Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1866-08-30
THE WILMINGTON JOURNAL.
WILMINGTON, N. c., AUGUST 30. 1866.
Onr CITY Government.

Our City Government.
A recent occurrence IN our city, and the action
of the Navor in reference to it, has been subject
of much comment the last few days, and while we
are not prepared to justify altogether tie action OF
his Honor in the premises, still we may excuse It,
We know that his conduct was entirely III accor-
dance with what he believed to be his duty and
for the welfare of the city. We have never yet
seen the official who we could endorse in every
thing he did, this be expected, still we are
prepared to say that our city government is not
surpassed in efficiency any where. Our Mayor
at much personal sacrifice, has performed an
amount of labor and adopted and perfected retor-
nations which have had healthy elect upon the
order and good government of our city. In this
he has been greatly assisted by the Board of Al
dermen, all Of whom deserve the thanks OF the
community.
The executive officer of the city, General Ran
som, has discharged his delicate obligations IN
such q manner as to deserve and win the esteem
of all classes of our people, and by his attention
to duty and frmness and imparialty in its perform
ance, has acquired the especial confidence OF the
negro population, and this in connection with the
impartial manner in which the Mayor has treated
whites and blacks, has made the Freedmen OF this
CITY for the most part, industrious and peacea-
bic portion of the population.
The Assistant Marshals and the Police have
performed their duties faithfully, and the remark
is general that moro orderly and efficient officials
are rarely met with and from the reports of the
troubles elsewhere in the city governments, and
the number and violence of the crimes commit
ted we can with great confidence endorse our own
city government
Tn reference to the recent occurrence above re-
ferred to- we have only to say, that we see moth
ing in the transaction itself Of high criminal ma
t1re. Gentlemen before this have taken too much
champaone and become so noisy as to disturb
their sleeping neighbors. While we do not think
such conduct merits the gibbet, we are not pre-
pared to approve it either in our Northern OF
Southern fellow-citiZens But what we do con-
denim is the fact that party OF intoxicated clt1-
zens, should attempt to throw upon number OF
sober and honorable officers of the law the OPP
probrium of the difficulty by giving it sectio"a!
aspect. We have seen difficulties of a similar
character ourselves, and experience teaches
that usually the sober official has the law and JUS
tice with him.
So far as the fact that the offending parties were
Northern men in this instance, cotident,
had no effect upon the action of the police on the
occasion, rs it has not upon any views we have
taken of it, and had the persons implicated &C
knowIedged their error and settled their account,
we would have made no illusions to the transac-
TONS But the subsequent conduct of the parties
in question: in their abuse Of the police their de-
sire to show dsrespect to the city authorities and
their effort to give the whole affair political turn
decided the course of this paper. In our business
relations with our feoW-ctizens certain
ly are determined not to know persons, but
we will not see orr laws violated, the peace
and order of the city compromised, and
by silence give q quasi endorsement, unless that
silence is purchased by the subsequent good con-
duet of the parties, be their birthplace where 1t
NAV. We can tell these gentlemen, and we do so
in good faith that if they intend to settle perma-
nently among us, and have the ambition natural
to every good man, to win the esteem and conf
dence of their fellow-citizens, it cannot be done
by violation of the laws, however trifling, and
attempt to screen themselves behind political feel
ings, which it is best for all parties should be
lost sight of in q communion of interest and mu-
tual good will