Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1872-03-01
CaldMeII,s Late Extrnvagannas


CaIdweII's Late ExtrnvaganHas.
We believe that we have heretofore re-
marked, that while it was eminently just
and proper that so great public criminal
should have been evicted from office, still
in point of fact, Tod Caldwell, the present
accidental little incumbent Of the Execu-
tive Department, was a sorry exchange
eyen for Holden. The one is as venomous
and vindictive as the other, while Cald-
Well has less sense and worse natural i'm
pulses. He has tie Obstinacy, backed by
the intellectual sluggishness, of mule,
and the silly vanity Of a jack-daw. He
s'.fits" for an exact illustration Of the
laphorism Of Burke, that ':want of magma
lnimity and little minds go together" as all +
who know his petty spites can testify
i Who but a mean malignant would, Just
after the surrender, when every true
Southern heart was bleeding, have ex-
dressed desire 10 attend the hanging of
ssuch men as Davis and Vance? Who but
Ia dolt in Office would have assigned, as al
reason for not pardoning thieves and barn
burners, that it might iniure the Republi-
can party? Who, but knave and fool
combined, could have been guilty of theI
recent extravaganzas of this little Execu-l
tive tyrant, in the matter Of seeking toI
sovertlTow the legislative appointments?
q Judge Pearson's late Clark rs. Stanly de
J. cision-a decision which, in all the incl
.dents that surround it, bears the sameI
marks Of cornplicity with Executive malice
land party chicane, as did the same Judges
shameful rulings in the kirk-Holden hd-
Nbeas corpus cases,-has been a tooth-some
Snut such vicious NAV as CaldwelrSJ
land he has played as many silly tricks
4 with it as any al" II menagerie. Silly,
lin one sense, in tut they show an utter
simbacility, but atJocjouS, at the same time,
lin that they exhibit Il fragrant disregard of
rights and the prerogatires Of IA co-or-
sdinate branch of the government.
s. His first venom seems to have been spit
Sout, over the shoulders of Mr.. Ramsey, the
81 Sentinel and the cowardly revenge is the
EamOre indefensible when the correspon-
Sdence between Mr.. Turner and Caldwell of
Hast year IS remembered. independently
sof that consideration, however, and rising
ghigher in gravity, is the deliberate attempt
Ito annul positive contract OF the Leglsla-
Ature's making,-a contract coyenanted
Eunder all the tormalitieS aud with all the
kssanction and penalties of law.
% His next exploit was accomplished il
Esthe shape of the celebrated " Brick Pro
Exclamation" (Worthy only Of a man with 4
Every considerable - brick in his hat,') il
(which. on the strength Of some malicious
g rumor Ietailed to hiI.i by the Radical scav,
Eengers who frequent the Executive office
skin Raleigh, he asperses the personal integ
s. rity of the gentlemen who compose the
aboard of Directors Of the Penitentiary. The
EFeply Of Mr.. Dledsoe, the President of the
ABoard, which we published few days
since, does the subject fu!! justice, how
lever, without any additional commentaries
Eof our own.
81 And now We have the esSayed diSIaace
Ement Of the gentlemen, who are the Super
EgisOrs OF the two State charitable 1nstitu
Etions, and the attempted substitution OF
new Boards in their stead. This effort It
~ make these Public Charities the football!
s. of party is worthy the head and the hear
&of Tod Caldwell. In what noble contras
Eappears the action of the present Board o.
ESupervisors Of the Lunatic Asylum, who
81 although the former Superintendent, DR.
IS Fisher, was elected by Holden on account
solely, Of his polit, Z, and in order to make
sa place for one OF his pets, DR.. Eugen,
MGrissom, yet declined to reInose tie latter
Hbecause they believed it inpoiitic and I'm
wise to make the Institution the play-thin&
Kof party
30 But higher than mere personal ConsiG
Eerations, and above, even, questions Of pub
Slic policy, there looms up, in these pro
Wceedings Of Governor Caldwell, a wicked
and law'ess defiance Of coordinate
@autherity. We hope that, when thu
8specfc cases involved are subjected, a,
they will be, 10 the test Of legality, that hi
musurpations and incidence will BE sig
italy rebuked, and that the judges WHO
SEwill eXpound the law will do so on the basi,
Niof law and not on the bias Of prejudice
Rl AS It is, his Accidency has made for lis q
tScumulative case of Executive incompetency
land intolerance, and Of Radical rascality
IS with which to go before the people in the
coming campaign; and We might rejoice
lover the fact if, like Caldwell, Pearson &
Go. VIC could subordinate our reverence
for Law and Right TO supposed party in
EtereSt or to our political anisnOsities