Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1868-08-28

~,
MoUR and BLAIR, the negro will be de-
priyed of the franchise. The election OF
those gentlemen would be declaration
merely by the people of the United States
that the States, and the States alone, should
have the right of regulating the question OF
franchise, and all other internal questlons'
without being coerced to observe the Will
of the Congress Of the United States
These are the great issues before us-ls-
snes unon the decision of which the exls-
fence of civil liberty, and the destinies of
this country, depend. He who, with Judge
PEARSON, ignores these great issues, and
narrows them down to the mere question
of "negro suffrage SO far from being fol-
lowed as q monitor, should be regarded as
a political neophyte, wholly ignorant OF the
momentous questions of the day.
The Howard Amendment, SO recently
engrafted on the Constitution of the Uni
ted States, comedies to the States the pow
er of regulating the question of suffrage
for themselves. Under that amendment
North Carolina may qualify the suffrage as
to both classes of her citizens, or she may
exclude the negroes altogether from the
right to vote. But the Radical party seek
to destroy this power conferred by the
Constitution, by a mere act of Congress,
which the abIest members of that party de-
clared would be imperative and void, but
which, nevertheless, will be enforced by
the usurpation of the legislative depart
ment of the government, should GRANT and
CoLFAx be elected. Against this Conser-
natives protest, but they do not propose
to effect anything by the sword-they pro-
pose to act by, through, and under, the
Constitution of the United States, and &C
cording to its forms to that sacred instru
ment they appeal, and by that, as judicial
ly construed, they mean to stand. Who,
then, are the ,auLlifers- are the rerotX-
tionists? Tho answer is, that party who pro-
pose to inaugurate war OF races, IN case
the Southern States exercise certain Con-
stitutioaaZ riqhts. In this event, Judge
PEARSON, who should be an impartial and
fearless expounder of the Constitution,
who has sworn to obey is provisions, de-
clares from his high place, in voice that
is heard all over the State, that civi1 acar
must come. What is this but melting to 1t =?
And should it come, which God forefend,
those who now encourage it by familiar
izing the minds of the negroes to its con-
temptation, may well apply to themselves
the words of the Almighty to the first muir
derer. "Ihe uoice Of Thy brother blood crieth
INTO me from, The ground"
The Chief Justice fails as egregiously
in his references to history, as in his con-
ception of the points at issue between the
parties. He bases his predictions of civil
war upon assertions, which are not only
without foundation, but the exact reverse
of which is true. This is objectionable,
especially so, in q man who assumes the
leadership of his countrymen in q great po
litical crisis. I quote from the letter
THE idea of four millions of people,
not sLaces, existing in our midst, without
some political right, was out of the ques-
ton. Such a condition of things never
has, within the memory of man, and never
will, exist"
The Chief Justice not only undertakes to
tell us that certain state Of things has not
existed within the memory Of man, but he
assumes the role of prophet, and declares
that they never will exist. II his knowl |
edge of the future is no more accurate than
his knowledge of the past and present, his
predictions are entitled to no credit. Every
student of contemporary history knows that,
at this day, there are millions of adult
males in Great Britain, who are not entitled
to exercise the right of suffrage, and who
have no political rights whatever.
Judge PEARSON admires greatly the Eng
lish constitution time and again has he de-
clared before his students, that the English
government is among the best and freest,
if not the very best and freest, on the face
of the earth. All his learning he has
acquired by the study of the English Com
mon Law. Now, Mr.. BRIGHT, whose name
is famous on both sides of the Atlantic, de-
clared in public speech, made before the
passage of the recent English Reform bill,
that out Of an adult male population in
Great Britain of seven millions, not more
than seven hundred thousand enjoyed the
right to vote, thus leaving over sic millions
Of adult aohite males, in the very state of
political vassalage," which Judge PEAR
SON declares has not existed within the
memory of man, and never will exist. And,
this too, in a country whose constitution is
i 4bo
best in the world.
quote again from the letter: 6 has it
ever been known that four millions of peo-
pie, after enjoying political rights for years,
could be reduced to vassalage without a
civil war ?" If it were not known that the
Chief Justice is very inaccurate writer he
might be accused of wilfully misstating the
point. The Conservative party do not pro-
pose to reduce to rassaLdge any class of