Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1872-05-24
From the Raleigh Sentinel.
DISCUSSION AT PITTSBORO'.

Judge MerrlmOn leo on IN a TWO nOurS
speech, which was strong, clear and con-
vincing. He held the Republican party up
as the higher law party. The lawiess
party, who substituted party will for con-
stitution and law. That party would not
live under the constitution as it was made.
They made war upon the constitution to
abolish slavery. Having abolished slavery
they now make war to degrade the white
man to level with the black, instead of
elevating the black to the white race. He
illustrated by showing how the late master
was disfranchiSed and excluded from office,
while his ignorant slaves were enfranchiSed
and elected to Office which they were Who'll
ly incompetent to fill. He showed Gov
ernor Caldwell to be lawless man and a
fit representative of his lawless party. He
showed that he disregarded the constitu-
ton and suspended the law whenever it
suited his personal or partizan purposes.
This declaration was made good by re-
curing to Governor Caldwell's refusing to
obey plain law, requiring him by procla-
nation to order the Sheriffs of the State to
open the polls, that the peoples will might
be ascertained on the question of Conven-
ton or no Convention. He discussed his
disregard of law as shown in the appoint
ment Of directors for the charitable institUl-
tions of the State.
The wholesale obOery of the State du-
ring Holdens administration was fully dis
cussed. How and by whom it was done.
The infamous doings and proceedings,
preparations and projects of the Federal
Government with its spies and detectives
were not omitted Or lightly dealt with.
The party friends of the Judge were de-
lighted beyond measure, and seemed Justly
proud Of their candidate.
Gov. Caldwell followed in a speech re-
sembling that Of Judge Merrimon's only
in its length. The Governors speech was
coarse like himself. He began by address
sing his competitor as the candidate of the
midnight assassins. He did not attempt to
reply to his competitors charges against
his party or their abuse of the constitution
or laws. He made weak attempt for
more than an hour in defending his lawless
conduct in Withholding money from public
institutions. He assailed the legislature as
band Of ku-kluX assassinS and midnight
riders. He charged his competitor with
being the legal adviser of Swepson, and
other leading Democratic lawyers who
We're associated with him. He named in
| this connection Hon. b. f. Moore, Judge
FOwle, and the late lamented Gov. Bragg.
These great Democratic lights, he said,
were the defenders of the swindler Swep-
son. He charged that his competitor had
! assisted Solicitor Starbuck in the prOsecu-
ton of poor men for violation of the inter-
Dal revenue laws. He charged that his
competitor drew railroad bills for Swepson
through which the State was robbed of
millions. He charged that every member
of the legislature had drawn his pay for
services that he did not render. He boast
| ed that Littlefeld did not 90 at large in
North Carolina after he became Governor.
He said that the Slipp fraud commission
was packed to shield and whitewash
! friends and to convict republicans.
| The ku-klux legislature, he said, had re-
! pealed the militia law to keep him from
u, ng the militia against the ku-klux.
That part of the Governors speech ad-
| dressed to the negroes was infamous and
incendiary beyond the power of pen to de-
! scribe. He told the negroes they were not
! allowed to vote before the war, and gave
| the following reason for it: The poor white
man would have had no chance for re-
election. Said he, "Every man who hears
me knows what | say is true. Suppose
some poor man in Chatham had been
| candidate against rich STAKEHOLDER own
ing a hundred slaves. 1t may be there
were none SO rich in Chatham, but some
did own fifty slaves. What chance would
a poor man have had as a candidate against
the rich Shareholders son? The rich man
would have said to his fifty slaves, your
young Mars John is a candidate, if you
don't vote for him l will strip off your
clothes, turn your shirt over your head and
buck you ON that bucking block until you
do. If bucking and the lash would net do,
the last resort would be: l have whipped
and bucked you to make you vote for your
Mars John, now l will sell you to a negro
trader, and you shall never again see your
wife and children. Claflin, the trader. is
here now, and you shall be sold"
! Judge McrrimOn said he did not see the
/ point the Governor was making.
Eyes you do. You don't want to see it.
! Yes, felloW-citiZens, there are old slave
holders who are distressed at seeing the
! colored man going at large during the day,
and they think you should not go out
without pass. The Ku-klux Legislature
requires you to vote in your township, that
! your old master, or the man who employs
! you, can see how you vote" When he
! had finished his cut-throat, barn-burning
appeal to the passions of the negro, Judge
! Merrmon rejoined. AS to prosecuting
men for violation Of the revenue laws he
| pleaded guilty. He was informed that
| number of Radicals were indicted and that
! arrangements were entered into with Radi-
| cal prosecutors not to enforce the law. lie
was retained and paid a fee to prosecute,
and he did so. Democrats were convicted
and suffered the penalty of the law, and it
was proper that all should suffer alike. He
in turn charged that Gov. Caldwell had, as
| a lawyer, defended all manner of thieves
and felons, but he would not think of
calling him one because he had defended
| them. He plead guilty to draughting rail-
| road bills for Swepson, for which he was
paid. There was 10 fraud i'll it, what he
did was for fee and in the regular course
| of his profession as q lawyer.
! When he drew the bills, Gov. Caldwell
| in the interest of self or party, or both, re-
! modelled the hills and thew are now on
| file in his hand writing. The bill was so
! remodelled by the Governor as to put the
| stockholders of the eastern division of the
! Western road at the mercy of the State Di-
| rectory appointed by Governor Holden.-
/ Gov. Vance and himself defeated the or
! ganization of the Company to the great
! displeasure of SwepsOD. 1t was not draw
ing the bill, but the ,nisdppIication OF the
money, which wronged the State.
, Judge Merrimon challenged Governor
Caldwell to stand up and say if he be-
lieved that in any transaction, whether as
I counsel or as an individual, he bad acted
/ fraudulent or false part. This was repeated
and the Governor would make no charge
of fraud or falsehOOd.
On question of per diem Judge Merri-
mon showed that minority OF Democrats
j and almost the whole of the Radicals in
the Senate and in the House passed the
pe5- diem act-that but for the Radical vote,
/ almost unanimous-the bill for high per
diem could not have passed he showed
that Gov. Caldwell, when a committee of
! conference became necessary on the pas
sage of the bill, knowing how the Senators
voted, appointed Democrat and Radical
on the committee who are known to favor
high per die he shovel that Caldwell
drew his T. III hinsel; rn he was alb
| sent from =. nate and IruIn the CITY of