Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1871-06-23
For The Journal.
For the Journal
To His ExcrlIency, the Governor OF North
Carolina

Carolina.
DEAR SIR: Take it 10! amiss that a
private citizen pre- lmes to address to you
a few thoughts, for though the Pa rIarchAl
ag. j. pas', stiilin some sense the cher
executive is lbe father Of ali the members
OF the Commonwealth. And, IS he hHs
the right t, L lie, SO have they the right to
speak. and 20 him, OF the marner II which
they are ruled. and they have the further
right to claim that he will duly regard
their tel grievances.
Since the close OF the war l have watch
ed with silent interest the progress OF
event. 10 our State: l love my country;
| love my home, and have looked with
eager soiicitude on whatever was proposed
to ell nance their interest or endaOger their
safety. And after six years patient obse.-
v4ticn aud silent reflection some thoughts,
at least partially N .ture, demand utter
ance, and I know not to whom l Gan more
aEprolria' ely address them than your Ex-
cellercy. And beg leave to aesu7e you
that have no. thought, and do not now
write, in tie spirit of the partisan. l have
never held any position, political or civil,
have never participated either directly or
indirectly in any political campaign be-
fore or since tie war. ] have no political
promises TO be redeemed, nor prophecies
to be fulfilled. am not s. native of this
State-the place OF my birth is in a la1i-
tuds north of this so I may claim, if any
c1n claim freedom from sectional preiu-
dice.
Be assured then, sir, that what may
write cannot be dictated by political AMI
mostly, local prejudice or State pride. l
write from the stand point OF the masses
of : our people, as a private citizen of this
State, which for more than ten years has
afforded me home, Independent, though
numbIe; and quiet, though amidst the
convulelOns of revolution.
As am not politician in practice, SO
am not in theory. No political treatise,
therefore, is propo ed but only some hon
est thought suggested by common sense
and simple justice
The design Of Government is the ''prO-
lection OF the property and persons OF its
citizens" So common sense teaches; and
so teach all writers on the science OF Gov
eminent, whether belonging TO the school
of Jefferson, Allison, Benlham or Hobbs.
1t is aement so simply true a5 to have
become maxim aud almost an axiom
in the science of Government. It has
been 50 long taught, and often repeated,
as to be understood IS we'll by the COM
mon st oysterman as the profoundes! 20
litcal philosopher. That Government.
then, which best protects its citizens, Is
the wiseet and best and that Government
which violates thus just principle Is a fail
ure, or if perpetuated, a tyranny-whetler
t be called Monarchy. Aristocracy, or De-
Enooracy.
With tho light of there statements [
beg SIR, that you consider some of the
facts in our recent history and presen ut
status; and [ shall refer only to those facts
which in their manifestation lie on the
very surface, aud cannot be questioned
Fact frst-Within the last three years
our taxes have greatly Increased. In
proof of this, I give no fgureE. because
figures are needless. Il is waste OF time
to prove what every body knows-what no
one can doubt. Thai man would be fit
for the Insane Asylum who, by learned
logic, or ca array of figures would prove
thai YOU are sick, when 90 have q scorch
ing fever, and pul-e at Ito New every
property holder IL North Carolina kn0US
that his taxes are greatly increased Rave
become grievously burdeneome. We are
taxed IN our 'basket and our store" taxed
in our ''comirgs in anal our goings out;"
taxed when We Gle down and when We
rise up; our very Preparedness. anu salt
sellars smell of taxation.
Fact tecond-For this Increase Of taxa
tion there has been 40 return---uo bene-
fit either to the State or individuals. for
there has been constant decline in all
the Interests OF this State, and We have
steadily grown poorer, moro dependent.
more pitlable.
The mining interest has nade DO ma
teral progress. The Railroads as far as
| Il Toto int Tod haC tEA
purpose only to enrich dishonest men,
The agricultural interest declnes-the
fields become poorer ard the labor more
unreliable and thriftless every day.
1he educational interest is grad fail
ure; the University habitstion for the
'twittering swallow and the hooting OWL"
the high schools IaDguish, and the COM
mon schools a mockery and farce.
Fact third-If the money raised by in-
creased taxation has not benefited The
State nor individuals, who has it bene-
! fitted What has become Of it !? Candor
and JUSTICE answer, that it has gone to the
supper: Of official corruption, and to graf
ify a cruel and yipdictive ambition. Your
predecessor bad poll ioal enemies to be
pun shed-pfivnte ends to be accomplish
ed. For this purpose he needed agents.
agents Ct peculiar kind-detec'ives of
sufficient minds to invent, and of sufficient
| baseness not to fear Observation-Disclosures
accomplished thieves, who could have
stolen the ''bag" from Judas-bullies and
! blood-hounds, whose unmitigated cruelty
would make the butchers dog to blush
these men were needed, but could be Sc
cured in one way only-bough ]; S31
boughtthey were, o. q price. The con-
tract was made the service rendered-and
the price paid. Thus has gone the hard
earned tax money Of the honest men of
| North Carolina
The Government then, so far from &c !
tectine the property of it's citizens, has |
treated with contempt the right Of owner
ship-has deprived the people of the com.
forts. and in many cases, the necessities of
life, in order TO pay and pamper cruel
and vindictive Governor, and his more
cruel and vindictive minicne.
Thus much for the estimate that our
State places upon the property, but what
Of its estimate of the lives and personal
liberty of its citizens !? Facts shall indi-