Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1866-08-30
THE NcHY Constitution.

>o11
stitution, the postponement by the Convention OF
the election for Governor and members OF the
Legislature until October next. This was done to
advance partizan ends, for under the new appor-
tionment the West would have gained twelve, and
the East would have lost twelve members OF the
House of Commons This, it is thought, might
have changed the political complexion of the body
to some extent or at least secured the election Of
a Western man to the United States Senate. To
secure so paltry object as this, says the O(d
NOre State, 1--WE fear the Convention sacrificed the
New Constitution, and with it all the money eX-
pended by the State to defray the expenses OF its
late session." It would appear that the West,
and such politicians in other portions of the State
as expected to derive benefit from the Western
preponderahce, were so eager after power and
political preferment that they could not afford to
wait two years for the New Constitution to go into
operation if it should be ratified.
We felt all along that the politicians of the West
desired the adoption of the New Constitution tor
purposes of personal and party ends, and for no
particular zeal for the welfare of the State. We
could never see why any Western man could adj
yocate a constitutional amendment which made 1t
almost impossible for that section of the State to
receive further aid from the Legislature, even to
complete their unfinished works of internal I'M
provement, without which, the productive SOIL
mineral wealth and great natural manufacturing re-
sources of that section can never be developed,
We are somewhat astonished, however, even had
the West gained, and the East lost, the twelve
members of the Legislature under the new apror-
tionment, that the stronger section would have
claimed the United States Senatorship. Gov Ora
ham, the Senator holding over, is Western man;
the three Judges of the Supreme Court and the
Reporter are Western men; the Governor and
Speaker Of the Senate are both from the West,
and in the entire State government, the Secretary
of State and Comptroller are the only officials re-
siding East of Raleigh And so far as we have
heard, there Will be no opposition to Governor
Worth at the ensuing election from the East. -
Surely then the successor to Mr.. Pool, we think,
should be pcymaitcdto come from the Eastern pOr-
ton of the State.
We would ourselves have preferred that the
elections for State officers and for and against
the ratification of the new Constitution should
have taken place at the same time. This would
have enabled the people, through the candidates,
to have become familiar with the proposed amend
ments and the whole matter would have been
thoroughly discussed. Opposed we were to
its adoption we did not wish to defeat the
LITIGATION of the Constitution through ignorance
of the amendments, and we did Ill we could, IN
the time allowed to discuss fully and freely every
amendment proposed We not only published
the entire Constitution, pointing out the vari-
Gus changes, but in the discussion Of their mer-
its were favored with the assistance Of some OF
the ablest pens in the State.
We are confident, however, that throughout the
State, the great mass of the people were ignorant
of the merits and dement's of the proposed amend
ments In this section of the State, such as were
unable to acquaint themselves with its provisions
from want of disposition, time or opportunity,
voted for its rejection on account Of an
universal feeling Of want of confidence IN the
itself. But we can assure our cOtem-
pora1y, that from a pretty exte:24ed trip through
the State since the election and from large cor
that the remarkably able letter pub
lished in this paper, in opposition to the Consttu
ton and powers of the Convention and generally
copied throughout the State, had much effect i'll
deciding the result ana We a:e very much inclined
to the opinion that thorough canvass would rath-
CIR have decreased than increased its chances Qf
success.
We remarked previous to the election, that so
far rs our Federal relations were concerned, that
the people of the State could vote without threats
of disl0Yalty and the displeasure OF our Northern
this was entire y State matter
and that outsiders could possibly have interest
or concern in the affair. For the life of u.s. We
could not see why Charles Sumner, or Thad. Ste
vens cared whether we had LieutenentG Governor,
or that Forney was interested in the exact age at
tanned and amount OF property owned by
orr Governors and the members OF our
LEGISLATURE And we plead ignorance of the
interest felt by the Senate and House OF
Commons of Maine, as to the manner in
in which Justices of the Peace are appointed III
North Carolina, OF why it should concern Faneuil
Hall how petty misdemeanors are tried IN this
State. Nor can We satisfy our readers exactly why
Miss Anna Dickinson or Mrs. DR.. Blackwell should
be exercised the basis of representation, I'M
less because it does not admit &c Woman's rights
to be heard through the ballot-box nor why a
rejection of the new constitution should fall under
the ban of Jack Hamilton's Mean White Conven
ton, as one of the amendments expressly provided
that all officials must be qekic men, and that all
negroes, even to the sixteenth dree should be
cluded from voting. But still the NeWbern Times
sees in the rejection of the Constitution, hostility
to President Johnson's policy of reconstruction
The Raleigh Sentinel well says not that the Times
cares anything forthat policy, but because itwould
impeach the loyalty of the State. The Times.