Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1874-12-04

away from the pOllS ana GI0 not EOts
at all, and this class is mostly in favor
of a Convention and also to the ina
bility Of the RAIDS to vote negroes Sc
'ften as heretofore, owing to tie new
suffrage law. So that there is nothing
to lose by Radical opposite
But it is said that the move is iuex
pedient for another reason: That the
| people have shown thai they are OPP
! posed to a Convention because they
voted down the propos. ton il 1871
Now, the truth is, the largest C3nser.
vative vote polled since The war but
one mp to that time was given for q
Convention in 1871, AID that, TOO,
when the manner of calling 1t was rot
! only believed to be unconstitutional
! bu5 was opposed by large numbers OF
| Conservatives for that reason; Eicu
! the subject was surrounded with grave
| and most embarrassing feature; vi."I
| the people were threatened vita
| Federal interference and told "a i!e
Convention would not be permitted &,
assemble. Still, notwithstanding these
and Cther opposing obstacles were
thrown in the way, the freemen OF
North Carolina, the taxpayers, the
cjtizo0S Of ADglo-Saxon blood, rose i'll
their might and gave the largest VOC
il Was possible for them to do, erbar
rassed, inundated and DISTINGUISHED
a, many of our best paopie were at
that time. What lid thi3 great upris-
ing of The pcci.,t sh08? Why, Il
showed that al t-ta Moth { ro!iniaus
were anxious - h. = Crl!y.:- ton for
the purpose of 'ln.EH :tW>y with the
bayo4et-inpu s,l Yai.Ieo Constitution,
and for restoring tht Old one made by
their own flvor.ta sans. So anxious
were they 20 rial til, insciYcs OF the
CanbT Constitution and 10 restore the
old enc properly amended that they
we're II . measure needless as to the
manner Of effecting the objects. They
listened with little respect 20 tic GrI,;i-
,acnts against tho constitUtionnhtY Of
the project, and Gcicd the threat Of
further reconstruction and the Federal
power.
Aftar this how absurd it's for any one
to say that the people are opposed t. a
Convention .
But It is sait! Tia: t:le failure Of =
Convention in 1871 was the case OF
Nerrimon's defeat il 1872. Never
vas there greater mistake. li-rti-
mon got several thousand mere vote.
than the Convention wear before,
and it would have Be II Q;i!ts; s*rInt-,
if he lad not; for the far OF Ed r,
ha"oIcts had begun - ear uiI. and
besides good Citizens, many OF W!Irll
had resolved after the war never -
vote again, had begun to realize the
necessity of again taking part III the
aii.lrs OF government, and We're turn-
ing cat. The true cIu5e 81 :. 1rgiE.Uu'S
defeatwas the attempt cf tie parry 10
swallow Greedy; otherwise, Meriiilaa
would have been elected i.y tcu 81
fifteen thousand majority. While this
fact is as evident Gs aay hing can be.
i IS remarkable that The : L. papers
that we're SO vehement y :,,.ir awe
cec,y o; thu Greeley move :,.G now 5D-
posed 10 4 Convention.
Some q the ant Con .e..t.o4 Mcn.
It would seem, have really fallen =
love with the miserable Iunie,-dy-
visul. b2r 5net-cufogced Cons t.lut:or;
for they tell Us al We need Is i1nj =.
tue Conservatives to administer tue
Constitution and the laws, thereby l.
mating that the Constitution IS good
enough II only Conservatives eau HA.d
yifice under it. The man must be il.i:
one remove from IL sim plctJn vino
lOiLs such Il position or he must think
I'll others fools AID can't see thfyu-..
,ucaftmsy sOph,sty. Every o!fice-hOIu-
= takes 4 SOLEMN cath TO OoeY t!ic { =
titutlon aud laws and to use al the
'oG er he has or lay possess 10 ..-fOscc
hem. Ii they arc bad and oppressive
he more sensible will the people Icei
heir effe cts if they are rigidly enforced,
s they will be if We have honest men
o do it. This plea is an admission of
be bad character Of tie Consultation,
nd the plan suggested to avoid its
urdens originates i'll sctlishness or
gnt rance.
Again, we are told that the move is
rematura: that the people have not
cen consulted as to whether they de
ire Convention; that the subject
'as not discussed IN the las: canvass.
nd that Il should be postponed for
NO years, when it can be carried
lrOugh, &c
How the move can be regarded as
rematura, We confess we are unable ,
} see. Ii there is any policy OF tie !
Conservative party in this State more {
early avowed and more universally +
greed upon than another, it is that a {
onyeation should be called at tie 9
Try first opportunity offered. just as =
'on az a two-thirds Conservative vote 7
the Legislature is secured. That ;
tie We now have, ard we may never =
ave 1t again, and the party is riedc- ;
|, under obligations to the yeople. 10 !
II Convention. It has the ncces- 9
ry power iii the Legislature 10 full q
l its promises. The opportunity Y
nv h0y.1 anna
bound to embrace it and make good =
J promises. The question d:d not =
ed to be discussed III the last cam :.
ign. 1t was sufficiently we'll under Il
GOD Is Il part Of the settled pro y
ammo Of the party long since agreed E
'on: The people have already spoken -
the subject-spohcn in tones of Z
under at a time when every effort -
Is made to stife their voice. Their .,
ton in 1871 cannot be nistai1e15. =
far rs it was possible for them to r.
they set the seal OF their conGeu- =.
ton upon the present Constitution. r.
'ar!y four years Of experience ~
We more fully tended to demon ~ =,
ate the wisdom oS their action, since 81
} Constitution has been proved more z,
nglesome aud oppressive than 1t p.
~ eiiNI t1-OtASttS ~ ". Livery Gay n {
J shown new defects, and estab- ~
he'd its utter uusuitableness TO the IL
Of the pecpio Of North Carolina
~ then postpone the call Of Cor r
ltloD necessary to effect the desired m
lnges The answer is that it is IL 90
,edient. How SO ? Well, they say, ~
Convention is called the people 70
vote against il, and the RAIDS will r.
It us in 1876 The Presidential ~,
cti on takes place in 1876, and we he he
uld not cumber ourselves with the f.,
lventiOn move, lest it result in the ~;
te's going for the Radical nominee w.
President. Hut wait two years and -
will elect Democratic President a. 49,,
carry the Convention also. a.
low such talk is the merest twad- 5e
There is no possible way for the IN
ing OF Convention to result in in tass
? to the party. Ii bill is passed 81
a two-thirds vote, authorizing the - ~
'tion OF delegates to Convention, PC pc
the people have to do is to elect p;'
Il men, and they viii be as likely to i D,I
That as they were in the last cam rea