Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1868-02-21
OUR RALEIGH CORRESPONDENTS
RALEIGH, N. c., Feb. - 1898

day or SO in this just now somewhat famous
metropolis, am under the necessity Of
Willing away on hour of ennui by WRITING
you short epistle.
There are two very different bodies in
session at the Capitol, ono the Supreme
Court i'll q secluded room the other the
Nondescript Assembly sitting in the Com.
mons Hall one the representative of the
learning and dignity of the State and the
expounders of her laws the other having
for its Office the destruction of those laws
and those fundamental principles, which
SO long secured for her people happiness at
home and respect abroad. The one, in
the opinions it promulgates, in the recol-
lections it inspires, in the discussions it
elicits, in the character of its members and
of the counsel who assist in its delibera-
tons, stirring with pride the heart of every
true son of the State, and atfording q retreat
where, for while, may be forgotten the
degradation to which we seem to be des
tined. The other engaged in destroying
almost every trace of those laws which
have grown out of the habits and wants of
our people, and have become almost part
of themselves, and proposing to erect on
this ruin a constitution and q code which
may ensure the appointment to the places
of honor, trust and profit, among MS, of
| 1duhG0 slaves.
| Well, indeed, might descendant of our
good old stock exclaim to me, on looking
in on this latter body elbow long Oh
Lord-how long,
| Curiosity led me to-day to the Com
mons Hall when I reached there mem
Der was discussing earnestly and gesticu-
latlng violently. l learned that he had
been but short time removed from the
back woods of one of the Northern States,
and yet he had the unblushing effrontery
to pretend to represent, in his person, a
portion Of the people of our good Old
State. In all probability fair expression
of opinion of the whites in the county he
| halls from would not deem him worthy of
the very lowest Office within their gift. A
very short survey of the scene soon salts
fed HE that the ruling spirits were Yam
KEGS, whose only recommendation seems to
be that they came in at the tail end of :.
| devastating army, whose excuses will long
remain blot on the civilization of the
| day. and negroes, very recently slaves,
| who, from the force of habit, must even
now take off their hats to white man.
| Looking at the motley aspect before me,
and contrasting the appearance of the sable
delegates with that of their white asso-
ciates, L bethought myself of "apples Of
| gold in vases of silver, but as this did not
! seem to be appropriate in color, | con-
cluded that the appearance of the whole
might be compared to diamonds of Jet in
settings of pearl. Some men l saw there
who had heretofore gained some reputa-
| ton, and who seemed to be ''cheek by
| iowl'' with the blacklist Radicals of the
body. L turned off involuntarily, repeat
ing to myself the old adage, eff we lie
down with the dogs we must rise up with
| feas."
General Candy visited the body of which
| I speak to -day-eyen its own members
cannot call it "a Convention of the people
of North Carolin." General Candy was
present by invitation, and was accompanied
| by three members of his staff, l presume.
He occupied position on the right of the
President, and sat, if 1 may use the EXPIRES
sion, with the precision" of soldier,
looking neither to the right hand nor to
the left, but straight ahead, as if, indeed,
peering into futurity--a wise man he, if he
can tell what the womb of time will bring
forth. The attitude of the President was
somewhat in contrast with that of the Gen
eraI-swaying to and fro in his chair as if
musing over lullaby.
Surely the audience that honoredthe oc-
casion with its presence must have been
highly gratifying to all good radicals on
the floor, of course, only the privileged, in
the lobbies nothing but niger every
where" in one corner knot of whites,
looking for all the world as if they were
intruders. l concluded that must have
better view of the whole spectacle, and,
so fastened up to the gallery, where / was
met by a placard on the door, "none but
ladies and their attendants admitted here. )"
So, thought [, my progress is barred, bat
I'll venture peep at any rate. l had the
temerity to open the door, and was received
most OdOrferOuSLy. The gallery was in
deed crowded with "ladies of sable hue
and their dusky lords and lovers III the
front seats; in the back seats, all staring at
the brilliant uniforms and edited, no
doubt, by tho eloquent gentleman Oh the
floor, who seemed determined to record his
name on "de archives of gravity" Ii one
lady Of Raleigh, if even one Northern lady
sojourning here, was present during the
short time l remained, did not discover
her. The ladies of Raleigh, God bless
them When recall their attentions to
the poor boys in gray" particularly to
one who died here some SIX months alter
Gen. Johnston s surrender; how they nursed
him; how they supplied mothers and
sisters places how affectionately they fol-
lowed him to the grave and spread flowers
upon his bier, cannot help asking bless
ings on their heads. That they should be
absent on such an occasion was proper and
becoming, under the circumstances, but
why were the Northern ladies soJournln8
in Raleigh absent? The answer is, they
cannot be present without mingling among
the negroes who had congregated every
where, and pride of caste compelled them
to remain away. ,,7
No body or set of men ever assenlO4e"
to make laws for q people so little IN syn
pathy with those they profess to replesen"
and, l may add, that no body ever assem-
bled on the Continent of America SO Whol-
IL untitled, by education and training, 10
! form a Constitution, or meet the ezlgen
CIV which has called them together. On
I beg pardon; they are, presume equaI
to similar bodies, now or recently IN SEES
sion in the Southern States. VI coulsoS
| there are some men of ability among tIe -,
| The little band of Conservatives wouiu, ~
their acknowledged talents, DO noh ilo 90
any assembly. Rodman, 1t mus' fo uJ ~" Sa
mitted, is an excellent lawyer; IN P 5aGt, n
has more brains than all the rSSuIoH"
in the House, but, it is needless 70 say
that, hereafter, with the KadlcaiS nc inu"'
sink or swim. o,,+o5
lcx