Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1870-07-08
From the Charlotte Democrat.
anDPESs OF HON. w. M. SHIP.
To the People Of North Carolina.
CHARLOTTE. n. O., July Cd, 1870.

t,rest Gnd yielding to tho solicitations OF
Numerous friends, ! have consented TO &C.
cupy hat position. Undcr the present
Oonstlt'tion the selection OF tnat o1hcer
devolVes non the people. This officer is
mado by no Constitution ex-ofiicio the
legal adviser Of the Executive Department.;
by law he is required TO defend oil actions
in the Supreme Court, and also upon the
request of the Governor or Legislature to
appear in behalf of the people of the State
in ali causes or matters, civil or criminal,
in which the people arc interested, and to
prosecute and defend al suits - 80 70
Inaiters CONNECTED Win the several branch
eg of the Executive Departments.
Before ASKING your support for this very
important Office, I think il my duty to
state briefly my views and principles. /
0vmpathizo fully i'll the efforts Of the Con-
geryative party TO introduce rotrcnchmcnt
and reform, and relieve the State from the
miarnIc under which 6lle is unfortunately
IaborinG l am opposed TO the party in
mower, because / think they havc deceived
and abused the confidence If tho people
they have hcaDcd upon them onerOus tax
es they havo vastly increased tho public
debt they have wasted the public money;
thCY have CndcGvOrCd to suspend the writ
Of h0beaa corpus and arc now attempting
to crush the spirit Of the people under the
heel OF military power.
Ono question which has heretofore aei-
settled beyond controversy. I mean the
question Of negro suffrage. His rights. arc
now secured by constitutional provisions
Of the United States and tho State gov
ernnentG. [ DO not, nor docs any other
Southern man, desire TO disturb this con
gtitutioLal settlement, much less to reduce
the negro TO slavery again as is sometimes
charged All are willing to lend him q
helping hand. 1t remains for him to say
how he will exercise the important priYi-
legcs secured to HIM. Whether he will
act the manly part Of II freeman and think
FOR himself, or whether he will be led and
controlled by the arts and duplicitv of de-
signing and ambitions men. 1t behOOYGs
him to consider we'll his position, act we'll
his part, and when he votes, do SO with re-
Election and with an eye single to tho vel
fare Of his country Attractive names and
party epithct8 Will not save the country.
But while this qucCtiOn Is settled, this i'm
pOrtant privilege conceded to the COIorcd
man. there is another important PROPOSE
ton imprcGeinG itself upon the mind Of
every Just man that is constantly coming
M before us. We have been taught to
believe that when uniVoICal suffrage was
attained, that act Of justice, universal am
mostly, would follow in it's wake; but while
this important right is conceded to the
black man, while he is enfrancLiscd and ad-
mittGd to al the political privileges Of a
freeman, hundreds, may say thousands of
white people Rro labOrlng under disabili-
ties imposed by test Oaths and constitution
al amendments Good men, patriotic men, |
men whom the people would delight to
honor, are excluded from holding seats in |
the councils Of the country, and even the
most insignificant Offices. | earnestly de-
sire to SEQ oil upon terms OF equality. The
war ended moro than i've years since ; the |
Southern armies surrendered to the supe-
IiOr power of tho United States the poo
pie ns unit acknowledged allegiance to
the Government Of tho United States
Since that tilno they have quietly submit
ted to the laws OF the country, to tho acts
Of Congress passed for the government Of
these States. They now desire to be placed
upon terms II political equality with their
former slaves, and to have the privilege Of
selecting their best mon to represent them
in the councils Of tho nation and to Ill the
Offices of tho country. 1t is difficult to
comprehend the dcnial Of this privilege, |
yet disability bills drag slowly through the |
Congress Of the United States, and arc op- |
posed upon partizan grounds alone. Lib !
crafty upon tho part of our rulers, little |
magnanimity exhibited by the Congress of
the United States would contribute moro to |
restore confidence and bring about quiet
and peace than all the fiery proclametions |
issued from the Executive Department..
Since tho war our State Government has
gone through many phases and changes.
We had Provisional Government inau-
guEated under tho auspices Of President |
johnson ald Gov. Holden. That was sue
ceedod by the administration of Gov.
Worth. We then had the reconstruction
acts and the military rule of General Sic
kles and Candy. Under these rcconstruc-
ton nets a Convention was called and as
sembled III the City of Raleigh to amend !
md adopt a Constitution. They entered
upon their work and made q Constitution, |
which they submitted to the people. In
that Convention there was an Immense ma
jority Of the Republican party. They sub
mitted &n instrument which made many
and radical changes Ill our system, lCav-
ing scarcely q relic of tho old Constitution
behind them. They re-oTganized tho
whole Judiciary system they made five
Judges Of the Supreme Court instead of
three as heretofore thoy made twelve |
Judges of the Superior Court instead of
eight as heretofore they abolished the
County Courts and substituted Board of
Commissioners and Probate Judge; they |
provided for ANIMAL sessions of tho Legis- |
lature instead of biennial as heretofore |
they extended the term Of the Executive !
to four years instead Of two; they provided |
Tor commission 10 change the whole sys- |
tenn OF practice and proceedings i'll our |
courts of Justice; they created other offices |
unknown to our former laws in short |
they remOdcicd our system of government. |
That Constitution was adopted by the peo-
pie. The Radical party, with few excep-
tons, elected all their officers in the State
and counties and took charge of the State
Government, What has been their history
from that period to the present.? They made |
magnificent promises. We Woro to have
Railroads almost eVerywherc-the noun |
tains and the sea were to kiss each other |
They promised universal education to the |
masses, white ana black. The agricultural !
and mineral interest of the country were |
to be developed. The laws were to be |
made plain and simple, that everybody
might understand them. They promised |
economy in the public expenses, and the
poor man was to be the special object of
care md consideration On the part of the
party which then arose into power.
How have all those promises been full