Wilmington journal., 1871-06-16
from the Norsh Carolina Citizen.
General Cltnsman's Views ON the Con
Vent4On Quesffou
AsHEvnLE, June47, 1871.
To Me Voters Of EorM Carolina:

To he Voters Of Eorth Carolina:
As many referet ces have been made il
| he pubic papers my views on tt pro
posed Consti utiorat Convention, a thIpb }
proper to presc Mt thea as accurately ano
| coDcisely as [ eau WITHIN the hm1's OF u
| hort newspaper article. Since the judge
IF the cup; ene Court Lad given a. ot'iu-
on adverse TO the mode IN which the 4 III
sention is proposed, deemed 1t only pro
per to withhold one till had found lels-
| IRE to lea1 over the entire new Const1tu-
iCn. Such an examiuGtIOn leaves not tn.
| lightest doubt on my min1 of he validity
AID pro- r ETY. Of the plan now present. q
for the adoption OF the peel pie, aud ehal
state my views brie f., rather than argu.
N N at leI 9Th.
TIL great Inherent right of the people
l make ard change at their own will the'l
fnrm of gov. rnluen'. witch lies at tte
t .dauon Of our "h lie American sy stem
il our present Constitution Stat III th
.srJl.g e st ana br 1ade~t tcrms I'll at power
remains with The people, unless tney have
IL express and plan la gnage psrteC
itb II. IL IS cad, however. OF their hav
ing done this, they have merely declared
that "No convention of the people sha!t
be cdllsd by t1e General Assembly,, uniee
by sho con.-urrence OF two-tulrda of the
mesL. bers, Is.
1t must be borne in mind haG 8 II restric
lous great popular Iiyhts ar: to
-oustrat d sr'cls a ri these words / .ial J
nd .frict!y cousidereh in t. cir term, OH, =,
prohibit tne L. 6 sl.ture fr, N calling a
COW, II ion in any other manner, and SUE b
clause w.s euineutly or p and nece-
sary. tor If the peop!e had thus iesIra,ee
their So trva.ts shey might have bean trru
bied with -eonven ions from year t. yea
a the W I'm OF t,ars y jIi les IL ght on
When ] give a power of attorney TO 4.
Pc on 20 sell II y prol y, t is Usual all
e,su '+nt tor cue 10 imp. s, -restrIcii ns,i
hlm, but mys # st rttein III law tie
rlgnt t. sell 1t, unlers [ have tx, reesly ob
ligt:ej n,.s Ii lot to d. So. Upol sim,
la pIncip IS, tn ugl tue pc, pc have
IN it'd tie il gIsIat ture IL this res, &C. Wei
hey sti | ret, thense YES Ih. RI. hl t.
al IA C"DVes t. n in ANY OTHER DE pro
'lded, sue OIHEh MODE exi- .. Lev IL o
remembered hat thl> lam u ,ge is couiec
ll't rally f. Om the C. n~tltutI II q tOpted b,
ne Convention of 1885. Bat tnat not
Itself called by two birds vu,e of the
gis'a'ure, but in tie precise I1anuet
no~ propus Ell. It IS lear, tie erore, tha.
'be members f hat Convention could 10;
W bt Ell iguorat of he man er iu u htch
tney lad e. seIb e>l, aid mast have
L lE.R
NODE IN "hlch Convention C .uld be
c.led. II l. va their iurpnse t. exclude
ii futur9 that mode. why did h MT
use the Iargu 'ge LII 4ssnry to t ttf~cs H.
From the dictates in the Contention it is
weti known that their a'len lou Was calied
p hntedIy to tins very q .e> ton, and that
after al at emp: 10 put IL ge eral restii.
t'on up' tie puw.r of The e .ple d
b en- fully considered aid debated, II was
abandoned. aud IL lis stead they adopted
tne pr+seLt cl tuse which Contains onty a
restriction upon the l. glslatur.. Or, as
Judge Ga>ton sail IN sub, tance, they
would restrain the servants of the people,
bat not ii po3pls themseIves. Ii is thus
seen that alter discussion they deli ibetately
dee1ied not to Il e any such general terms
D. res riclicn us would have prevented tie
calling of Conv-n ion .x. eps by the vote i
ot tWo-thlrds Of the members Of tho Gen !
eral Assembly. The plain language of iAe !
which does not restrain ths, +
eorle, is THUS supported by the facts of +
Dur history.
