Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1870-04-15
TO THE VOTERS OF THE 18TH SENA-
ToRIAL DISTRICT OF NORTH CARO-

LIMA.
! st the election for members of the GEN
eral Assembly in 1868 you favored me with
your condolences and elected me your Sena-s
tor. Upon the call for assembling the
Legislature I repaired to the Capital of the
| State and claimed the seat to which you
elected me. Notwithstanding I was at
that time beyond all doubt, eligible, and
clearly entitled to be admitted to the
place as your Senator according to all legal
rules of construction, the 14th article of
the Constitution not being then part of
the Constitution OF the United States, I
was arbitrarily nenied my seat and not
permitted even q respectful hearing before
the Senate in defence of my claim
| Since that time the Congress of the
United States have passed an Act remov-
ing the disabilities imposed upon me by
the 18th article of the Constitution, and
there is now no protence of reason for
excluding me from my political place to
which the people may think proper TO call
me by their suffrages.
Mr.. Scott, the present Senator, having
assured me that he does not expect to lie
a candidate for re election, and my friends
having impressed me with the idea that
the people generally throughout the Dis
rict expect me to Ee candidate, I hope
it will not be considered unbecoming ia
me to state through the press the position
[ occupy in relation to the candidacy for
the Senatorahip at this time. [ feel JUST
fed in availing myself of the medium OF
the newspaper press to address you on the
subject, because nv professional engage
ments ct present are such as to forbid a
very full communication OF my views in
any other form l am not row, never have
been, and never intend to be clamorous
Office seeker. | have never entertained
the idea that offices and political places
are created for the mere purpose Of afford
ing LUelM000s for individuals. On the
! contrary [ maintain that Governments are
primarily instituted by the people and for
their benefit, and are to be administered
solely for the public good. I have never
held Office or political place III my life ex-
cept a. a pecuniary sacrifice. While,
therefore, do not desire to be understood
as pressing my claims forward Immediate
~ for the Senatorship, I feel that j. is
due to my fri nds that [ should say that
if the people Of the District desire my
services [ shall not With old the use Of
my name as a candidate.
[ am fully impressed with the alb .olute
necessity of change in the Administration
Of our State Government. Il is therefore
OF vital importance that all who stand 90 |
posed to the present eE;raYagant, corrupt |
and reckless Administrations of our State |
Government, should unite and organize. |
We have no time to spare. The enemy |
already i'll tho field. It is high time |
we had commenced our preparations. We |
must go into this campaign determined to |
use every effort for success. Individuals !
must make the necessary sacrifices TO at |,
tain thi~. No single individual must be |
allowed to stand in the way. The public !
interest, aye, the very existence Of our
State is at stake. No mum can afford to bo !!
idle. 1t will not DO for Us to SUPPOSE that |
tie friends Of the present Administration |
are going TO permit he election to 90 by |
default. It behooves US to see to i that !
there is no dlsOrganlzatiOn in our ranks. |
We must not allow ourselves to be defeat
Ell by permitting too many candidates to |
continue in the field. Our enemy, the |
Radical party, stands ready to take any adj
we cannot reconcile otherwise, Conven- /
tlors ought to be taliel in due time, and |
each candidate must abide the decision,
and ought to do it cheerfully. I not only |
pledge myself to abide the decision of @ |
Convention of the Democratic Conserya-
tive people OF this Senatorial District but |
solicit Convention, if there should be |
any Democrat who desires to run in oppo-
sitlon to me. l cannot, and will not, al
low myself under any circumstances to be
used as an instrument to disturb the har-
mony Of he Democratic Conservative par
ty i'll the approaching campaign. The
great interests involved are too high to
permit single individual, however worthy,
to open the way for the election of Radi
Cal Senator in this District.
The address adopted by the Conservative
members of the Legislature and recently
published, puts forth q platform upon
which al good men can stand in this cam
paign. It is just the position we ought /
to take at this time, and the only sensible
and reasonable stand that can be occupied
in the present condition Of the country
The 10Th Article has been declared q part
of'the Constitution of the United States.
By the decision we are bound. We are in
no condition to take an appeal if we so
desired. We can have no hope by opDO-
sition to it. It declares the coIored man
as much entitled to suffrage as the white
man. However repugnant this may be to
the feelings; whatever we may think of
the propriety of the declaration, tie lar SO
declares. The Democratic party has al
ways acknowledged the potency Of the
popular will. In this characteristic it has
always manifested its statesmanship, and
shown itself worthy to control the dcstinies
of a great and powerful Government in
such a manner as to preserve civil liberty.
Our Conservative friends in tho Legisla-
ture saw this, and profting by it, wisely
acknowledged, as fnality, this settlement
of the negro suffrage question. 1t is use
with old, dead issues. Let us look to the
living future and so direct our course as to
catch the inspiration of the popular feel
ing. The negro is positively and emphati-
cally political element in the country
His natura! alliance is with the substantial
and permanent citizens of the South L