Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1869-02-12

! before the Grand Jury OF Wake-The
! state Debt More Appropriations - The
! University rs. Trinity, Davidson md
| Wake Fores:-The Tax RIll-Rer udiR-
tion rs Repudiat1on-" Price, Colcred, -
and the Treasury-Tho Loil Ball, Sc, &c
RALEIGH, February 5, 1869.
Dear Journal :-Forney, in one Of his re-
cent letters to the Washington Chronicle,
written while making hasty transit
| through the State, pronounced North Car
DINA to be the most successfully recon-
structed State Of the South. If this be so,
Heaven help our unfortunate sisters Re-
construction has brought upon us the sway
! of imbeciles and knaves, the rule of cor
rupt and mercenary schemers. A mountain
of debt, q fearful increase of crime, Exc
cutive usurpation, Judicial servility, Le-
| gisiative venality, precipitation of virtue
and intelligence to the bottom OF the
seething caldron, and political surface of
| cum and dregs. Perhaps the most forci-
bic exposition Of these facts is to be found
in the recent speech of Mr.. Sweet, the Re-
publican Senator from Craven, in vindica-
ton of his course in the Bribery and Cor
ruption matter. In style that speech is
highly creditable to the Senator, while its
Developments are Of most astounding
character. exhibiting g. degree of depravi-
| ty and scoundrelisn among the powers tia
be, and their Infamous retainers, that pre-
sents remarkable commentary on the i'm
maculate Forney's text Presuming that
yon vii! publish that speech, I need refer
to it no further than to give you little
additional incite into the character OF one
vi the faYorites Of the Governor and Treas
urer, alluded to therein, to wit Pruyn,
the chief actor in the Penitentiary swindle,
the shaver of per diem certificates, and an
aAactee Of Lit,lefield's free bar-room. This
Radical pet, am informed by citizens of
this place, is Yankee adyenturer, and the
proprietor of a house of ill-fame, where
the most depraved orgies are held, and
whose vile inmates daily faunt their bra
zen lewdness ON these streets. This fair
city Of Raleigh, owing to the presence and
practices of numerous Radical saints Of the
Pruyn genus, is rapidly becoming as wick
ed as the Capital Of the "best Govern
ment the world ever saw
The action Of the Senate in the case of
Mr.. Robbins has resulted in vote of mild
censure for his imprudence. Mr.. r. him
self will not complain of this, for, with
that noble candor which is the surest evil
dence of the absence of improper inten-
ton, he has repeatedly admitted the indis-
erection OF his course. The conduct of the
malevoent crew in the Senate, headed by
Barrow and tailed by Blythe, who have
been dancing with demoniac glee at the
alleged implication of Mr.. Robbins, and
the failure Of the committee lowing to the
suborned fight of Littleheld, Alden and
Mrs Cavaly) to lay finger on the really
guilty, in high and low Places is the most
disgusting spectacle of the age. They
kn0D that Mr.. Robbins was moved by no
corrupt consideration, while they are i'm
PEELED by the meanest party maIignity.-
Even taking It for granted that they be-
ieve him to be a guilty man, those who
know all the surroundings here will be apt
to attribute their indignation, not to alb
horrence of crime, but to thefact that they
suspect another Of poaching upon their
manor. Their logic aud their ethics are
those of pirates.-
Mr.. Sweet n0W becomes the object Of
bitter attack. A desperate effort will b
made to expel him for his manly and fear
less course. by the way, that gentleman,
on yesterday, was summoned to appear
before the Grand Jury of Wake Special
Court now in session. What's In the wind
I stated in my last that accumulated ap-
preparations had brought the State debt up
to S47, 600, 900. This mania for appropria-
tions, like the desire for acquisition, seems
tO orow Inv VIII at II TaadS Dp0n Not dow
passes but Whist some appropriation is put
through, either openly or stealthily. For
instance, within the last two days there
have been smart appropriations made for
another short railroad to Selma, Johnston
county for a Turnpike road somewhere
in the Mountains, and for Sol POOLS and
Buzzard Bay Ashley's school at Chapel Hill.
You doubtless remember, when We had
University, what hue and cry were raised,
because, Immediately after the war, the
Legislature loaned it $1,000 to enable it to
recover from its prostration. Now, it is
all right, radically right, to take the means
of the tax payers of the State to build up
negroized institution, which will never be
patronized by any decent portion of our
people-especially, SO long as We have
Colleges under such enlightened auspices
as Trinity, Davidson or Wake Forest.
The Bill to raise Revenue mot the
Revenue bill proper, bat only the bill pre-
liminary thereto) is the daily order in the
House and will probably consume some
time yet, ere that naonst'una ho,remduns, the
tax bill proper, is brought in from the
Finance Committee. hear some persons
gravely and honestly expressing doubts as
to the passage of such bill at all, 30
divers and variant are the views Of mem
bers. La either event the practical effect |
will be the same. If no bill is passed, the
consequences will be tantamount to re-
pudiation. If bill is passed which is to
meet the exigencies Of the situation, it will
necessarily impose taxation as far above
the abilities Of our people as the stars are
above terra .frnsa, and again We have vir-
tual Reputation; especially mustthis be the |
case when it is reflected that two-thirds |
of tho new voting population will bear no
share OF the great burden.
Price, colored," still harps upon the |
Finances. He is an exacting field hand, |
and wants his 81 day for the two weeks |
of the December recess, and has intro |
duced proposition looking to that end =
taking it for granted that he, and his twenty |
negro colleaguesin theAssembly will be graf
fled in this demand by their white-skinned |
allies, they will thus receive from our "suc-