Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1866-12-27
mentary, to review these revolutionary

mentary, to review these revolutionary
movements.
| [ can only add to the solemn oath which
T have Just taken, that feeling profoundly
the responsibility of the position in which
am placed by the confidence of nay coun
trymen, shall constantly and fervently
pray that the ruler of the universe will en-
dow me with wisdom equal % the impend
ling emergencies. z,....-z -.-s-
| I ardently desire, independent of my
| official oath, to maintain and defend the
Constitution of the United States and the
Constitution of North Carolina, and cannot
therefore, assent to any scheme OF compro-
mise based on the idea that North Carolina
is not State of the American Union; nor
to any scheme of amending the original
compact, which the State shall have no
! hand in proposing | feel rs profoundly as
any body can feel, the necessity of compo-
sing, on permanent basis, our national
dissentions, and have been unable to con-
ceive of any other means SO we'll adapted to
effect this end, that prescribed by the
wisdom of our fathers III the fifth article of
the Constitution of the United States
| My intercourse with the people of the
| North leads me to believe that the great
body of them DO not entertain towards us
| the destroying malevolence, which we would
infer from the speeches of many of their in
temperate partiZan leaders and a portion of
the press. The great mass of the nation is
patriotic, With becoming charity for what
they deem the clrors of other sections but
the partisan fury of ambitious demagogues
keeps in restraint the will of the great and
well mea ming masses. If a national Con-
vention could be called as contemplated in
the Constitution, these masses, as [ be-
lieve, would fill it with sober, and wise,
and patriotic men. In such Convention.
proper concessions would be made to the
feelings and views of every section. All
could be heard. The spirit of compromise
by which the parts of a great nation can
alone be held together, would have its due
weight Under the provisions Of this arti
Gle, the amendments to the Constitution,
which such national Convention might pro-
pose, would have no validity until ratified
by three-fourtils Of the States
II my wishes could prevail, North Caro-
lima would be the first State in the Union
to hold up to the nation this constitutional
olive branch.
[ trust that need not assure you that no
act of mine, official or personal under any
circumstances, will 81 We any cOuntenance
to the paracidal scheme of erasing North
Carolina from the galaxy Of States of the
American Union. In making this declara-
ton [ desire to deny the possible implica-
ton that there is, within my knowledge,
any other patriotic citizen of the State
who would voluntarily assent to such de-
graduation.
In my very childhood the lessons of pa
rental instruction taught and impressed on
my heart affection for the American Union.
Thecivil war through which we have passed
hoc nt ho
fectionS of ripper years but strengthened
them. When, i'll spite Of my remon-
strances, a sectional war arose, my sympa-
thies and my duty, as [ conceived, required
me to yield obedience to the de .f0ct0 gov
eminent of the section in which [ lived
but when the party claiming to fight to
preserve the Union prevailed, I gladly re-
newed my allegiance to the Union, and will
not now invite it's dissolution by an act of
Congress.
My recent intercourse and observation Of
the press force me to the conclusion that
the main aliment of continued sectional
alienation and obstruction g to the restora-
ton of fraternal feeling which ought to
"be the earnest wish OF every patriotic
heart, is the false and persistent misrep-
resentation emanating from bad men in
our midst who seek to make the impress
sion that our courts and juries, in the adj
ministration of justice, discriminate to the
prejudice of Union men and our late
slaves.
Notwithstanding the extraordinary efforts
of our Judiciary, well known to everybody
here, to have justice impartially admins
tered, a studied effort is persistently kept
up, with too much success, to miSlead the
minds of we'll meaning people in the dom
inant States.
Let us not despair. We still have the
Constitution, which, in the language of the
great and good CASTOR, with all its pre-
tended defects and all its alleged viola
tons, has conferred more benefit ON man
than ever yet flowed from any other insti-
tuition, and which, under God if we be true
10 ourselves, will insure the blessings of
liberty to us and our pOsterity." Ii this
temple of liberty is to be destroyed, pray
that North Carolina may have no hand in
this act of vandalism. Let us in our for
lOrn condition emulate the example Of the
present chief magistrate of the nation,
who, amidst the tempest of party fury
which assails him, firmly steers the ship of
State by this chart of our liberties, and is
thus inscribing his name high on the tenn
pie OF fame.
Besides the protection to our constitu-
tional rights, which the Executive may
give US, J. GItiSb bUlt UellCFG Tie
Court of the United States, the ultimate
arbiter of such questions, arising under
the constitution, can be brought under
its jurisdiction, may be relied on for an in
telligent and fair discharge Of it's high
functions, and / do not entirely despair
that Congress may become better advised,
and cease TO eDGender dislike to the Gov
ernment by unfounded suspicious of our
loyalty.
do not deem it necessary to add any
thing to my recent recommendations as to
our State affairs. All the information l
have been able to obtain tends strongly to
confirm my recommendation, that we should
promptly erect a peDitentiary; and that ev-
cry citizen Of The Slate by precept and ex
ample, should encourage domestic manu-
features, and to carry out this recommen-
dation as far as can, by example, Iappear
before you to-day, clothed in the handi-
work of North Carolina manufactures, and
made up by North Carolina mechanics.
AS you are about to leave for your re-
spectiye homes, Itrustyou will feel it indivi-
dually your duty to exhort your constitu-
ents to attend diligently and quietly to their
callings; to offer no opposition