1t ls said, however. by objec.ors, that as
l | adml, til the Legislature caunot Call a .
CONVENTION EXCEPT by two thlr1s voc,
md tha- the ieOplo alone bave not tho
cover, by what pOss bic meAUs can the
NO parties aching to= =ether produce sucb
'eeult 1t migLt, however, be sal with
qnal rlauslbrlty that the Etuse of Repre-
ebtatlves oannot make o law. tor if they
BASS bill an hundred times it binds no
'Ody, and a:so that the Senate may like
ise vote through a Till five hundred times
VIt0Out giving IT aoy validity, AMI there
ore If nj her House Las the power TO
ke law, how eau they Uy JOINT aoiion
H4ct l. 1uHumecablo Instances present
themselves to the ID nd wnere the jJIat ac-
Ion OF two or NOR DtusOUs can pl euuce q
esu!t that no OF vhe 10 cou,d 81 einpyac
Omplish- We have The familiar ca,lng
hai 1t axes TWO to axe b, r2 in, AID
/ must knoR that there are tho, sands of
ing. lee a p 'hilcai aud phyeic Il, viii
y one prrSIu, or agent cIu etf4ct, Dut
'hicn a,e ea>ily brought about by uni1ed
It rt 7 ie salt We d ally use j. the r. SUIT
ii c0m 0mb'p2tIon OF u ne al with Ii suG ,ca
u gfS, and Gnch GZ.ntl III ID Va cal
Htu ., thus r 70 ted b., z. ov d-L ce tiud
1er ahaio4lee il lie daily Ac;lon # man
Ind.
Tie n,tlturicn merely declares that =
le people WI. ,hey alter their constitu 9
on should act ''Iu pur-nance of la -: !,
he legislature has glven thu fo4 IN q d :
IL ct'On of law, ald tue vote Of the people :
Ill give 1t sub lance AMI form aid suu- :
"a ?co being thus botu given. 'bs C. is :,
i Ii, and TIE d red resnlf OBTAIN d.
AT. s'ress Is laid, how Yer, by TIE op- '
on Ms Of tue cow tIt.u Ou action ,a :
IL J. gi>tuture # 1851 u 1t Is said tuat =
wss then j ca { ny 6. large m lQ.lry,
1rg nnd' I @. h, la the pre- cut N de -
as uhconet tutioLa'. la tact, 10 -uch 6 !,
sion Vas ear N ,dr by t1at L. 81 laturt. :,
merely d. c;i, d that it would not pnss q :;
ar C l ar bllt to call eouveLt oa Souo -
tie me N ers may havo voted agaiL s. II =
] coa titutI.paI gruuud, lie on pa,tq y
ounds. 0hie must Of til, Id pruusb q d =
for tie II a4un hat tLeS esw 20 uec. s. !,
t9 Ter ct nVeLt OD. III c., tneIe a. -
al m~ exi d 40 .ffici=ut rsasun fr
nvea "n. Tue IL vemeut tnen wa -
Albls party one by certain Wings ttt -
I'd the ce f the Democrat. C free s,.f
'ge ia mem, the III pr,gses>. by
q itg gtsiat'vo euac Ii .nt. n turalIv h VI
7mocr .ts III IA body voted agalnstIt, aud %
dld many OF tue eastern Wings who ~
re, as ls we'll known, apprrheLsIv,7 of a 4.
>veme16 to- increase the TAX on slaves 81
) 1aIiu by Ia.ge vote was It sur W
sing and proves 40 hing whatever except
- the lePle atuIs did not then d, sire 60 CO
q convention. If one Of our members p
odid mt oducs & bill in.o CnUgre % nt