Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1869-09-03

printing Office was sacked by Contain a my
troops from Richmond, and the crate
movement was depressed by the miliH. eace
1 was in great personal peril from th ;nafy
Rod till General Sherman reached Ra POS Pc
being constantly denounced as a IG ,,elRh
tie and traitor to the Confederate T Po:
an unconditional Union man, + JJelng
hailed the incoming of the Union ts,auly
l endeavored as Provisional Governooop
carry out the so-called plan of ProaiI5 TO
Johnson on legal basis. Failino i n ~
L took ground for the Howard amendr Unat
as soon as it was adopted. That fa;Iin lelt
restore the Union, l advocated the roe. 10
structlon acts and took open gronnJ ~
them two months before they We're nau Ior
In 1865 was defeated for Governorr %9e
disloyal element, and in 1868 was o JS me
for four years by the loyal vote of the Sto,
by a majority of 10000. N0 "'"'e
Correspondent-What effect, if anv hos,
the late elections in Virginia had % on LAY" ave
public sentiment of this State ~ Tile
Governor-No particular effect. for a..
reason that the people of Virginia, bv tb ane
recent vote. have simply placed themye el"Ir
where the republicans OF North Cnroi;rsa
have been from the tirst-that is. for ' aI
lowing every male citizen to vote W.,
Is what L understand by universal snflrans
and general amnesty. I an glad that Wy '
glnia shns sol decided, but | regret a.,
instrumentalities employed. (ioyornn,
Wells and his party would be the h lo.
guardians of this and other great repuLIi
can principles. Governor Walker ~.
doubt, means we'll, and received thn sr' -"
port OF a considerable number of g"il
citizens but he is under OBLIGATION
w 10
and who will not be cheerful and 2noIa'''
IN Its support. 1t is fair to Judge Of H..
Walker tree by Ia fruits. 1t ia for rn,,
gross TO decido whether Virginia shall Il.
admitted or not with tho now government
just chosen.
Correspondence am going To put WHO.
the lawyers wonld call leading dnrst"'
Are you In favor Of having all polite,
disabilities removed from all cl1ssns 81
persons engaged in tho late rebellion =
GOVERNOR am in favor of r,at,,;r,
full political rights to ovcry man who viii
ask them.
Correspondent-Then you do NOT fovo,
general act of oblivion?
Governor am willing and desiron.
that all should have their rights rrstnrrJ
on application. A general act woulJ nnl
be appreciated by Il great number and
the privileges conferred would be Il bnsrI
by oil such. The act Of asking imnIio.
submission and desire to act M to IN,
requirements of the constitution and IN,
Union. Such act OF liberality on the part
of the conquerer so soon after great civil
war has never been recorded in history,
They have already been pardoned. What
they now want is the right to sit in tine
Legislature and hold other Offices. Let
those who desire to do SO ask for it, and
am in favor of giving such right.
Correspondent-Are any cflectual efforts
being made to establish system of free
schools in the States accessible 10 tnr
children of all classes ?
Governor-Earnest and active steps ayc
being taken to establish free public school,,
We have an excellent superintendent. tLr
Rev. s. S. Ashley, formerly of Massarhu
sets. lie is preparing tho work with Xr,
and ability. The schools will be com.
menccd at Gil early day. The university
is reviving and will be sustained. The
people of North Carolina have always been
more devoted to the cause Of education
than any other State formerly sIuvehold
ing. This feeling continues, and with the
aid of Northern friends, who are settling
among us, we hope soon to have Il good
system of public instruction III tho State.
The children of the two races will have
separate schools anu separate universities.
but the provision will be as liberal and
thorough for the colored as for the whites.
Correspondence should like to know
something about the financial condition Of
the State the relative position, as charges
on the public revenue of the various kinds
of securities issued or authorized to be
issued, and the effect of the late decision
of the Supreme Court of the State on such
securities.
Governor-The Supreme Court has de
cided that the debt of the State, contract
ed before the rebellion, is good. This
amounts to about $18, 100, 900. 1t has also
decided that the debt for unfinished work
is equally good, and that there is no limit
to taxation for these debts. The latter Is
about SIG, 100000 The amount of appro
priations that fell under the decision of
the court is S., 100, OO0-that is, this debt
IS invalid and falls. The special tax bonds
are at present better than the old, for the
reason that special tax is levied and is
being collected, and must be applied to
meet the interest on the now bonds, whore
as the State will be obliged again to fund
the interest on another half year of the
bonds. I feel sure that ultimately the
State will be able to pay every dollar sho
owes.
Correspondent What is your opinion as
to the prospects of this years crop in this
State
Governor-Most favorable. From infor
nation obtained from all parts of the State
l think they are fully equal to those OF
1860, tho best ever produced. The wheat
crop is larger. Corn, since tho copiou5
rains Of the present week also promises to
be much larger than that of any previous
year. If nothing happens to in lure the
cotton, L think it may reach 200, 900 bales
the quantity produced in 18GO-which at
present prices will bring more than twice
as much money into tho State az did the
crop of that year.
Much more conversation ensued, in
which his Excellency expressed it as hs
opinion that tho State was rapidly recu
perating from the effects of the war, and
that with returning prosperity the politi
cal asperities would gradually diminish. -
My conversations with mon of all shades Of
politics, from unrepentent rebels to ex-
treme loyalists. lead me to think the Gov
ernor does not exaggerate the extent to
which political, social and industrial re
construction has already taken place.
Somebody in Italy has been translating
Dante's Inferno into Hebrew, and the
instances where modern productions. both