Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1873-12-26
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
SATURDAY, Dec. 90, 1873.

HOUSE or REPRESENTATIVES,.
SATURDAY, Dec. 90, 1873.
Mr.. Jones, OF Caldwell, rose to =
question of personal privilege, end
sent to the clerk s desk to be read the
correspondence, e4 published in the
News OF this morning, between Gov.
Caldwell and Maj. Thomas IN regard
10 furnishing arms to the Charlotte
Military Institute.
ar. Jones chara TIE C1N1G".
and correspondence OF the Governor
rs ''su,all, malicious and scrrv,; il
tho Governor Of q great Stare, end he
low VIC report IS remarks in fuli, Is
furnished by Mr.. Jones.
NE. SPEAKER His Exce}!nrcr, tlia
Governor, takes advantage Of the p->I1-
lie print to explain lis reasons for not
issu ug arms fo1 drill TO the Cadets Of
Charlotte Military Institute. | send
the paper containing the coTrespon-
dence to the clerk 5 desk &, be read
for the Information CT the Housa. Ii
making publio this correspondence the
Governor can have o.::y one Of two
motives, either he intends to malign
2 gentleman Of character and stand
ing, citizen d the State OF which lie
is Chief Magistrate. CT eIse ha proposes
by il TO show ti.at the styiotircS passed
upon his official conduct by t;.a gen
t.er,an from lfecklenburg Mi Brown
ard myself were unjust and nnWaT-
Tauted. In either event. / cal! ilpoa
Tho House and the people q the Safe
10 decide between is. Briefly, linen.
the facts IN the case arc as follows
Col. J. =. Thomas wrote q letter a. the
Governor, which was, Is il shows ior
itself, respectful and ,!ignified, asking
him 10 issue 10 The Cadets cf the Char
olotto Military Iustitu ;c arIil.s i1r drill
/ Tic Governor refused upon the e:rul,!.,j
that one Of the Professors IF tuc
school Gen. D. II. HID was d;sIoyalto
! the Government Of the United States,
and desires That the Whole people OF
this State and Of the United States
o. ~uch reason fer hIs action.
Cir, It Is ccne thine LOvu, IL tho
Executive history OF North Carolina
for the Governor. in an official corrc--
pondenre, to 20 ont of his wayilr ord.r
! 70 iinprito base principles TO am citi.
zen OF the Stat. What part Of IL
official dut.T IS It 10 nass Judgment upon
character or motives The CONGRESS
OF the United States has formally 4
ciared that it was proper that General
! Hill ehould lie restored to all the
rights o. a citizen. and has 50 restored
him. He is, by tho laws OF thc land.
the Governors political equa! il so far
a his rights and privileges as It citi-
zen extends. Behind this act OF Con
sress no man has right to go. Fur
tiiermore. is there man il the State
outside the lunatic asylum who for one
moment serl Dusty suDposes that the
Governor is AFRAID that Gen. Hill. with
forty-one school boys nj his back,
armed with old lluzzle- loading mus
kats, viii rebel against the United
States and plunge our country ouce
moro into the midst OF al the horror
Of civil war? Mr.. Speaker, the re soil
assigned for his action by the Gov
ernor Is too paIirilu and absurd to be
/ discussed IN this House.
The only motive actuating his TX
caileDcy was one OF spite and spleen
against man whom he politically
/ hated. [ cannot understand by what
process of reasoning the Governor
supposes that General Ii!ll could not
render his Cadets eft for treason.
stratagems and spoiis." as well without
as with guns. The Governor saw tit
! ~ 1SSitJ SiDS ~ tiIc NdutlS oI ttlt
Bingham School. Nay more, it was
all right and proper VIXEN ~ issued
arms to ali undiscipl;nei negro military
ono result of which latter issue let me
call the attention of the House to
local article in the WilmingtonJo UESAL
OF the 18th instant:
Last night, about s o'clock, as
officer George Davis, Of the police
force, WIS in the neighborhood of the
intersection Ct Third and Walnut
streets, a woman by the rarno of Annie
Jones approached and claimed his
protection. Her face was covered
with blood from wound ca the head,
about two inches in length, which she
stated had been infected by bav0nct
il tho hands of Solomon Nixon,
member Of one OF the coIored military
companies. who was then on his wav
TO drill. with his side-arms slung
a.ound him. Officer Davis took the
woman under his protection and con-
veyed her 10 the guard-house where
SIZE made her statement, and was then
sent to her homo. Nixon was arrested
and gave bond for his appearance
before the Mayor"
This is one Of the beautiful results
Of the Governors policy as to Issue OF
arms. Is he not willn g to place she
Cadets at Charlotte on an equal foot
ing with the negroes Of Wilmington
/ regret to think, Sir. that ne rather
prefers to retard the progress Of edR-
cation in the State by withholding his
aid in this essential particular. Let
me call the attention OF members to
another thing connected with this
matter. 4 part OF the correspondence
between Colonel Thomas and his
E1celiency was suppressed by
the latter. Il ask WY Was this?
Why did tho Governor see fit
to publish Col. Thomas first letter
and not his last? I am Informed that
the last letter was exceedingly courte-
GUS and respectful, and went so far as
to beg the Governors pardon, if any
offence had been given IN the first LET
ter. Surely he did not desire to do
Col. Thomas al injustice. yet it was an
injustice and, il have been correctly
informed as to the contents of the Colo
nets letter, a very serious one. I call
fJr the pubiicaticn OF the suppressed
letter, that the people may see moro
fully whether the Governors action
was justified in the premises. Mr..
Speaker, have set the matter before
the House as briefy"as may be. have
nothing to retract OR modify III my re-
marks on yesterday. 1t is a melan-
choly thing to see the Chief Magistrate
of this commonwealth swayed hither
and thither by his little partisan pas
sion, and I think that I was and am
- =