Wilmington journal., 1875-02-12

ment IN rcgaLd 20 all matters OF clt =
zenship embrsoGa Duerein. Congress
assumed to dispose of this matter
without power las the Constitute" th+n
stood. G fjzeusAip was peculiarly Il
question soa1 tie state. rx9ept that
Gungrets might pass l'nf 'rnl NG{ttTG5-
izotiosa laws BY the Acts OF hFcjfl-
struction CCngress d'sfranchi5ed
very large Aumber Of the best clt1zauS
of North Carolina and Invested w5tll
suffrage -scorrz r4@ttn fff':4F-
at4d slaves. This conflict WAS rec9G
nized by Congressy1rfSs q ff ff61 4fs;
cause of the Z 4th @>Afnehf1 Il ettt ron 8
proposed. It cannot there tore be ar.- pr
suu1ed that a5F further fTvasion a
the Constitution rYass- iptelle.td tfnssa
Was absolutely recessa;y F0carFy3 Rb''
the objects of the Acts, toward til
formation OF civil government.
4th Wise prudeptlat reasons re
quired it to be restricted. The dis
franchising and enfrauehisin2 c:au~es
of those Acts would take the polite~.
control from those who. We're acclla
toned to the duties Af cisizaD sh5;},s
from those who were trained IL tii,-
study and administration .oI govern
uent, and transfer them to abody rf IL t4II
newIy emerged from bondage, tot1aFr
ignorant OF the nature of gnyer;lm euT :;
10 men likely 10 bs rhisieQ or de!nded
by any needy adyeutslrer. Who might I
choose to practice npop their eraduiItT
and confidence. the result prayi I hr
foresight of Congress; tsveTyth ag
ia that Convention was mould u ttf?d
si.aped by tIat class OF pleus lho- pc"
rIe OF North Carolina fo11adtnoce' ~
speak for them there. A Iie9 world
have made q stand Tor AeE .tHaIsnt ~
stitu IONS aud laws, but they were 81
lenced and para.yzedo 1y. ,Gtfc then
dreaded cry OF disiuy atty
Thus, whether We book to the 5tjer
of the power under which that Cou-
veutiop acted; who her we apply tht,
we'll settled rules of cunstruc.i"n
| above all, when we iOok to the int,-t1t
and purpoS.- OF Congress rs expressed
| III the very name by which those act-
| are Reconstruction act =:
acts for rebuilding a government
| wuich has been t.estrpyea--we are
! forced to the conclusion that iIs pow
! ers were iinit-d to the formation Of
: "A Constitution, aud 10 that iti,5ne Tht.
| cnnr!u oI then Is In"v} sable that the
/ Convention haViES exee edo q its p0&
! err, the bonds issued uudrr its s5u-
| lhorjty are utterly and abs'stlJtp'y
| void. .. Il
! Il VIII be observed that !ai whit =
/ hare suba4l;tf q ~ 10 flte Rernustt'
! ;iun acts, uochIra AfYa nenp sa;'i = o Il. :
puGu Their y..,!disH. 4 T., caniIut d e
! doubted that ia ttita :,g.rli,>.t ui re. OIL
! 7tructiou. srt;I wa~ .i2u Ii, WttlGh w,
/ necessarily. III he eOu1sl uigttnls. i d
to disturbance. Ilat to GoHfi-c a. q
I property because ii IS uanoxIDli$sto the
ms j"rtv. Is a Ia9garcilSi u:ECp0ert.
! The feeling onc57 SO. struzg ag;.iust
! Il property NOW. ,Atiuct, Is gather
! Ing strength dsti y against csrpu-
rate property S!nce cuporaitnfs
/ nave aL,LI. eli titir pT3SeIt c>RiO -s,'i
/ proportions, duni1nfsng tle agucut
| tUral Interests, u.O1!dinE at will tllI
/ i"glSiatloI OF th6 country, especia..y J
! our National Legislation, theGe * /
! settled feeling that they have become
! dangerous 10 the Governments. This
! species OF property, III It's turn. mE'
! become the subject NJ attack Loot
/ ing 20 iho PIE etlsie,tb uu establishing,
! by the Reconstruction Acts. the st ca
r!ty OF this ciass of pI. peroy mii~r {
! regard, q as very 4rcI almin;~5'eG q.
