Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1873-09-26

notice that the right to repeal the stat
utes, was expressly reserved to the
Legislature by the Constitution of the
State. In our former letter, we ex-
pressed no opinion on the point, desir-
ing simply to put you in possession of
all the facts.
The proceedings threatened by Mr..
Reverdy johnson have notyet been in
stituted, we believe; and it may be well
to state, that you seem to misappre
bend the extent of the jurisdiction of
the Federal Courts. A citizen of one
State can, indeed, sue a citizen of an
other State, but no State can be
brought into a Federal Court. The XI
Article of the Constitution of the
United States, is as follows :
"Articlc XG-The Judicial p 'wer OF the
United States shall not be construed to extend
to any suit in law or equity commenced or pros
ecuted against one of the United States by citi-
zens of another state or by citizens subjects
OF any foreign State"
Mr.. johnson, we believe, proposes
to proceed against the State Treasurer.
THE INvIoLABILITY OF THE STATE
DEBT.
The mandatory provisions of the
Constitution declaring the State Debt,
| ito be forever inviolable' and requir-
ing the interest to be promptly met by
adequate taxation and appropriate leg
islation" have by the votes of an over
whelming majority of our people, been
stricken from the Constitution since
| the date of our last letter.
You say these provisions show
| that their trainers had the high
est interest of the State at
heart, &C., The following bit of his
tory will, doubtless, satisfy you that
you are mistaken upon this point. Mr..
Joseph c.. Abbott, q General III the
Federal army, settled in this section at
the close of the war, being one of the
class commonly known as carpet-bag
gers. He was member of the Con
| vention that framed the Constitution
| and afterwards United States Senator.
| The following is an extract from ''the
Report of the Commissioners to inves-
| tigate charges of fraud and corruption
under Act of Assembly, Session 1871
r."
General I. c. Abbott appeared, was sworn,
| and testified.
| q. Were you member OF the Convention
| ana of the Legislature OF lSGS-C9;'
| A. was a member OF the Con ,ention. The
| Legislature met LIST July and organized. | re-
signed Tire 10th day OF July the day after L was
| elected SenatoI
| Q. Did you receive from Mr.. Swepson OF
| Lit:letield i'll the year 1869 various sums OF
| $50 900 or 81 900: Ii 50, state the consilera
| ton of the same, and give The Commission
| a full explanation of the circumstances at
| tending the payment.
| A. received from MIR. Swepson SO O0) il
| different payments. 1 think it was in the year
| 1869. The money was paid to by Swepson
for I.itieteld in salts. action OF unsettled ac-
| count between myself and Littlefei. The
| count originated iii this way Previous to the
| ion
! feeling certain that the Old State bonds
| would sppreciate hy the action OF the t,opyen-
| ton, made a contract with Iittletield and five
other persons, TO wit MesS-s French, Estes
Calvin Lttletield, MIR. Clark, of New York, aud
| NJ. WnslOw, OF New York, to purchase a large
| amount of these bon lis and re scl them on the
| rise a large amount, as l understood, was
| the passage OF the Ordinance ackEowled cling
| the validity OF Ih3 Public Debt. l made free
Inent demands on Gea. Littefield fer a settle
| ment and pay ment to me of my share OF the
| profits. No settlement occurred until the
| Spring of 1863, when it was agreed that Sweep
son was to pay me this amount of S25. OoD which
SweIson pad about the dates specified in the
| account furnished him TO the Commission -
Messrs. Estes and French, men
toned above, were also members of
the Convention, Of the carpet-bag per-
suasion. We think that this testimony
shows, beyond a doubt, that these
parties had the profits of their specu-
lation ION the rise" of the bonds in
view, rather than the highest interest
of the State.
CONCLUDING REMARKS.
Thus far, Sir, we have replied
patiently anu courteously to your
suggestions, because we were disposed
to make every allowance for ignorance
of affairs transacted at SO great Il dis
lance from your sphere of observation
We are not sure, however, that YOU
| L., y, I
hands.
In the first place, there may
well he a doubt "a to the intelligence
or the sincerity of man who avows
that cat all events | am not disposed
to believe the smallest possible wrong
has been intended by Congress" to-
ward the people of the South. It
seems incredible that any man can
make such a declaration with any
knowledge of the conduct of American
affairs during the last eight years.
There are other reasons that lead us
to look upon you as an enemy of the
South, or at least as other than an inn
partial stranger.
You repeatedly ezhort Us, in very
patrOnIzlng manner, to lay aside par
tlzan feeling, but most signally fail to
heed your own exhortatiC~. What
have the New York City dei.tlcations
to do with the ability OF the obligation
of North Carolina to pay the Special
Tax Bonds? BY what authority do
you couple the name of Ex-Governor
Hoffman with the names of Tweed
Conolley u Co? Does not partizan
feeling show itself plainly enough in
that single thing Verify, a suspicious
man would think yea were q full-blown
New York Radical.
Why do You bring in the ku-Klux ?
What have they or their deeds to do
with the ability or the obligation of
the State of North Carolina to pay the
Special Tax Bonds Is there not Il
trace of Radical partizan feeling there
also Your assertion that there are
''tiends who have gone abont at night
disguised and assas sinated hundreds
of our best people for political opin-
ions sake, is SIMPLY false. That our
people, III some instances, were com
PEELED by the failure of the regular
officers of the law to take the law into
their own hands, and, in self-defence,
to administer that Justice that cxpc-
rience had taught them they could no
where else find, even to the extent of
taking life, Is perfectly true that the
persons engaged in these affairs were
tiends, IS untrue; that there were hun
dreds or a single hundred or half
hundred or the half of that of such
cases, is untrue; that the persons thus
executed, without the forms of law,
were OF our best people, is untrue; and
that they were executed for political
opinions sake, is also utterly untrue.
Your assurance that when our people
learn to respect the rights and opin-
ions of others they will be happy, is
simply piece of lmpertinence, worthy
of notice only as another indication of
the preiudiced standpoint from which
yon look upon North Carolina affairs.
Your suggestion that if our people
would contribute the money they ex-
pend in tobacco and whiskey, to sink
ing fund, the State debt would soon
be paid, is unworthy of a place in the
discussion of a question SO grave as
that now under consideration, and