Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1874-09-25
almost growing in her once honored

t. halls.
W The State burdened with O heav
It fraudulent debt-her resources appa
r rently exhausted, her credit ruined
: and her people burdened by oppres
6 sive taxation.
q The administration of the laws il
Il many instances q by-word and q re
/, proach, the cost of litigation greatl-
e increased, and the ''Codo itself unin
f telligibie even to the most learned"
y And finally, no adequate protection
# for property from excessive taxation
! whereby the holder may be secured
f in the fruits of his toll and industry.
: If the narrative [ have given is true
and hundred thousand witnesses il
8 North Carolina sustain it, then I sub
: NIT that each of the foregoing propo
e sltions is proved to a demonstration.
That the Constitution needs amend
4 ment is conceded, but the question
e is, how should this be effected, by s
f Convention, or by the Legislative
S mode.
If the Constitution required amer d.
$ ment in some unimportant, not Vita
S particular, we might prefer the Legis-
latlve mode, and possess our souls in
patience throughout the whole tedious
5 process. But it requires remodelina
: from ''turret to foundation stone" and
l the Legislature is not the body to do
the work. Oppressed as the members
/ of such an assembly are with the de-
tails of public and private bills, and
the distractions arising from the i'm
!, portunities of constituents seeking to
) push through pet schemes, they can
not be supposed to be able to give that
consideration to the framing of the
organic law, which its great Importance
demands. Another reason of, it ap-
pears to me, much weight against
this mode, is the fear OF the action of
the Supreme Court, which is likely to
modify any amendment that may be
thus proposed. This seems to have
| governed somewhat the extent and
scope of the omendmentsnowp pending,
and was confessedly considered in the
structure of the election law, which
exempts some OF the members of that
body from its operation, for no rea-
son that could be discovered. except
that otherwise the Court would declare
the Act IN certain particulars to be an
constitutional and void.
Our changed social relations, the
| depreciation ard loss of property, and
| tho consequent universal distress, the
result q the war, anl which followed
It's Waie, demanded changes in the
organic law. Some were made by
| the Convention Of 1868, and others
again by that Of 1868, which no one
| proposes to disturb. But at 10 period
| since the surrender, have our people
been free 10 speak and to act before
the present year. Now the citiaens of
the State age f,.ly enfranchised, and
! perhaps there is not prominent man
among lis Ineligible to Office. Free
to speak and TO act, free to
elect and to select, We can call togeth-
er body OF men, of enlarged patriot
ism, eminent for virtues and integrity,
identified with our interests, who will
do no wrong, who will form a Corsti-
tuition adapted to our wants, fully pro-
tecting, at the same time, the rights
Of all without regard to race, color
or previous condition.
But it is objected that by the call
of Convention, we will excite the
fears of the negroes lest We may cur
tail their rights, and of the timid
among the whites, lest we may strike |
the homestead provision from the Con-
stitution. While it is admitted that !
such fears are entirely groundless, it
is suggested that they may, neverthe-
less, be worked upon to our injury.
Since the first hour that the negroes
became entitled to vote, they have vo-
ted as unit. Devoid of political in
telligence, they have followed, as if
by animal instinct, the lead of the dis |
honest politicians, who have, SO far as
in their power lay, ruined and dis |
graced the State. We have allowed |
the negro TO be used as a bugbear |
long enough. Never until we marched |
up and met him ct the 'color-line"
which he had SO long dared lis to np- |
proach, did We succeed in the political |
contest. Whether we propose to mod |
ify the Constitution by Legislative en-
actment, or by Convention, We will
alike meet with his oppo sition, and we |
are also to do without his supports.
The Constitution Of the United States |
protects the rights OF thenegro I'VE could |
not curtail them if we would and we |
would not if we could. If he cannot |
understand and appreciate this, it is 4 |
hopeless task to try to enlighten him
The white people concede to the he
gro an equality Of political rights, but |
are not willing that he should be vest |
ed with mere. They will not bend |
their necks to the yoke of negro supre-
macy. If there is to be any supremacy |
in North Carolina, let it be that of !
law, order and prosperity, aud not ne
gro supremacy.
There is not white voter Of respec- |
liability i'll North Carolina, who would |
sustain any attempt to set aside the |
homestead clause Of the Constitution,
To exempt from execution real prop |
erty in fee, Of the value of one tho =
sand dollars, and personal property of |
the value OF five hundred dollars, has |
become the fixed policy OF TIE |
State, ana it is not III the power Of |
any man, lie he knavc Or fool, to de- |
Jude the people into the belief that the
Conservative party desire to overturn
that policy, in the preservation Of
which, the white man and not the ne
gro, is mainly Interested.
But all such objections must be ef-
fectualiy silenced by the fact that It is
not necessary to submit the call of a
Convention to the popular vote. If
two-thirds of the Legislature should
be in favor Of it, that will be sproof
positive that it meets with the public
sanction The demagoguc will not
then have any opportunity to ''plJ his
VOCATION" by working on the fears of
the ignorant and the timid. When the
Convention shall have done its work,
the people vii have an opportunity
thoroughly to examine it. They will
then see that the rights of the races
preserve their equality, ana that the
Hor- estcad IS fixed on sure and solid
basis.
He who ROW remains silent is der
elico in the duty which, as a citizen,
he owes to his State. Whether for, OF
against, Il Convention, We ought to
speak out like men, and give to each
! other the benefit of Our counsel. For
! this reason, and because Of the impor
tarce Of the subject, L have examined
and discussed it at much length. For
| tune favors uS-let Us neet her half
way.
! "Wis:om a. Il fortune combating together
! II tat t4e former dare but what il can,
Nc chance may shake il "
| 4 CITIZEN.
| hc most astonishing cUre / chronic tIarr-
| hoe. we ever heard CT is t'I%t of Wm. Clark,
/