Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1868-08-07
The Police Bill.

Inc Legislature Is SClll namm6f1nR away
at the Police Bill, with little real progress
SO far. It seems that prudence and wisdom
on the one side oppose its passage, while
Holden, Pool and Abbott, representing the
wishes of a revolutionary party, urge its
adoption. True to it's fendish instincts
and vindictive aspirations, we are prepared
to see peace and prosperity sacrificed in
the vain hopes of continuing party ascen-
depcy. The leaders believe they have
nothing to lose and much to gain by strife
and discord, and the good of the State and
the welfare of the people are as nothing
compared to their personal advancement.
Thrown on the surface by storm which
has stirred up tie filth and rottenness of the
body polite, by continued commotion and
agitation alone can these sediments be pre-
vented from sinking to the bottom from the
weight of their own corruption.
The Legislature of North Carolina knows
as we'll as we do that the arming of one
portion of our population against the other,
in ordinary times, would be fraught with
many dangers ; but now, on the eva of
an exciting political contest, when
much bad blood has already been stirred
up, and the prejudices of races and the
animosities of different classes of men most
terribly and fearfully aroused, we honestly
believe that such action will be attended
with trouble if not with blpodsha1. To
place arms in the hands of one political
party to the exclusion of the other, for the
bill means nothing else, is the very achme
of folly and madness. If the State arm
one party, private enterprise and personal
safety will arm the other-preparation will
be met with preparation and force with
force If the Legislature places arms in
the hands of Radical Clubs and Loyal
Leagues the people will arm Democratic
Clubs, and our population, instead Of Gull
tivating peaceful relations with each other,
will be divided into hostile and armed
bodies. Every house will be converted
into an arsenal and every association into
a military camp.
Against such a condition of things we
earnestly protest. In the name of peace,
which our people crave in behalf of good
government, which we SO much need. we
ask that the Legislature shall not inaugu-
rate war in North Carolina merely to secure
her electoral vote for GRANT and CoLFAx
We ask these men who are urging this
warfare on, to have care that they do not
fall victims to their own temerity. TIE
happiness and prosperity of great Ceo-
pie: the history of noble State, must not
and will not be sacrificed to secure the ag-
grandizement of few corrupt and dis
honorable men.
Tho people of North Carolina are ready
to render cheerful obedience to every
law-they will submit, and have submitted |
to much injustice, when accomplished
through the forms of law, but human ma
ture here is like human nature everywhere
in recognizing self-prote ction as its first |
law. And men who act upon the suppose
ton that our people will not protect them
selves against tyranny and oppression, have
read their history to little purpose. Those
who, in the name of peace, arm one por-
ticn of the people, and that portion, too,
which is most ignorant, most vicious, with
little interest in the welfare or the good
government of the State, and easily led by
their prejudices into acts of violence, are
their obligations to God and
man, and promoting discord and ex-
citing bloodshed, which they must
know will follow their action. We
trust that these warlike mea-
sures will net be perfected. They can
not be resisted without strife, and they
cannot be submitted to without even
greater dangers. We say to our Legisla-
ture as Mr.. BoYDEN said to Congress We
are alarmed at the condition of the country.
Ii is proposed now to send arms to North ,
Carolina, that the people may use them !
against each other. Great God! We CAM