Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1874-11-06
For the journal.
Co,2S ScHtiOn-Letter from q Distfn.
GIlished Citizen of Mecklenburg.
che Groying feeling in favor of
Convention.


Con. cntiOn-Letter from a Distfn.
| Giaished Citizen of MeckIenburs.
che Grovving feeling in favor Of
Convention.
CHARLOTTE, Oct. %, 1874.
Gentlemen For one am obliged
to you for the great ability, pertinaci-
ty and zeal with which you have advo-
Gated the calling of Convention.
There is just one point which wish to
ventllate (the changes necessary to be
made have been fully argued) and it is
this Judge Eowle and others have
attributed the defeats of the Conserva-
tive party in 1872 to the calling of a
Convention by the Legislature in 1871.
In the first place, l would remark
that the revolution which took place
IN 1870 and bore into the Legislature
SO large majority of Conservatives,
was not IN any sense OF the word q
party triumph. It was produced as is
well known, by the corruption OF the
Legislature of '6S-'9 and by the course
Governor Holden took in declaring
certain counties in insurrection, the
suspendlng the writ of habcas corpus,
the urresting unoffending citizens, their
brutal treatment, their threatened trial
by drum-head court martial, the
bringing into the State such scoundrels
as Kirk and Burgin, with their bands
Of cut throats, to overawe the people,
and the paying them out Of the State
treasury. These were the causes
which swept the Radicals from power
and gave the Legislature to the Con-
Seryatlves.
was one of those who doubted the
policy of calling q Convention in 1871,
not because l distrusted the people,
cut because it violated established Gus
tom in doing SO without the requisite
two-thirds majority. After it had been
determined upon and the campaign
opened, l made an extensive canvas,
going to counties not only in this but
contiguous districts, and was satisfied
then that the reasons why Convention
did not carry was the doubt the peo-
pie entertained as to the legality of
The call. They preferred to bear the
ills they had rather than to run the
risk of government under two Con-
stitutions. the Supreme Court hold
ing to The old one, the Legislature to
new one. This together with some
misgiVings in regard to the homestead,
were in my opinion, the only reasons
why Convention was voted down.
Now neither of these causes inter-
yene. The Federal Courts have taken
the retroactive feature OF the Homo
stead provision from the control even
Of a sovereign Convention, and if the
dominant purity is united the call can
be made by the requisite constitutional
majority.
2nd. The failure to sustain the call
for Convention had no bad effect on
the prospects of the Conservative par
ty in 1872, as can be fully proved by
reference to the official vote of 1870
and 1872. 1t will be seen that Judge
Merrimon actually received many
more votes than Judge Shipp. Our
defeat then Is attributable not to any
damage our party received, by reason
of the call of Convention, but to the
Radicals importing votes, the corrGp-
tions practiced and the frauds perpe-
trated, and had the Legislature
made the proper Investigation, as was
it's bounden duty this would have been
| made manifest. Why, a member of
the Legislature boasted at the public
table that he received a considerable
sum of money for voting the negroes
taat were sent from Washington City
into one OF the Eastern counties. /
think an examination of the official
vote of this summer will show that
our majority now is owing in a great
| measure not SO much to our increased
| vote as to the Radicals failing to vote
! in many localities.
! Gentlemen of all parties in this sec
! ton differ widely with Judge Fowle
ia regard to the election Of Judges. In
| the whole range of my acquaintance
! know not a single prominent man who
/ does not deprecate the present mode
! and earnestly desire to return to the
old plan. The township system is nc
favorite with us. Our people would
/ like to have the old County Court sys.
! tenn restored, modified and improved
They were the peoples Courts and
they have never become reconcited tr
, their abolition.
The letter Of Judge Manly and that
of the gentlemen of the Wilmington
Bar, have put the people to thinking
and consequently the cause of Con
yention has increased immensely IN
public favor STEEL CREEK.
The Statesville American says: W
y. Marshall, CT Alexander county.
most qniet and estimabie citizen, al
We learn from DR.. j. F. Long. Of thit
place, was severely stabbed by his
brother, on last Thursday, wishou
any provOcation, and lies III critica
condition. Mr.. Marshall had been t.
Tlylorsvi le to obtain his mail, ano
that of tenant who resides near Iii
rcsilen Q, and on his return, went t.
the house OF his tenant to deliver tha
potion OF the mail matter belonging
to him. AT the house he found hi
brother, who was much intoxicated
abusing the tenant and his family
AMI mildly attempted to persuad
him to desist and go with him home
The two went out at the door together
when the intoxicated and mnrderou
brother wheeling in front, plunged
very long knife into the stomach ant
abdomen of his brother, causing tn
: intestines to fall out and a large flo'
of blood. Mr., Marshall is we'll know