Wilmington journal., 1867-11-22
TflC EfecfEnre


it's early and permanent defeat.
The Election,
When this article is read the election for
Convention and Delegates will have been
completed. With large portion of the
Conser vatives, openly advocating the call
of Convention, and majority of the Or
gans of the party also favoring 1t, we have
never expected that the Convention could
be defeated in fact, We have been long
satisfied that the decision at the ballot box
would be favorable to the call, and we have
opposed it upon principle, and not from
any hope to defeat it. We believe now
that it would be better for North Carolina
had her people refused to call Convention.
The example of Alabama teaches what
we may expect from Radical body
a Conservative Convention will amount to
a nullity in the Congressional plan of Re
construction. We can see no fate different
from that of Tennessee for any State ac-
cepting the terms offered for our re-admls-
sion into the Union.
Having nothing to hope for i'll early re-
construction, and much to expect III delay,
VIC believed that this coveted time could be
| best and safest attained III the defeat Of a
Convention. Should that body be under
| the control If The Conservatives, we can
hope fC, noehinG except IL postponement of
reunion, and by a means possibly more If
ritating than the other We have, there
| fore. done what we could 10 defeat the Con-
vention, and only regret that the Conscr-
vatives Of the State could not agree upon
this issue. We have not made it the lea1-
ing question in the election, not So much
that we were not most hostile to 1T, but
from The fear of ieopardizing tho success OF
Conservative candidates III counties where
the whites predominatcd. The very fact
that there was q division Ill our ranks up
| on this issue, was Unsatisfactory reason to us
why We should not risk the entire result
upon it. In every instance we have urged
our people to support Conservative candl-
dates, whatever position they may have
! taken upon the question of Convention, but
have earnestly and honestly urged all to
vote against the call.
But few days must elapse before the
complexion Of the Convention will be as
certained. We believe 1t will be found
that majority of Conservative delegates
are elected. We truly hope such is the
case. We may then be saved from much
of the humiliation and disaster which is in
store for QUE Southern sisters, and, safe
upon the brink of tho chasm into which
they have been cast, we can contemplate
the dangers from which we have been pre-
served. Should, however, our conjcctures
be erroneous, which can only be possible,
we think, from the Indifference Of the
whites, we are satisfied that any objcc-
mental law of the State can be prevented
when the Constitution is submitted to the
people. It's Importance, the manifest and
early application, the immediate and posi-
tive concern Of all, will arouse the people
of North Carolina to such action as never
has yet been Witnessed in the political his
tory of the State.
| With this election ends, we trust, all
differences and divisions among the Con
servatiyes. We are satisfied that all I'M
selfish and patriotic men Can now agree
upon common course ot action. The
elections ut the North have adopted plat
form for lis, and upon it we should fight
out this battle Of reconstruction. We must
not, from motives Of policy or compromise,
give up Our principles. If all who call
themselves Conservatives cannot go with
lis, let them drift into the sewer of Radical
ism, and be buried i'll the filth and corrup-
ton which that party has created, and in
which it will soon be entombed. We much
prefer present defeat than to secure an un-
certain and undesirable success by hurtful
compromises. We have a grave and i'm
portant duty to perform, and we must meet
| II hOl1lv and hOneSt1v