Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1866-08-02
The Election.

| III.
day.
| The Election.
The people of the State will be called upon to-
day and the two subsequent days, being Thurs
day, Friday and Saturday, the I'd, Sd and 4th
insts to votefor the ratification or rejection OF the
new or amended Constitution. The usual apathy
which has heretofore marked our people since the
war in reference to elections, exists now We are
! heartily GLAD that more attention is paid to the
healthy restoration of our country than to unne-
cessary and Improbable political dissentions But
the election which begins tomorrow is one OF
more than ordinary Importance and scars
above the usual political questions of the day
We doubt if the people of North Carolina ever
had to vote upon questions of more Importance.
We are called upon to adopt fundamental
law of questionable propriety and doubtful orr
gin. We have attempted in these columns to show
both the want of power on the part of the Conven-
ton to alter the Constitution and the obectiona-
BILE features of many of the proposedamendments,
and we are glad to have been assisted in our eff
forts by the publication of letters on the subject
from some of the ablest men in the State
We are firmly of the opinion that the Conven-
ton had no power to alter the Constitution, and
certainly if this be SO, the ratification of the new
Constitution by the people at the ballot box, Will
not cure any defect in the authority of that body
The people of North Carolina, by the Constitu-
ton now in force, have deprived themselves of
the privilege of altering their fundamental law
cept by modes expressly laid down therein. The
approval then of the amended Constitution, this
week, by the people will transfer this matter to
the Courts. Too many and too great rights and
interests are involved in this question to prevent
an early appeal from the decision of the people.
The citizens of North Carolina, if they desire
their Constitution amended can effect it in legal
manner and by representatives of the whole peo-
ple and should not vote to ratify one forced upon
them by self-constituted body elected by certain
persons designated by The Government OF the
United States through Governor Holden. How
can that deserving and large class of our citizens
who were excluded from voting for delegates to
the Convention be dragooned into the adoption OF
their work How can those who saw their neigh
bors and friends, some of the best men IN the
State excluded from voting sanction their os-
tracism by fixing them Constitution-an I'M
alterable law-imposed on them by body in
which they were not heard and from which they
were expressly excluded by irresponsible military
power or its subordinate and servile instruments
How can the independent voter accept an instru-
ment rendered to him under the name of a Con-
stitution of North Carolina which the people of
North Carolina did not make and which was
made for them by men in the guse of repre-
sentatives who were not our representatives but
those of a power exercising at the time the au-
thority of Congress in military possession of
our territory and arrogating to itself the right
oil ohrOCr otIDCr
our laws?
No, let us scornfully reject this work of an I'M
constitutional body If our Constitution needs
amending, let us at the proper time, when our
people are freer and more independent to act as
their interests dictate when their minds are I'M
disturbed by outside influences, and national
troubles and terrors, let us elect men, under the
modes specified by Constitution, who will be
the representatives of the people chosen after a
free and full discussion of the amendments pro-
posed to be made. In other Words i'll the Ian
guage of the able letter published some days
SINCE ace aciU make Constitution for ourselves, and
not another for us.
1t is necessary for the people of the Eastern
portion of the State, if they desire to defeat this
instrument, to turn out in full force. In the West
delegates to the late Convention are not only is
suing stirring appeals to their constituents to rally
to the support of the new Constitution, but in
many counties they canvassing in favor of its
adoption. No questions in reference to the pow
ers of the Convention arise with them no ana
lysis of the propriety or improvement of the pro-
posed amendments is made all the other changes
ignored in consideration of the great object of
that section of the State to change the basis of rep
resentation. These delegates grow eloquent over
the propect of increasing political power without
a relative increase of taxation and aspirants
for Legislative hOnors become enthusiastic in the
early expectation of the realization of their hopes
Each differ as to the amount Of strength the pro-
posed amendments will deprive the East and
transfer to the West, and the greater the calcula
tions foot up more enthusiastic because the adj
vocacy of the new Constitution We sincerely
trust, therefore, that the apparent Indifference to
this election is not real. That while no excite
ment exists the very silence of our people is in
dicative of their earnest determination to vote
against this new Constitution. We hope not only
to see unanimous but full vote. Let every
body vote REJECTION.
The Progress and the Governorship.
The Sentinel of this CITY, the Journal at Wilmington
and the american Eagle at Loulsburg ct III onne genus,
have either directly indirectly intmated that the Pro
gress either solcitous willing to present opposition
the next gubernaorla to the present lncum
bent, Gov. Worth.
The above is extracted from article in the
Raleigh Progress, in which the editors of that pa
per speak of the ''hue and cry" against the Pro-
gress for its attempts to get out candidate in OPP
position to Governor Worth. So far as this paper