Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1872-03-22


of Representatives. to appoint proxies to
represent the States interest in certain rail-
roads. In the case of Clark Us. Stanley, the
Supreme Court of North Carolina decided
this act to be unconstitutional, withhold
ing, however, its decision until the adj
journment Of the Legislature.
AS soon as the opinion of the Court
was published, Governor Caldwell pro-
ceeded to appoint commissioners to take
charge of the Asylums, as if the Court had
declared that the acts of the Legislature,
recognizing those institutions, were also
unconstitutional.
The Court, however, did not so declare,
and the appointees of the Legislature very
properly refuse to surrender the high trusts
confidsd to them by the supreme legislative
authority in the State upon the unsustain-
ed order of the Governor.
The decision of Judge MOORE, affirming
the validity of the appointment of Mr..
RAMSAY, the apppointee Ofthe Legislature,
to do the public printing, goes far towards
sustaining the Directors in their course,
and possibly explains the unwillingness Of
the Governor to appeal to the courts.
We understand that in this whole
matter the Governor has acted in opposi-
ton to the opinion Of his constitutional
legal adviser, the Attorney-General.-
neither the Governor nor his appOintees
have attempted, by any process of law, to
GUST the parties IN possession by authority
OF the Legislature. 1t will be remembered
time and time again, recognized by every
department of the government as 1ightfully
in possession from the date of their ap-
pointment that the Governor himself, in
the very commissions he gave to his So
callet; commissioners, recited that as va
cancy existed, which by lac there aoas no
authority to ill., he appointed a commits
sioner to perform the duties pertaining to
the vacant place.
The Governor makes no attempt, we
say, to sustain his action through the
Courts of Law, nor does he follow in the
footsteps Of his predecessor, and invoke
the strong arm Of the military.
Neither martial nor civil law promising
anything in aid of his purposes, Governor
Caldwell has resorted to another means, so
abhorrent to humanity that it is scarcely to
be believed 81
Incredible, however, as it may seem, it is
unCa the Lace tr1la flat tho EouarDor IF
North Carolina has combined with officers
of the Executive Department to obtain
control of the State institutions referred to,
and III the event Of ali appeal to the
Courts Of Law to decide the right between
his appointees and those Of the Legisla-
ture, to starve the inmates even unto
death. A 1norc tendish, diabolical, ma
lignant scheme was neye. devised or exc
cuted.
The consequences of this barbarous
savagery of the monster Of inhumanity
who is now, in consequen e of the crimes
of his predecessor, Governor of North Car
DINA, falls more lightly upon the inmates
Of the Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb and
home and there cared for until the contro-
versy is settled, And we learn that the
officers i'll charge of the institution have
determined, as soon as the funds on
hand are exhausted, to anticipate the reg
ular Summer vacation. The friends of
these poor unfortunate victims, cursed even
before they were born, need hot have any
apprehension nor be alarmed lest they suffer
or food.
But what shall We say to the friends of
those no less unfortunate persons, whom,
because of their insanity it has been found
necessary to send to the Asylum at Raj
eigh?
These people have been guilty of no
crime. No l@g, human or divine, civil or
military, gives 10 the Governor the right to
starve man because he is insaRe Yet
in this civilized nineteenth century, how
long will it be ere We behold the cravings
of hunger, added to the rawlings of insanss
ity
This is no fancy sketch. Governor Cald-
well has eoRspiFed VIII Auditor Adams, if
not with Treasurer Jenkins, to refuse to
supply the persons in control of the Asy-
lums and Penitentiary with the funds now
actually in the Treasury and placed there
by order of the Legislature for that very
purpose. If these poor unfortunate people
into whose minds the light of reason NO
longer shines, are kept 81 the Asylum and
Governor Caldwell refuses to allow the
funds given by the people from their very
necessities for the purpose, to be appropri
ated 10 their sustenance, they must starve
or be dependent on the charity of private
individuals. Can amy system of private
charity be organized at once by which
they eau be fed and clothed
Can they be sent home?
Think of the many Ge.ee pIaniacs now
at Raleigh whom only stone walls and
chains and constant watching keep harm
less! a
Think how few private individuals, in
the impoverished condition of our country,
are able to contribute any more from their
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