Wilmington journal., 1867-04-05
IIoIden.IIarris Convention.

/ This BODY has met and adiourncd with
out doing much OF anything. Neither the
: Sentinel or Prog7-css contain report of It's
proceedings, and we shall have to wait fol
j the ,>fou,st,d to see what was done and
who were there. The leaders, whose names
were given yesterday, were, almost without
exception, brokcn-d0wn political hacks,
who have been discarded by the various
parties heretofore existing Ill the State, a.
unsafe for uEe. Such a motley collection
Of bankrupt politicians, broken down pl>c6
hunters. and gecond-c clugs demagogucs, were
never teEole collected together III one
meeting III North Carolina. For those ct
the colorod delegates who were present. with
IN honc-t desire to better the condition OF
their race. tlatterod by the interested atter-
ton and Importance given them by "eaiSh
iuc mel, we have no words Of reprohch.-
When the novelty Of the new order OF
tlinns wears away, tleag men will begin to
lo,k into the ;ntcccdaut5 Of those who now
seek their support, and will find That the
future will prove what the past has demon
stratCd that the friend, ul the black man
arc those with whom they lave boCn reared;
that the interest of the whites and blacks
il this section is the oanc, and that which
iniurcs Inc former, will most certainly act
di4ustrpusiv upon the Latter,
We lIayc long thought that an cApecta-
ton Oh the part Of those now styling them
selves . Unionists, and probably others, OF
saving the institution OF slavery, was the
first incentive for lukcwarmness, and final
" open opposition to the Confederate cause,
and was one of the active agents of South
crn defeat. 1t was urged, during the last
year OF the war, that by compromise and
reconstruction, our slaves could be saved
In fact, tho Standard, subsequent to the sup
render OF the Confederate armies, in one of
the many 81 told you SO " articles, with
which the readers Of that paper were daily
reminded of the patriotism and acnmen OF
its distinguished editor, declared that il its
advice had been needed s}0rerV lrould hdrf
been sGred After one Of the bloodiest rev
olutions recorded in history taxing the
| ful nation on the earth to its utmost capa-
citv-hoth sections still in mourning fol
| their noEolest and best-this patriot conld
see nothing to he deplored but the deatl
| of slavery: his craftsmanship could no
| soar above the loss OF property. Such mel
now claim to be the special friends Of the
negroes. and have taken upon themselye!
| the taal1 Of initiating him into their new
| born rights.
| To shy We regret to see the names @
| soTna al the persons engaged in this meet
| ing, is irue. There were those present
| who we thought were above such conduct
we had supposed under no consideration
would they lend themselves to the igno
| designed that sclf-respect and IN hon
orablc past would deter them from be
| ing used rs convenient anu subtle tools Il
deceive ignorant blacks, md prevent TIT
sale OF themselves to be released from tht
penalties Of Congressional disabilities. w
| were prepared for this movement upon thu
part of its instigator He has fallen so low
in public estimation rs TO be unable to &C
complish evil His very impotency chafe
him. like = 'toothless tiger" he sits
showing his venom anu lis 0ature, bu
powerlcss for harm except so far as TO leat
and mislead others. But when we SCI
there the once bonoTed representative o
a yirtuous and intelligent constituency, th'
| II, cG
bic party, we must pause to deploro th'
| fact and wonder at the cause. As Gen. Dock
cry, from his elevated position, glanced a
the mon who composed that meeting, III
| must have been struck with the entire alb
sence of his old party friends and Us hi
eye sought Ill vain for such cOmpeerB a
GRAHAM, MANLY, WADDELL, J. i. Nom
HEAD, OUTLAW, GILMER, ASHE, SMITH, GA
THER and others, who had with him SITS
tanned 90 long and with such credit. th
dostinica of Il great party, possibly hi
check palcd for moment, fer $ cnnsclcnc
doth mako towards Of Us Ill, .
| And wc will be excused from cxpressin
u regret ut the presence of Il friend, an
, gallant, SO generous, SO accomplished, coul
lend himself to this iSnoblU purpose. "
hope the gallant soldier and upright Jude
was not troubled with the aching Vi IN on
, RACED heart, nor suffered from the linGcrIn
! effects of an honorable wound and Will
drafting the resolutions endorsing the lcgi
lation of Congress, and approving the di
franchisement of his honorable comradt
, in arms, we trust he was not disturbed L
the ghosts Of others, who, hy his tindln'
2. fill dishonorcd graves
As political body, this meeting repr
sentcd nothing, or rather the sediments
; everything: wings and democrats. kncN
! nothings and foreigners, secessionists al
unionists, whites and blacks !; its leader
8 consistent in the past in nothing but otiic
4 seeking, with no present bond of nnie
e but desire to hold office, and with L
!. common sympathy for the future but
hope to obtain office, alike only in the un
~ /,