Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1874-10-02
AsoUrHEHN CONVENTION.

The New York Journal Of Commerce,
in order to counteract the proposed
Convention of Southern Republicans,
which is to meet in accordance with
suggestion of the Republican Con-
gressional Committee, to give Con-
gress information Of the true state OF
affairs in this section, suggests the
propriety of Convention in the South,
of taxpayers and business men-rep-
resentatives of the merchants, plan
tiers, lawyers, doctors and mechanics.
That paper does not think Conven-
ton of democrats will answer, because,
like the other, the objection would be
urged that it was a partisan meeting
and that its deliberations would be
clouded by political prejudice.
We have had in the Philadelphia
fasco, where Massachusetts and
South Carolina marched into the Hall
arm in arm, under the flag of the
Union, while the band WAS playing
Hail Columbia" enough of the at
tempts ,of politician to patch up the
troubles of the country. Whether a
Convention of business men and farm
ers, delegates from the exchanges and
boards of trade in the cities, and
farmers oranges III the country, can
accomplish any good, remains to be
seen. It is certain that such a body
of men could present to Congress
correct statment of the real causes OF
trouble in the South, and could
suggest proper reasons therefor.
But to what purpose The Re
publican Congressional Committee
knew when they made the recommend
alton, as Congress will know when the
report is received, that the statement
to be made by this Convention OF
Southern Republicans will be a mere
partisan misrepresentation, intended
to give some shadow of truth to the
wild and slanderous accounts OF
Southern affairs which now fill North
ern papers, and are the burden OF
Northern speeches. Whatever this
Convention declares will be received
by the Mortons and Carpenters of
the Senate, and by the Buffers and
Hears of the House as true, and legls-
lation will be shaped in accordance
Herewith. What, indeed, would a
resolution Of our Produce Exchange
or the Cape Fear Council of the Pa
irons of Husbandry weigh in Congress
beside that of the disreputable clique
of white and black politicians who
hang aroung the Custom House in this
city?
We very mnch fear that the propo.
sition of our able and Jealous New
York contemporary will have little
effect in counteracting the mischief
intended to be done by this meeting
of Southern Republicans. This Con.
vention has been proposed to accom-
plish certain end; it's resolutions are
doubtless already written by the Con
gressional Committee, and have the
endorsement Of Attorney-General
Williams, if not that of the Preai6cnl
himself, and the action which Con
gress is to take upon them has already
been agreed upon.
We believe that no good can come
of any counter Convention. The
Southern people cannot escape the
malignity of Northern politicians by
meetings and resolutions. We have
had enough Of that. We have done
all we could to restore harmony and
prosperity to the country. Our best
efforts have proved futile, and our in
tentions have been misrepresented-
We can do nothing that viii help us
SO much as to attend faithfully to our
own affairs and let the North severely
alone. Let them run the country on
their own schedule, and if we do not
have a smash up, probably we may
finally reach some safe goal.