Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1868-04-10
Closing Scenes in the Conventions of 1885
and 1865.


We clip from the editorial columns of the
Asheville News, of the Goth ult., the follow
ing interesting notice of the Convention of
1885, fer the purpose of correcting some
trivial inaccuracies. and appending addi-
tional remarks
CA CONTRAST FOR THE THoUGHrFUL.-
In looking into The debates and proceed
ings of the Convention which met in Raj
eigh OH the 4th June, 1885, to amend the
Constitution of the State of North Caro-
lima, we find among its members the names
of Hon. William CASTOR, Ex-Governor
David L. Swain, Hon. 3. s. Gather, Hon.
Daniel NJ. Barringer, ex-Gov. Richard d.
Speight, Hon. John T. Toomer, Hon
Robert B. Gillian, ex-Gov. John NJ. More
head, Hon. Kenneth Rayner, Hon. Asa
Blggs, Hon. Nathaniel Macon, Hon. Wei
don \. Edwards, and many others, distin-
guished alike for great moral worth and
high intellectual attaiuments,- who,
as profound jurists and eminent statesmen,
have won for the good old North State i'm.
perishable renoWn. This august body, it
is universally conceded, embodied more
talent, wisdom and virtue than any similar
body of men which ever assembled in the
State. They met on the 4th day of June,
1886, and, alter performing their arduous
labors, adjourned upon the 18th July fol
lowing, having been in session only thirty
eight days, at one dollar and fifty cents
per day, and five cents mileage going to
and returning from the Convention. Gov.
Swain, who then represented Buncombe,
received as his per diem compensation $57,
and $50 mileage, total $87. Perhaps no
member received as much as one hundred
dollars. There were no negroes in this no.
BILE body OF men. They met to prepare q
government for white men, and, as the
fruits of their wisdom and labor, gave
us the Constitution of 1885, under which
we have lived up to the present time.
How shall we com pare the members com
posing the Convention which has just ad-
journed with those of 1886 It would be to
compare wisdom with fooishness, virtue
with depravity, profound learning and emi-
nent statesmanship with gross Ignorance
and contemplate demagoguism. No one
member of it has State reputation, and
few are known out of the immediate
counties which they pretend to represent.
Fifteen dirty, black negro fellows have
been the railing members of the body; and
if the people adopt the Mongrel Constitu-
| ton which they tender them, the negro
will stand before the law clothed with all
the civil and political rights of freeman
the equal of the white man-in many
| cases his superior, and in many counties
his ruler and master. The social equality
of the white and black races will have been
| established, and intermarrying encouraged
and legalized. The white race ia the State
will become extinct by amalgamation with
the negro blood.
They were in session about sixty days, at
eight dollars per day, and 90 cents per mile
for mileage. The member from Buncombe
received something over six hundred dol
lars, for giving the county the benefit OF
his wisdom-while in 1885 the State paid
Gov. Swain for like services only $87.-
Wisdom and Craftsmanship were then
scarce; they are now abundant, and com
mand high premium. This Mongrel body
adjourned few days ago, but, unlike that
of 1885, they broke up in big bull dance,
in which old niggers and young niggers,
he-niggers and she-niggers, and enough
white men to give the crowd a rather spec
kled appearance, zealously participated. -
! Oh! fellow countrymen, upon what strange
times have we fallen Look upon this pic
ture and then upon that. Hold fast to the