Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1868-03-27
north Carolina Conventions.


eigh. has at length reached us. While We
have not its acts in such shape before us a!
to do full Justice to the subject, we ye
know that it has done enough, and left un
done enough to render it forever Infamous
The page of history that tells the story O.
its deeds and misdeeds, will be the darkes
one in the annals of North Carolina.
After the painful exhibition just conclu
ded, it will not be uninteresting to consider
for few moments the Conventions tina
have preceded the Infamous Convention,
nor will it be improbable to institute
comparison, hurried though it be. "lthln
the last hundred years there have been
seven Conventions assembled IN this State.
The first met at Halifax in the year l776,
and framed the Constitution of the State
RICHARD CAswELL was its President The
second met at Hillsboro' in ITS, and re-
iected the Federal Constitution, remaining
in session fourteen days. SAMUEL JOHN,
sToN was President The third met in Fay
etteville in 1889, and accepted the Federal
Constitution, remaining in session eight
davs-of this also SAMUEL JOHNSTON was
President The other Conventions assem-
bled in Raleigh, the fourth IN 1850, the
fifth in 1861, the sixth in 1865, and the
seventh and last. in 1868. The earlier Con-
yentions were composed of the best men OF
that day, men whose names are as familiar
rs household words. They Left upon the
government they bequeathed to US the I'M
press of minds second to none Of the age.
CAswE1L. DAVE HILL, AVERY, HOOPER,
HEvEs, IREDEL1, AsHE, PERSON, HARNETT,
McLA1NE, NASH, STEELE, BURKE, GRAHAM
and JONES, are names that North Carolina,
at least, will not willingly let die.
It is at all times wise to keep watchful
eve upon old landmarks. 1t is at all times
safe to tread as near as may be In the old
paths. Especially is it wise to do SO now,
when madness rules the hour especially
is it wise now, when an Unsuitable desire
for change seems about to remove every
Yestige of the government of our fathers,
to pause and consider the acts of these
reckless innovators, and to compare their
course with that of the men, who, in times
gone by, have held the destiny of the State
in their hands.
Of all the deliberative bodies that ever
convened in North Carolina, the Conven-
ton of 1885 was, perhaps, the most dis
tinguished for social, moral and political
worth the most eminent for mental refine
ment and intellectual culture, and the most
remarkable for the natural abilities of its
ha IF Ic no
torious for the want of moral, social and
political standing of its members, and no.
torious also for the want of ability, either
natural or acquired. NATHANIEL MACON,
venerable alike for his high station, years,
wisdom, experience, simplicity and integ-
rity, presided over the one-ene @. J.
Cowles, remarkable for nothing save his
own utter insignificance, presided over the
other. E. B. FREEMAN and JOSEPH ID.
WARD were Secretaries in 1885; Byrnes and
Boner were the Secretaries in 1868. The
Convention of 1868 was the first legislative
body ever assembled in North Carolina
whose members were apportioned solely
upon the basis of numbers. In every other
instance in the history of North Carolina
and of the United States, the basis has
been to a greater or less degree a terrific
rial one. A familiar illustration in United
States history is found in the fact that
New York and Rhode Island are each en-
titled to two members of the United States
Senate and no more The Convention of
1885 was called into being by the voice CT
the whole people in pursuance Of an act of
assembly that expressly provided that each
county should elect two delegates and no
more.
The Convention of 1868 was called into
being by the voice of portion only of the
people and by the freedmen, in pursuance
of an order of General CANDY, in which the
apportionment of delegates was. by the ex-
ercise of an arbitrary and irresponsible
power, made with sole reference to popu
lation. The pay of the members in 1885
was one dollar and a half per diem and five
cents per mile for mileage. In 1868 the
pay was eight dollars per diem and twenty
cents mileage. The Convention of 1885
sat thirty-eight days; that of 1868 was in
session fifty-four days Each week of the
late Convention cost the impoverished
people of North Carolina as much as the
whole session of that of 1885. In 1886
member received ffty-seven dollars for the
whole session. In 1868 member received
for each week fifty-six dollars. More than
one member, in 1868, received more money
for mileage alone, than delegates received
for both pay and mileage in 1885. We
venture to assert, though now unable to
give the precise figures, that the delegates
from the extreme counties, Cherokee. Hay
wood and Macon, Messrs. Garrett, May
and Dickey, for instance, and possibly that
from Currituck, Mr. Sanderlin, received
three times as much for mileage alone as
CASTOR, MACON, SWAN and MoREHAD re-
ceived for per diem! In 1885 there were