Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1871-08-18
How Htztory will Read

How HistOry will Read
When some North Carolina annalist, in
days to come, shall make up the record of
events that have transpired in our midst
within the past few years, and chronicle
the names OF the officials who, in various
capacities, have illustrated those events. he
will, if he does his duty justly, have to
accompany his labors with copious eX-
planatory annotations. He must not dryly
state that such and such an occurrence
took place, or that such and such man
filed this or that station, but achy the one
vas brought about and hooo the other
attained position and discharged its trusts.
Even without such written expositions.
there is little danger Of the pail Of obi WON
settling upon the men and events Of North
Carolina's resent history for generations
| get to come. Though there is 50 much in
| that history to bring humilistion and sor-
| row, mingled with indignation, TO the
hearts of all who love the Stale, and are
proud of its ancient prestige, yet it must
be perpetuated, to q" ONT moral, TO
serve as warning, to place responsibility
where it belongs, and to hand down, for
the execration OF future times. the guilty
agents and instruments of evil.
| Let US imagine the North Carolina stu
dent of her history perusing, two or three
decades hence, the annals of these days.
| Who shall picture tho astonishmen. and
the indignant shame with which he
will read of military satraps, epaulet-
ted popinjays, with neither civic ca
pacity nor regard for civic rights,
| breaking down all the monuments
of constitutional liberty, prescribing the
qualifications of voters, debating laws and
forms of government, arresting citizens
without legal process, and riding rough
shod over every time-honored guarantee
The history will tell him of one Conyen-
ton called by the President of the United
States, in defiance of every guard Of State
sovereignty, and of another called by the
Congress Of the United States, composed
of ignorant negroes and unprincipled alien
adventures, manipulated by the bayonet
and swayed by mean and malignant pas
sions-the votes for the members of which
were counted, by a military tetrarch, in
the Capitol Of another State 1t will tell
him Of swindling, population and imbe-
cility in high places, of half~savage popu-
lace invested with the ballot to promote
party schemes, of malice and plumber, and
of license, riot and debauchery of politi-
cal morals. And when the reader further
sees how these things were connived at
and applauded by nattre citizens, once
claiming responsibility, and some of them
bearing honored hereditary names. he
will be tempted to close the boo k in utter
disgust.
But let him go on, until he comes to the
list of the officials who exemplifed the
degenerate era Of which he is reading.
Following the illustrious napoes of the
men who had Heretofore adorned the
Executive Chair, he comes to that of one
who was impeaohed by the people (honor
to them for it J and turned out of Office,
in ignominy, for expressing those whom
he was sworn to protect. A Governor, of
agrarian impul ses and prostituted talents,
who affiliated with the mercenary imported
enemies of the State, pandered to the
prejudices of an ignorant and semi
barbarous race, raised a rufian soldiery to
brow-beat and insult the better portion
Of the people, suspended the great Writ
of Right, arrested eminent gentlemen and
incarcerated them in filthy prisons. VIC
lated his oath and disgraced his Office
Succeeding to the names Of the great |
lawyers who have illustrated the iuris- |
prudence of the State, the eye of the |
reader will next fall upon those of Pear
son, of Tourgee. OF Watts, and of Jones
one. the Chief Justice Of the State, who |
lent himself to the revolutionary, illegal |
and violent schemes of the deposed Gov
ernor, and who Eo;led the ermine by |
open drunkenness-another who dis
charged his judicial functions in the in
terests of an oath bound associ alton Of
against the public peace
another, who accepted brides to sway his
off oial ects-and yet another, who was
compelled to resign, under charges, for
filthy and indecent conduct on and off
the bench
Turning now to see what manner of men |,
were sent to represent Us in the National
Councils, he will see after the names
of STRANGE, GRAHAM, MANGUM, BADGER,
BRAGG, BIGas and REID, mention Of one
who was virtually at the time a citizen Of
q remote New England State, without SYM i