Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1871-03-17
For the Journal.
C0nventiOn-Dupi County.


KESANsv1L1E, n. c., March 4th, 1871.
According to previous notice q respect
able number OF the people of Duplin county
assembled in the Court House in Ke-
nausville to-day. when, on motion of COL
VIM. T.. Hill, Maj. o. r.. Kenan was
called to the CHAIR, and Captain A. G..
Moseley was requested 10 act as Secretary.
The Chairman, on taking his seat, stated
that, according to previous appointment.
the present meetinglof the citizens of the
county was called for the purpose of nomi-
mating candidates to represent the county
in the State Convention, in accordance
with the provisions of the recent Conven-
tiopal Act passed by the General Assembly
of North Carolina. As he understood that
Col. VIM. A. Allen, the Senator from this
District, was at home on o visit to his
family, he hoped that lie would be re-
quested TO address the meeting, in order
that the exact status of the Convention
question might be understood. 80 as to
enable this meeting to determine upon
the proper action to DO taken. Col. Hill
moved that Col. Allen be requested to ad-
dress the meeting, which motion was
unanimously adopted. -. 81 aa#.I .#
At this request CoL Allen being in the
Court House came forward and addressed
the meeting IN a speech of about an hour
in which he urged the importance-in-
deed what he conceived the labsolute ne.
cessity of a. Convention by arguments
which he challenged the opponents of q
Convention to meet him and answer any
where before the people. He stated that
the Legislature of North Carolina, as they
| thought they had right TO do, had passed
| by majority vote an 0ct to, submit the
question TO The people of North Carolina
a9 to whether they, UIe people, would call
Conv ention to amend the Constitution OF
the State. Coy. Caldwell, the 0ccidentqI auO
acting Governor of North Carolina had
| thrown himself between the Legislature
and the people for the purpose of defeat
| ing the will Of the Legislature, aud what
he believed 10 be the will of the people. -
| This act of Gov. Caldwell, being an at
| tempt to exercise tho tet0 potrei' a p0iDer
not grdlted even by the objectionable
| Constitution under which'we lived, Col.
Allen denounced as an Unparalleled 'ssNr-
| putiOH. The message was, besides, an infd.
| NOUS SLd'tCleT npO0 the motive; Oe the
members of the General AS ,etkibly, az he
| (Col. A. had denounced it on the foor of
| Inc senate on Two OccaslOne.5E C0bl Alien
thsn stated that Convention Bill, asking
| for a concurrent vote of two-th;lds wot1ld
be presented to the Legisiatnrs Further
proceedings under the recent act would
1 not be insisted Fon for the present. A
| two.thlrds vote would be asked Tor
the cAlllog OF a Convention, aad
fif Governor Caldwell and his friends d e.
>feated it, the responsibility would he fast
ened upon him and his friends; and in that
i event another bill asking the people to call
a Convention by vote at. the ballot box
would be passed, and means would be
| adopted to have the qaestion Enb naittsd g
the people without calling upon this, acci
/ dental Governor to aid, and under circun
snv intsrferenee on his part. i tasiaG-i :