Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1872-05-31
Reported Specially for the Journal
CALDWELL AT WHITEVILLE

He Evades a DiseussiOn.-Judge sTea res
Representing I'm q NerrimO1a -
Caldwell and HargrOVe for tie En-
fOreement Act and Suspension of the
! Writ of Habeas Corpus Caldwell
Arms Negro Militia.
Caldwell and Hargrove had All appoint
ment 10 speak at Whiteville, Columbus
county, ON Saturday last. Hon. O. =.
Meares went up from Wilmington to rep
resent Judge Merrimon and reply TO Cald-
wells speech, if he could possibly be forced
to terms. The speaking was not to take
place until IL o'clock, and Sheriff Richard
son and Judge Meares previously had an
interview with the Governor in order to
arrange for a joint dis :ussion. Although
1t had previously been posted round the
country by Caldwell's friends that the two
candidates for Governor would address the
citizens of Columbus, doughty Mars Tod
was unwilling to acrept any fair propO-
stiOn. lie offered to let Judge NeaIes
make ali opening speech, to which Cald-
well would reply for All hour and half,
aud then give Judge Meares only twenty
minucs for rejolnder, and Caldwell
would close the discussion. Such terms
were too ridiculous TO be accepted, as
Judge Mcares was not there as d candidate
to offer himself to the people, but simply
to reply to Caldwell and expose his false
and deinaSogieal representations 1t was
understood by Conservative friends, how
ever, that though 40: permitted to enter
With auy fair terms into the discussion,
Judge Acares would address the people
after the Caldwell meeting was over. The
citizens then repaired to the Court
House to- hear Caldwell aud wait as pa
tienly as possible until he and Uargtove
should have expended the gas with which
- :. 4
i'aiGn.
Il be meeting " as called tD order bv W.
j. Stanley. one of the only seven white
Radicals that Columbus contains. Accor-
ding TO programme, ,be first Introduced Har-
grove. who appeared fifty per cent. more
sober than III Wilmington. he began
with Iersarks materially tempered for the
occasion, following he same outline Of
|. political history hat he has recited through
cut the camp4icu. iuateaA Cf speaking q
alleged CrpfeSsioDs al: c'ueIioa during
tle ar, which 9 had dwei. upou With Te.
Cdliar stress in The Radical county Ci New
r. Hanover, he made the emphatic dcciaJa-
rion that tie s-gulh hyh 1.u reason during
the war to be ashamed of lie acts OF her
Government, her soldiers or h"r citizens
aud that they were led ly as gallant a sol
dier aud as pare a P"tt0, as the world ever
looked upon. lie prOCPFd"'! from this -
y
p civil authority.
Just here at this declaration, So ia.pauti1
inconsistent with his past acts, judge
Mcares interrupted him, by permission, to
ask n lie dpd Cor. C0ld,reU Hnd not both
"dcOcUted the measure i1t Congress pro-
tj"jng for G .tr'thCr CotcH%iOa # lie U'y@
of HABEAs CORPUS
Thus brought suddenly TO Il stand, the adj
ventuIous Squire Taz confessed That he
EJ,I hat Il
further rPlTcsc1dcd himself rs still IN
for0r or IT,. He dd not, however, uu-
dertake 10 answer tor Governor Cald-
well. After some little skrmishing and
side whispers between himself and his Mars
Tod. both being brought 10 bay and seeng
no way to Get cut Of it, he stated that Coo.
Co}dweH h0d instructed him to say that he
also tcds IN fdcOr Of the further ectenSiOH
'of the HABEAs CORPUS.
Them" said Judge Meares, ''tliat kills
all yo0 have said about the supremacy of
the civil power" All this time Caldwell
sat glaring around him, and truly
"His countenance a civil war itself"
He appeared TO us revelling in the recol-
lection of his friend, Gov. HUlden's oppres-
sion; himself lured by the prospect Of cruel
authority with bayOnets at his request, and
longing for return OF the period
when civil power shall snore ar ease.
While soldiers fire to keep rhe peace;
When murders sanctuary find,
And petticoats can Justice blind"
At the close OF the uncomfortable inter
ruptiOn, Hargrove brauched forth in q IL
rade against ku-kluX, and argued in de-
fence of the atrocious Shofner bill. the in
tentiOns and operations 0f which he repre-
sented with palpablc falsenOOl Warming
at his own tcmerity, he grew bold cnougl
70 remark that Judge Meares was not IN
the discussion, SO H. could not ask him
question. Judge Meare3 promptly stated
that if he (HdrgrOve) was ready for & dis
cussion, suppose they walk ont into tie
grove in the Court House square, and 60
at it. This threw Harglovc into tutter
and he lost no time in eVading that which
he was so anxious to avoid, Though one of
his own friends called upon him to accept.
Poor uargrOve then brdnchcd forth III q
denunciation Of the acts OF the late General
Assembly, and cOntented himself by con-
Cluding i'll the interest Of the Presidential
campaign, eulogizing Grant aud denOunc-
ing Greeley. His speech was one hour
and twenty-five minutes long.
Gov. Caldwell then addressed the crowd.
He lost no time in proceeding with his
say, aud threw himself valiantly into his
work of the day--a living impersOnat!on
OF the description,
- In error obstinate, in wrangling loud
bCtiIA diCuSCh ~ i't| ItI!-G1 LC maui uiS
formal declaration in favor Of the Enforce
ment acts of Congress, and the further
suspension Uf the writ Of UGbens C0rp,,a.
But Dere we pause To make n doubt,
Whether he were more wise. or stout
Some hold the one. and some the other.
But bopSoh 'er they make pUther.
The difference II SO small, his brain
uutTrghed bis rage but bali grain
Possessed with fiJc insane idea Of easy
representation and deuagO2iCal tlimnpl,
he made excuses for not putting pcgroes
upon the State ticket, aud declared that Il
was at the request of the cCiured men
themselves that this was d0Iic, when he
knew Of The fact that several coi0Ynd men
wished to lie nominated, and worked Tor
. the nomination. His reason Tor iavorilig
tic further Suspension ut the UnbGQs Cor
p'H he declared to he tecauae the cClOred
man could not get bis rights adiudicated
and enforced in the courts Of the State.
Addressing himself he;c exclusively o the
coinre1 population present, lie stated the
remarkable fact that IIc was opposed to
their voting while slaves. To illustrate
this. le supposed the indispensable Instance
OF slaves bein.s allowed 10 vote, and the
measures of the owners 10 control this
vote for Mars John. We could sce no
point or f'r.e in this silly recitation, except
that it W i Shire z'd denacoGicai tlick 10
arouse III" passions Of the 10. iFAa5 against
their tOIH owneIs, by suppoSinS ajI in
stance which never occurred, to show how
stripes woiIi.l have been inflicted. When
the Governor Of the State takes the STUMP
IN behalf of himself and party, and fails
tn discuss single principle, lie il at a low
ebh, indeed, and lraCticto such a trick
purely for exciting incendiary feeling, as
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