Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1872-05-31
issues of the state Campaign.


| ent State campaign. Upon the decision of
/ them depend the peace and prosperity of
| the State and the preservation Of the rights
and liberties of her people. The first issue
| is, shall the military or civil law be supreme
| in North Carolina? The Radical party has
openly and most persistcntly avOWcd its
preference for the rule of the bayonet. The
| President of the United States, the national
| Head Of that party, asks to be clothed with
power to introduce military rule whenever
and wherever in his judgment it may seem
expedient. Radical Senators i'll Congress
have formally endorsed this request for the
unlimited powers of an absolute dictator.
Radical Senator John Pool has placed
himself upon the public records Of the
Senate as III favor Of ii. Radical Gov
error and Radical candidate for Cover
nor, Tod Il. Caldwell, publicly ayows his
approval Of it. The Radical State Conven-
ton, in the most emphatic manner, IN
necessarily and defiantly endorsed and
approved the rule Of the bayonet trial by
Court Martial, military .arrests, confine-
ment in loathsome dungeons, and the utter
subversion of the civil law, canOnizing as
Holy g Martyr in Exile the criminal who
having consummated these outrages had
been punished for thus offending against
the majesty Of the law. In every possible
manner has the Radical party signified
their preference for military rule to civil
law by actual demonstration as in North
| nd in !, ootS
of Congress and Of the State Legislatures :;
by the most solemn declarations of their
party conventions, and by the repeated
, declarations Of their standard bearers and
opponents, their office holders and candi-
dates.
! lie who runs may read.
} The preservation, or rather the restora-
ton OF Constitutional Government in
North Carolina depends upon the result Of
, the issue in August next. The issue is,
shall our people be ruled by the bayonet or
by the statute book; shall orr liberties and
our lives depend upon the open verdict Of
twelve men or upon the secret decree Of a
cOurt-martial?
} The next great issue is whether we pre-
fer retrenchment and reform, economy and
, honesty in the administration of the Gov
/ eminent, or whether We prefer extrava-
gance, corruption and dishonesty?
The Conservative Legislature met in
November, 1870, and in one short wear. in
} spite Of the fact hat the Executive, Judicial
and Military departments OF Government
} were in Radical and opposing hands, the
} expenses of the State were reduced one
hundred and eighty-One thousand four
) hundred and torty-eight dollars and sixteen
, cents Obnoxious, oppressive laws We're
repealed and good ones were enacted. But
, the power Of the Legislature for good was
very much Cramped-nOt only by the fact
that the other anches OF the Government
, were i'll hostile hands-but also by the fact
that the Constitution itself contained GER
tain Radical pro, lsions, placed there by
| design, that impeded aud Obs uc.ed pro-
gress III every path towards substantial re-
form and relief and this brings us to the
third great issue in the campaign. tO-Wit {:
Shall the Constitution OF the State be
amended and as speedily as possible, OF do
E We prefer TO live under it as it is ?
1t is well known that the Constitution
makes it imperative on the Legislature, by
appropriate legislation and by adequate
! taxation 20 prOyida for the prompt and
/, regular interest on the public dcbi.'> The
Radical party had traudulently and eX-
travagantly imposed debt upon the State
SO great that it was, and still is, impossible
to pay the interest on ii without utter
ruin, In Ord,r to meet this and other
difficulties, to open the door to Il COM
promise Of our debt, and to bring about
reform III general, tic Conservative Party
in the Legislature proposed % give TO the
people the opportunity to call Convention,
as the quickest and cheapest means for To-
dress of grievances. The Legislature llay-
ing thus referred the matter to the SOW
ereign people, the Conservatives declined
to levy the requisite tax to pay the interest
on the Radical debt. The Radicals in the
Legislature Opp0se4 tie BiE. Il was
passed, however, and became a law. The
Radical Gov vernon, Tod r. Caldwell, refused
to execute it.. The Radical Chief Justice
: pronounced it unlawful. Radical United
States Senator, John Pool opposed it. The
Federal Administration threw its weight
against it. The Radical United States
Attorney General left his post of duty and
came 30 North Carolina to oppose it. The
people alarmed at the tllrea.; Of Federal in
terventlOn, remembering the fateS OF other
States, and recalling the scenes of the
HOlden-kirk war, and knowing that the
Legislative mode of amendment ard re-
dress was still open to item, refused to
cali a Convention.
At its next session, on the first day of it.
q bill to redress the grievances Of the people,
ny r'LA1LN&l5 GIG SOIlSJIIJtGlOn, was intro
duced in the Senate, amended, and in due
time passed, every Radical Senator present
recording his vote against the bill and every
Conservative Senator recQrdtn ing his vote for
the bill. In the House Of Representatives
the bill was supported by the Conserya-
tives and opposed by all Radical members
present, save four. The bill is now. under
the requirement of the law, before the peo-
pie. Having again referred the matter to
the sovereign people, the Conservative
Legislature again refused to levy the tax
necessary to pay the interest on the Radical
debt. The bill proposes various amend
ments to the Constitution, all Of them
proper and necessary. The Radical party
opposes it. The Conservative party sur
ports it. Ifthe next Legislature shall en-
dorse it by two-thirds vote, and if the
| people shall ratify it afterwards, the Con-
stitltiQn will be relieved OF its most odious
and oppressive features. This pay be
| done before Christmas day. l. VIII lie
done il the people give the Conservative
party the power TO accomplish it. 1t will
| not be done if the Radicals cGIatFDi either
branch Of the Legislature.
These are the three great issues in the
campaign: Trial by jury against martial
! economy against ezGrapagaace-and
! Constitutional Reform and relief ire n tax
alton.
Amnesty.
! The New York Times, on the same day
with the United States Senate, came
To tho thor