Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1867-07-19
were opposed to it, as was manifested on


were opposed to it, as was manifested on
numerous occasions.
! Colonel CowAN, one of the Commoners
from New Han over, introduced bill pro-
viding for the payment of the interest upon
the debt of the State, and subsequently, as
a member of the Committee on Finance, to
which it was referred, submitted an able
report in its favor. When it came before
the House for consideration, the effort of
this gentleman WAS regarded on all hands
as the speech of the session. In this dis
cussion, Colonel CowAN was ably sustained
by Captain DAVIS, the member from Frank
lin, and Mr. PATTON, of Buncombe, and of
the large minority who voted against post
poning indefinitely this bill, the test vote,
we find the names of Colonel KEENAN,, Ma ors
McC1AMa1Y and ALLEN, DR.. BAKER, and
other gentlemen who are regarded by such
"loyal" authority as the Standard, as pecu-
iarly rebellious and disloyal, while such
paragons of loyalty as Logan, Blair, Jen-
kins, Scoggins and Blythe, voted to defeat
the purposes of the bill. La fact, not q
single member Of Uut party recorded his
nane in its support.
Later in the session. Governor CLARK in
troduced practically the same bill in the
Senate, and advocated it with earnestness
and ability, and out of the sixteen Senators
of the forty present, who voted against the
indefinite postponement, are such promi-
nent "rebels" as Governor CLARK, Colonels
HALL, AVERY and LOVE, and such eds
loyalists' as Messrs. WILSON, SPEED, OUT
LAW, MCRAE, BERRY, MCLEAN and CovINct-
TON, while such "loyalists" as Harris of
Rutherford, Jones and Richardson, voted
in favor of this disposition of the bill, as
did euery other Senator over whom Governor
Holden possessed the least influence.
In both Houses the majority against the
bill could have been overcome by the cor
dial support of the Standard and its party.
It came before the Legislature endorsed by
the Finance Committee it was said to have
the approval Of Governor WORTH and Treas
urer BATTLE it received in both bodies
the aid of the very best " rebel" talent and
the most earnest "rebel'' support, yet not
one Enthusiastically loyal man. in that
whole Legislature could be found to come
to its aid and still, their organ now has
the effrontery to regret it cannot satisfac-
torily answer its correspondent as to the
causes of the failure.
If the State is able to meet the interest
on its debt, it should do so, and the Stand-
ard should haye advised to that course when
the bills were pending. II our people are
too impoverished at present to pay the
amount of taxes necessary to make this pay
ment, as the majority of the Legislature
believed, and in which opinion, we think,
the Standard concurred, then why seek still
further to injure the credit Of the State, by
intimating that the failure to do 50 is the
wanton negligence of our rulers. So far as
we know there has been no promise to pay
this interest, but there was a manful at
tempt to do SO by Colonel CoWAN, Governor
CLARK, Senator BERRY and their dis
loyal" friends, in which they received no
aid from the Standard nor the support OF
single vote of any Of its friends.
When men are determined upon shame
less course of misrepresentation to accom-
plish certain ends, for "party purposes, " it
is useless to read them moral Il ssons or give
good advice. TO expose their falsehoods
and hold them up to public scorn is the
only way honorable men can meet their
attacks. We certainly have the utmost
contempt for those who lose no opportunity
to injure their State to promote the interest
of their party. It is an evil bird, indeed
which detiles its own nest.