/ Tue nrlpclp.e Is eStRhilfied tn. Coy
ernment Iuny couhscato at vail y y
! kind OI property winch has p<cyme OH-
! AcAIops to the ma iori;r,, uputzh Shat
! property be pEuCs Ct !. by r. Gems III
/ tioD, hy statutes and DP decisions rlu-
J ming back through a century of sisu ..
! 1t canuot be douit1d that the be-tAi
way would have oeen flat B4ich Eng
Land adopted il datiiLg 8itII tha sam,
! description OF properly and with tht
borough interests OF trat h;,icdniH
Public feeling was st-on@.y excited
/ against both, bat ;3.e s,.lUi,e- S, ntimaslt
| of Justice den,audtd That cpmprus4
! tion shunld be made for bytn. 81.
| the l3ril.cirif of E4eonatruc:ion j. -
/ question which is foreign to the pres
ent purpose.
! So much for the bonds ISSUED under
/ the authority OF the Convention.
| Those were, however, IN amount com
paratively small. Let Us nroc. ed r.
! those issued by the authority OF tn
| Legislature q 1S6S-'69 aud '69-7U,
which make Up tie bulk OF what is
! called the New Debt.
There Is no part of the history #
North Carolina, to wu.an an honest
man who loves his State, reeurs witt
! 50 much pain as the. historyof that
! Legislature. It seemed 10 be auima
ted by one feeling only, to bring down
our Gear Old Commonwealth 30 the
lowest point OF degradatiou; to Ltr-
stroy, utterly, tue few wrecks and rem
nants of property spared to US by the
war. The Fraud Commission Report
develOpes "a state Of .acts in regard +,
the Legislature alike unprecedented
! and shocking; yet Incapable. of dcniaf
being established by the. sworn test-
mo1y of the chief acLors, To aNsi1'
the deliberations OF tic members, q *rce
! Dai room was set up Ia one WIuG OF
She Capitol, Being freely resortod TO
the sessions exhibited con.ln i. q
scene of riotous and drujLen levei
Ii the press of the Stat can be iuSt
ed-apd it is always held to he legiTi-
mate evidence on qnes sioiis, like this,
other scenes were exhibited there Of p
nature that can only be darkiy hinc..ti
at; scenes that belong to the lowest
haunts of vice a.l.d erin1ti! Eht pro-
ceedings of this Legislature w4re
OF d piece with q these thu e.
things We're forD.ett through whom
only could access be tad to- the LceiS-
lature. At the head of these were a
lew OF those .m1seIeaats spaa ned uoOu
ti0 at tiit;' tLtotpp.y ms, from Ibr-
worst part OF the. NortiI-men det, s
ed ana spurned there as here = With
them even joined SOME few5from on
own State; tel o,Vs OF the hascr sort
VINO had b en thrown mp tttmporarilF
by the agitation of; thai Y iutio =.
just rs by deep st,Erfpg tt,t rnu,i il
thrown np to the sifach.i By t1ese i;
sy tenn OF fraud, p4cH iatinn and Ven
aiity was organized, tie like OF gvhitt
had not until that time bes.n sts'n! A.
regular lslatIve brokerage Wa
established, and Mh-evcri wanted All
act passed had 30 puy-s tee to tt,5
ring. What tie fee on a,l Ordinary
act was, IL lot known: the avMeacr
does nob show But foe iar1it GA raii-
road bonds, we have under their ovyr!
oath; 1t WAS tea per cent. 0n;nI tie
bonds, voted. WHAT the horde of nleu.-
bers received g are ignorant Of: for
here, too, the evidence is silent. 1t
wass" most profitable traffic, and in the 4
ErO- -tCutI0u OF IT fhpY, wuS