMPEL
ed to pass upon. Aud th+n let their ordinances
be submitted to the vote Of the people, aud let
that vote be confined to the abolition of slavery
and a cheerful submission 20 the government of
the United States. Then the loyal people of
the government will see how the citizens of
North Carolina stand on these vital questions,
and we shall be treated according to our deserts,
as shown by that vote.
The HUMAN HAIR TO number the hairs
of the head has been in all ages accounted as
impossible feat as to count the sands of the
seashore The astounding labor has, however,
been gone through by German professor, who
thus tabulariZcs the result of his examination of
four heads of hair:
Blonde (nurber of hairs) 1i0 400