Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1871-05-26
ConventIon-Tho Constitution.

tisan character ExistiaG indications are
somewhat favorable to such a eoasumma-
| ton. Notwithstanding the extraordinary
course of Ho!den's Unworthy snccsS5)r III
the Executive Chair t u"'ro'7"H q
Holden, bat uuwoitay of t,.e exalted sta
ton hencoiEGntally fi.ls. We hear 81 prom
inent Republicans who viii advocate tds
Convention, and wo hear Of lew OF oul
ovn narfv. from whom better things might
be expected, who will pursue the opposite
course
Wo canuyt, from oar stand point, see
how any mau can seriously question the
right Of the soveroiga- PGople-.o fcs
in the amendment or forma'io ion Of their
organic law. - know Of no re friction,
short of that IF brute force. tia. can be
| imposed on thcir rriviicg5 10 cal " Coz
yention for that i;urro'e. Certainty, no
| restriction Las been eousHi so - jrnyoacd
! by the Ccl1-titntion. Even thn men who
| framed the present instrument, nc 'mpc-
t ut, alien and cJrruEt 81 they were, and
| that too, at period when the nunlmcn's
of popular liberty seemed to have teoh
swept away, lad lot lcacLcd tie point OF
denying to tile paopl9 their great lnailena-
be right of a voice in the making or mod
ification OF tic system By which they were
| to be governed. Tho restriction was
placed properly upon Tie Legislature the
inherent popular right re mains intact, and
upassailed except by men like Gov. Cad
well, whose sworn duty it is to guard ard
defend il.
This question Opposed CT, We DEFY any
man Ct ordinary honesty. to say that the
present mongrel Constitution has answered
any Of the purposes of good govern nent.
| Independently Of the hume r0us solid OBJ
| iections which Wa propose from time to
! time to point out, it las no North Carolina
paternity to remind our people
| that they are still North CRroinians, and
| that we are the same people We orce were.
It is difficult to read, with any care, any
ayticle Of it and not find plans and schemes
daily working out the most baleful results
and ehecting important changes in our
State, county and municipal regulations
Yankeeism, adapted, perhaps, to dense
population, but wholly unsuited to the
poverty-stricken and sparse communities
in which we live. While this is SO, it has
utterly fail-d to effect any practical bene-
| fits in the education Of the youth of the
State or in the stimulation Of IL dustry
and enterprise. It has, indeed, been tue
incabns which has weighed down lie en-
ergies Of our people-it has afforded a Co
vert for thieves and aTini!ers-and it has
Il In IN Of
taxation TO support horde Of Ignorant,
unprincipicd and unnecessary officials
There is a small class of mtn, We fear, who
admit all this, and who concede the pres
eDt right Of the people to move i'll the
premises, but who alc doubtful about tho
course to bo pursued, through approhcn-
siong OF renewed Federal interior oneC-
moro reconstruction. Jho hesitanoy
originated in SO cowarlly Il spirit, that we
are almost afraid to answer il, lest we may
unduly offend. Play the lion AS long
as you can exercise the rights Of IN Ameli-
can citizen, DO it honestly aud fearlessiy,
if stars fall. When you are afraid to exer-
else these rights, against your convictions
Of duty and justice, for fear that something
"OlSC Is CouIbS, give up bLIo bt'AoE "ltO-
gether, and rc;ire 10 some spot where
men Of nobility. Of frmness and of public
virtue cannot SEQ you But tho appre-
honAion, if entertained. Is both silly and
groundless.
We repeat cur hope that the cam Eaaign
before Us may be conducted in q spirit Of
dispassion, and with freedom from party
bias. The great work Of Temodeling Or
ganic law, work which is 10 tell for veal
or woe upon future generations, ijouewhich
challenges oIl the pair iotism that there is
among people. Such work shond not
be approached with feelings Of political
hate or personal yiadictiyeuea3. Al
s }ol and honest citizens, without refer
enca to PARTISAN, individual or social dis
tinctionS should unite in the effort that it
be we'll and faithfully done. And ali good
and honest Citizens, recognizing tho 5eco,
sitV of change, should unite in securing
proper and salutary reforms. ia such. q
spirit, and looking 10 such results, we trust
to sec q moro general CO operation among
the people Of North Carolina. than The
factions and mereenary Importers of tho
present Constitution SEEM to anticipate.
THE JOURNAL has, on time 10 time,
tried to show the people Of The North the