Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-07-23
NORTH CAROLINA.
The Convention Campaign in the Old North
State.
An Exciting and Bitter Political Canvas.

From the New York Herald
SALISBURY, N. c., July Is, 1871
The Old North State is at present the
theater of the most exciting political
canyass that ever occurred within lti
borders. Few people r not con.
versant with the ruinous measures
entailed upon the State by the present
observation-disclosures as II was ey
negroes, carpet baggers and political
Northumberland il is notorious thai
she was reeklessly plunged into debt
her credit ruined and her bonds buck,
stored in New York in a manner that
was "disgraceiUl by the Radicals dur
ing the administration Of Governor
Holden. Her debt, that before the wal
was not more than fourteen millions,
was increased to nearly forty, and the
lavish appropriations that made this
enormous amount we're squandered
and stolen by Radical railroad OH
Gals and Wall street stOck-jobbing
operators. Several Of these worthless
are now under indictment IN estate
courts for embeZzlement-tWO of them
for as large an amount as seven mil
lions of bonds. The expenses Of the
state Government were increased four
times the amount required prior to
the war By the creation OF a large
number of superfuous and siRecure
/ offices; the salaries Of all the State
officials were increased one hundred
per cent. the number of judges OF the
Supreme Court was increased from
three to five, with also a large aug
mentatiOn of their salaries; a town
ship system, at once cumbersome and
burdensOme, was saddled upon the
people; and lastly, the Judiciary, in
stead OF being appointed by the Leg
islature, as formerly, are now selected
by the people, which accounts for its
| partisanshfp, corruption and Excess
sively degraded state at present. As
a natural consequence this largely in
creased debt and annual expenditure
required q corresponding
INCREASE OF TAXATION
to meet the interest on the debt and
TO defray the extravagant expenses of
the State Government. Besides these,
a local county tax to support the
| township system and a tax to estab-
lish a free school system in the State,
/ had also to be levied. From $3.50, 900,
the amount required prior to the war
to pay the interest on the State debt
and defray the current expenses OF the
| State Government, il is estimated that
if the provisions of the present eOnsti-
tuition were literally carried out an
annual taxation CT not less than four
millions and q half would have to be
raised. In their poverty-stricken con-
dition, succeeding a terrible and dis
astrous war, the people were unablet0
bear such an oppressive taxation, and
this, with the financial ruin that fol-
lowed the session of the first Repub-
lican Legislature and the utter failure
of the States credit, at first suggested
the necessity off
CONVENTION
to amend the constitution in the mat
tiers above stated. From the moment
OF its conception the convention took
with amazing rapidity, until at length
il was demanded by the entire Con-
sentative press of the State, with but
one or two exceptions, but bitterly
opposed by the Radicals, whose lead
ers still continue 10 mOnopOlize all the
lucrative offices under the present
constitution. They oppose the call for
a convention, too, on the ground that
1t is a revolutionary and uncOnstitu-
tiOnal measure. In August, 1870, the
Conservatives elected majority in
the Legislature on the identical issues
whiehi il is proposed the convention,
if called, viii accomplish. Hence that
body matured no legislation looking
TO the payment of the interest on the
public debt, nor did it, believe, pro-
vide ven for the eXtravagant ex-
penses Of the State Government. The
State is consequently without any
provision for the collection Of its reve-
nues. Now the present Conservative
Legislature has a majority OF two
thirdsin the Senate, but they failed to
elect that majority In the House. Bhe
present constitution provides that no
convention Ofthe peopleshan becalled
unlessby a
TWO THIRDS VOTE OF BOTH BRANCHES
OF THE LEGISLATURE,
and this the advocates of the conven-
ton bill were at any time during the
last session unable to obtain. In this
dilemma, while conscious of the dire
necessity of a convention, and being
constantly urged-aye, goaded-by
their constituents to eall0ne, the con-
servatiyes passedSan act submittingl
the question OF convention on no con-
vention to the people, electing dele
gates at thesSame time and making it
the duty of the Governor TO issue his
proclamation ordering aa election
under the provisions Ofzthis act. This,
it was thought, was strictly just and
fair to all parties. Not so, however,
with Governor Caldwell. He sought
and obtained an Internal opinion Cft
four OF the Radical SupremeC Court JUS
tees, Stating that this cali for a CON
Vention was an unconstitutional
measure, and he positively refused to
act under the law. Finding themselves
thWarted on every side by the Radi-
Gals, the Conservatives then passed an
act making it the duty OF the sherifs
and county registrars TO hold
20 AN ELECTION
on the first Tuesday in August, sub
hitting the question of convention or
convention to the people, and at
the same time electing delegates to
such convention. II a majority Of the
people decide in favor of q eonven-
ton, it is then made the duty Of the
of the Senate, Speaker of
the House, Attorney General and
Secretary of State to so declare in q
proclamation, at the same time re-
During the delegates to assemble in
the city of Raleigh on the third
Thursday in September, 1871, for the
purpose above stated. This is the his /
Of the convention act, and it is
by the CONSERVATIVES that, not.
withstanding the provision in the
constitution to the contrary, the peo-
Die have the inherent right to call a
convention for the purpose Of amend
ing their State constitution when they
proper. These are strictly the
IssUEsi IN THE CAMPAIGN
which Is now In full blast all over the
but with their characteristic
,hicanerythe Radicakstn trumpet to !:
he negroes the old tale-that this
Convention is oniy gotten up to de-
rive then OF their rightsHthe right (
o hold anee, the right 10 gyete, athej
lghtsto sit 0ngjuKies, and, in short,
hat II they 1.-THE DemOcrats1 carry the {
JoHsenfinn they Will pat the negroes. /
,aek iatoslavsry4 This Is about the [
OF thRd Radical ls0ng to the i
,e05oesg whiiest0 the white mel theyj
soid al tbesl0ss Of their homesteads \
y the abolition 0Of the homestead ]
laDse snlthe Constitution; and this is
verxctender point with al the small i
La the State, q majority of 8
are IN debt, and would be sold Q