Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1872-05-03


thus elevating, purifying, and ennobling,
so to speak, the official and moral standard
OF the nation Let this be done, and more
than one hundred million dollars annually
would be saved to the people that is now
lost. Ought party to be longer retained
in power when official reports of its own
friends and agents disclose such wasteful !
extravaganza and corruption? Let the |
country answer.
Another civil rights bill has been intro
duced in the Senate, and in this House,
the provisions of which not only shock the
sensibilities of the South, and, indeed, fair
minded men of all sections, but also will
still more degrade and enslave the white
people OF my section of the country. 1t
processes to be in the interest of the colored
race, and yet the great bulk of them Ger
tainlJ in North Carolina) would greatly
deprecate the passage of such an act as
positively injurious to them. And l VEN
ture the prediction, that with the exception
of the cOlOred politicians, few will be found
to favor this outrageous bill, for they want
their own churches, schools, public houses,
and places Of amusement apart and Sepa-
rate from those of the white race and this
bill, if passed and practically carried out,
would close the public schools, the hotels,
and the churches Of the Southern country,
or admit both races Interchangeable to all.
There would be no other alternative.
Sir, the country has asked for amnesty.
This feeling-the propriety and justice Of
removing the political disabilities Of at
least the great bulk of those labOring under
them-has found response and an echo
from every portion Of the Union. The
President recommended it in his annual
message; this House has passed bills at
least three times removing the disabilities
of more than nine tenths Of all persons I'M
H. TO fIn 70
and there they lie on the table, and seem
likely to remain, while strange to say, the
most distinguished Republican leaders OF
that august body, the recognized mouth
| pieces of the President, who, by word or
! even nod, could pass any or all those bills,
| have been up to this time the avOWed, de-
! termined opponents of the removal Of dis
abilities. The House Of Representatives
| elected by and fresh from the people, be-
yond all question represent the will OF the
peoI lie; the Senate, not elected directly by
the people, but for time independent Of
the people, does not. in my opinion, repre-
sent their will or wishes. 1t has been to
me both high duty and a real pleasure to
! introduce several bills for the removal OF
the disabilities of all persons who have re-
! queSted it, and many others L knew whom
| thought ought to be relieved, in various
parts of North Carolina of both political
parties feeling, as the people feel, that
| disabilities should be removed by classes
| Gf some are longer to bc excluded, which
| regret to believe is determined Oh by the
dominant party) and not by persons on ac-
count of their political utilization. Such
discrimination is ungencrous, unjust, I'M
patriotic, and utterly unworthy the dignity
of the American Congress, to say nothing
Of its gross injustice.
In this connection l beg to allude for d
moment to a personal matter, because
have seen gross misrepresentation OfmySel1
in some of the subsidized presses Of North
Carolina. A short time since, in list OF
names Of divers persons for the removal OF
disabilities, | included the name Of eX-
Governor Vance. This was my right, as
we'll as a duty / owed to distinguished
Carolinan and friend, and to the people
who sent me here. Tie honorable Speaker
(not now III the chair,) by some miscOn-
ceptiOn. conceived the erroneous idea that
Governor Vance had left his seat in the
Thirty-Sixth Congress, and therefore be-
IOnged to one of the excluded classes; but
when this error of his was corrected by my
colleagues and myself, and | took occasion
TO show that Governor Vance was a strong
! Union man and remained in Congress
speaking and voting for measures having
for their object the perpetuity of the Union
!
election to the United States Senate the
Legislature, almost unanimously, asked fol-
the removal of his disabilities; and that
Governor Holden and the Judges Of the
Supreme Court, all Republicans, recon-
mended such removal, the Speaker yielded
the point and accorded me credit for the
propriety of my action; and yet the papers
alluded to have neither the honesty nOl
decency to retract or put me right at home
IL 81. . 80
may be removed, because l have takeI
pains to learn the facts, that every mar
elected to Congress, whether to the Senate
or House of Representatives, under disabil-
| tiles, and of both parties, except Governor
Vance, has had them removed; and the
objection and obstacle in his way is, as
| have heard. some rhetorical expressions
E alleged to have been made while Governor
on the hustIngS or harangueS to the SOldiery
during the late unfortunate struggle, the
truth of which is even doubtful. and Which
amounted to but little if true. Whatever
he did was done at the behest Of his native
State, in his public capacity, and l know OF
his many acts of generous kindness to pris
oners and Federal officers, and his success
ful efforts in dividing with those prisoners
the scanty ratiOns of the Confederate sol
diers, and many other acts illustrative OF
his generous nature. And, sir, were even
any Of those who refuse to relieve him from
this prOscriptive badge in a condition re-
During aid or personal kindness, the i'll
stincts of his forgiving nature and the i'm
pulses of his generous heart would cause at
once its bestowal. The State and the
country need his eminent talents and his
services and while he may never again be
a candidate for office, still, as a fcllOW-citi-
zen and lifelong friend, | ask, i'll the name
of Justice, that his disabilities and those OF
all others be removed.
Ny limited time will not allow me tc
speak at any length of the utter failure OF
the Secretary of the Treasurys syndicate
negotiations, and his hope, fast fading, that
greedy capitalists will exchange their bonds
for new ones, paying Il lower rate of inte-
rest-a thing hardly probable until the
love of money ceases and hum,m nature
changes. And it is no matter Of surprise
that this failure and folly of the Secretary
is exciting the ridcule and dersion Of the
country. Nor can |, for want of time,
more than allude to the stupid and InfOr-
tunate blunder Of the Administration on
the important and grave question of the
Alabama claims. The high commission
met in this city, were ttaSted and tetcl
around, and after sitting for weeks, ar
ranged a basis of amcable adjustment of
the questions involved, and adjourned TO
meet again in Europe. In the mean time
he Administration, TO the surprise of this
country and the utter astonisE.nent OF
England, has put i'll claim for cOnSe-
quehtial damages, which is promptly re-
pudiated and refused by England and in
dicnantly denounced as all after-thOught
and Yankee trick never intimated by
any one of the high commission that sat
III this city; SO that the alternative Of war,
! or an icnOfniniOuS breakdown is lefr to the