Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1868-03-20
General Abbott's speech-His Political Po-
sitiOn

sition.
Disposed always to do any respectable
political opponent justice, and approving
bodied, we give to-day the recent speech OF
General Abbott in the Constitutional Con
yention, so-called, advocating the adoption
of the Report on Finance. Amidst all our
gloom and dependency, brought upon us
in great measure by the tyrannical and
proscriptiYe course of the Radicals in Con-
pres, of whom General Abbott has shown
himself to be one of the most illiberal and
vindictlve agents, we believe that next to
averting the evils of negro supremacy or
EQUALITY, the gre establishment OF the
State credit and its maintenance IN the tu-
ture. will do moro to restore the prospect
ty of North Carolina than anything else
Therefore, while strangers to our blood and
aliens to our sympathies are forced upon
us as our lawmakers through the corrup-
ton of the present political pandemonium,
we are glad some of them have the manli-
ness to uphold the honor of the State, and
labor to sustain its credit untarnished.
We agree with General Abbott that a
sound financial policy, a liberal Constitu-
ton and wisely administered government
will restore the credit of North Cal DINA
and protect her honesty and integrity, but
regard his efforts to disfranchise a very
large proportion of the property-owners Of
the State, and to place the Executive and
Judicial Departments of the government
under the administration of some of the
most corrupt and ignorant men in the State,
strangely at variance with his expressed de-
sire il this particular. There is no proscrip-
tive feature in the proposed Constitution
he has not advocated, and but few Conser-
vatiye ones he has supported. Upon the
subject Of suffrage especially, has he shown
q most illberal and Vindictiye course.
Upon each reading of the ordinance he has
made the most earnest efforts to engraft
into 1t an iron clad oath for votes which
would have placed the State entirely under
the control OF the negroes and their few
white political associates, his wish being to
show the native and adopted white citizens
of the State, who engaged in, or sympa
thized with, the war land this embraces
nineteen twentieths of the talent, wealth
and decency of Thea StateJ, that eve are
their political masters" to use his own
words
There is much III his speech, however,
which we are glad to see from him, and
sincerely wish that all his efforts in the
Convention, sO-called, had been marked
by the same moderation and wisdom. We
believe there is n bright future for North
Carolina, but it is when such politicians as
now seek her ruin are destroyed, when her
laborers return to their former habits of
industry and abandon the meetings for the
field, and give mp the ballot for the plough.
General Abbott, himself at the head of the
industrial enterprises he has successfully
established in Bladen county, was doing
much more for the material welfare of the
State than he is in his new and illy-flled
role of legislator, and had he not brushed
aside the dust of honest industry for the
contaminating and doubtful prominence of
representing ignorant negroes, we should
think much more of his protestations of
love for North Carolina and the sincerity
of his opinions at present, and we believe
he would have less to repent in the future.