Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1871-07-28
The HOm estead,

Inc Radical CAuOluAL0S AHu PhpoiS IL
endeavoring to terrify the timid into the
belief that the Convention, if called. will
ieopardize the Homestead. They have not
very de6nite idea how it is to be done,
but they proclaim that there is danger, the
more loudly on this very account They
substitute noise for reason and truth. In
deed, these oarpet-bag fellows. the most
arrant towards themselves, seem to think
that our people, white and black, are to be
won through their fears when all other re-
sources fail. The poor negro is caioled by
threats Of re-eDslavement, and the whites
are to be frightened into terms by cries of
war and loss of homesteads.
The only argument advanced by the
Radicals is. that the Convention will turn
out the present judges and put others in
their stead, who will reverse the present
decision of the Supreme Court in regard
to the homestead. If our people hold
their homesteads by the frail tenure of
the official lives of the present Court, or
those of the five of them, as Chief Justice
Pearson dissented and Justice Settle has
already resigned, they are not worth the
trouble of securing. If the opinions mere
~ of Justices Rodman, Reade and Dick
stand between our homesteads and greedy
creditors, then are they indeed valueless.
Their terms of office, by Constitutional
limitation, expire in 1876. Is our proper
ty in our homesteads limited to four years
only e? How silly and absurd. Nay,
01oI nt Inc
tice Settle has already been allured away
from his seat upon the bench for South
American mission. His successor. for all
we know, may agree with Chief Justice
Pearson in his views of the constitutional
ity of this question. May not one or more
of the other Justices of .nat Court be
equally susceptible to the Establishments
of President GRANT ? Death, too, might
lessen their number. How frail and I'M
certain, truly, from the Radical stand point,
is the tenure by which homesteads are
held.
We deny emphatically any such absurd
and ridiculous notions about homesteads.
The law is an accepted fact. 1t finds en-
dorsement in the hearts of the people. II
is wise, Just, humane. It ia founded in
right-it rests upon q wise public policy
it is settled policy of the American peo-
pie. It will survive long after the
present Judges will have been lost
in merited oblivion. It will be la.t
and parcel of the Constitution of the State
SO long as the government lasts. It will
outlive all political and civil revolutions.
It is above and beyond party.
Homesteads are in no danger from the
Convention, but on the other hand their
valqe to present owners depends upon the
calling of the Convention. And why
The very same section and article Of the
Constitution which provides. for the
Homestead also declares that "Eo PROPER
TY SHALL BE EXEMPT FROM SALE FOR TAxEs. "
This same Constitution also declars that
" The Ge'aera5 Assembly SHALL, by appro-
PIRATE legislation and ADEQUATE TAXATION,
proUide for the PROMPT AND REGULAR
payment Of the interest on the public debt. F"
Now what does this amount to ? Under
these two clauses, of what value will our
Homestead be :? The debt of the State,
in round numbers, excluding eleven mil
lions Of dollars OF Especial Tax Bonds" il