Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1871-11-03
From the Raleigh Sentinel
ADDRESS
CENTRAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.

TO the People Of NOrth Carolina:
The Executive Committee of the Demo
cratic party of this State, after consulta-
ton among themselves aud with many
friends from different arts of the State,
familiar with public sentiment, have
deemed IL necessary and proper that the
Central Elk. cutive Com mittee shall address
the people in reference to various topics
of public interest, and particularly consti-
| luton reform in this State. The Central
Committee, therefore, feel especially called
upon and instructed to submit to the peo-
pie such views. and to suggest such meas
ures Of reform and relief as in their judg-
ment are calculated 10 promote concert of
action and the general welfare OF the
State.
The result of the eIt ction in August last,
although adverse to the call of Conven-
| ton of the people. cannot be regarded as
an expire sslon of popular approval Of many
of the leading provisions of the present
! State Constitution, for all parties with
scarcely apy di sent. recognized and con-
coded the paramount necessity for
change in the organic law in several ma
terial particulars.
Nor can the result of chat election he
properly claimed as q party success or de-
feat The issue submitted and passed
upon was not party issue, although great
Efforts Were made by interested persons to
make It such-nor was it so regarded or
treated by thousands OF democrats and
conservatives who voted against econ
veution." That election turned on COLA
teral and imn aterial issues, most of them
suggested and pressed upon public atten-
ton by the grea: body of the cfice-hold-
ers Of the State, who apprehended that
conve ntion. if called, would turn them
out of Office. The Office holders of the
State generally opposed the cal; they
freely used money and other appliances to
defeat it, The coIoro d people were made
falsely to believe that convention would
deprive them of their freedom, or greatly
abridge shoir political rights. Thousands
voted aguinst the call because they feared
armed interference Of the authorities of
the federal government and another war-
other thousands voted against it, because
they apprehended some unfriendly inter
ference with the present home stead pro-
vision. While me believed the call as
made wbs without the sanction of the
constitution and revolutionary; SO that, we
repeat. the election turned, not in favor of
or against any political party, nor upon
the real merits of the issue submitted to
the people, but upon many collateral con-
sideratious
The majority agains: the proposed call
for a Convention, though comparatively
meaPre, settles adversely the proposition
to amend the Constitution by q conveD-
ton Of the peOp'o, however proper nd
desirable that method of amendment NAV
be. It settles it, because the radical mem.
bers of tie Legislature, at the behest of
their party, unanimously refused to vote
for the call of a convention of the people
by the Legislature. Such call cannot be
made without the votes of at least few
of them, and they and their party thus as
sumo the grave responsibility of prevent
ing the people from amending and re-
forming their organic law.
The only rs naming method of amend
ing the Constitution is by Legislative enact
ment. Although the Constitution oper-
ates progressively In many respects, and
some of its provisions preclude all hope of
general prosperity while they continue in
force, yet it is manifestly the duty of every
good citizen to seek relief from such evils
by the Legislative mode, however slow and
unsatisfactory in the present emergency it
may be. We venture to hope that the
members of the Legislature will, when
they assemble, at once agree upon this /
plan of relief, and We respectfully suggest
that, in the meantime, the people give |
prompt and free expression of their wishes
as to such amendments as they desire. so
that the Legislature may be informed OF
the popular will, as well as may be in |
reference TO constitutional reform.
That the material, industrial and educa-
tional interests of the State are in a ca
lamitous condition is manifest to the COM
monest observer. There is now direful /
incubus upon the State that deadens the
energies of the people and destroys all
reasonable hope of future prosperity.
Every man has the distressing sense that
he labors and tolls in vain
These evils are not owing to any lack of
industry and persistent effort on the part
of the people. Ever since the late war
they have worked assiduously, and thou
sands have labored who never labored be-
fore. They have lived economically. The
soil has generally yielded good crops and
fair prices have been realized for them.
But their earnings are gone Where are
they? Their desolated farms are not re- 1
stored. The waste places are not built up.
The greater number of the towns and vii
lagos are as decayed as at the close of the
war many of them are in q worse condi- 7.
ton. The destroyed manufactures, with
but few exceptions, have not been rebuilt:
And where, we repeat, are the earnings OF
mr. imn0vapishnd manila They are