Wilmington journal., 1875-02-05
EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENTS.


YARBoRo HOUSE.
RALEIGH, n. O., Jan. %, 1876.
My Dear Journal
The more one thinks of it, the more
monstrous seems the prentence set up
by Edward Cantwell, Esq, that he
represents the white people of New
Hanover county. An advocate of the
Civil Rights bill, he declared by his
vote that he preferred a negro-the
negro Mabson-to be the Presiding
Officer of the body of which he was a
member, rather than any of the white
members. And yet he claims to
represent the white men of New
Hanover. Nor can [ forget how
he sought to use his official position
as Solicitor for our District to break
down his political opponents; how he
went from county to county seeking
to force from unwilling Grand Juries
bills of indictment for libel against the
Editors of the JOURNAL; how failure in
one county only seemed to make him
the more determined to achieve sue
cess in another. And now comes to
light tie remarkablefact that he made
arrapeenenIs with the Commander OF
the Revenue Cutter to enforce the
orders of his Court when he fined Mr..
Holmes who called negro by his ac-
knowledged proper name And this
IS the man who claims to represent
the white men of New Hanover But
what brain, save that of Edward Cant
well, would ever have conceived the
idea of executing legal process on dry
land with a Revenue Cutter ? What
an imposing spectacle Sheriff Schenck
would have presented moving up Mar
ket street followed by the Revenue
Gutter ! 1t reminds me very forcibly
of the felicitous speech of the New
Hanover Senator when he congratula-
ted Vice President Wilson upon his hav-
ing "gravitated up to such dazzling
height of glory. :. To no brain but that
which conceived the idea of gravita
ton upward" could have occurred
the idea of Revenue Cutter in q sher-
ifs posse on dry Land
But the matter in hand is far too
serious for mere ridicule or jest. Mr..
Cantwc.-'G speech on yesterday de-
Serves, and sLall receive at my hands,
censure and condemnation far severer
than any that can be conveyed by
ridicple. TIE speech was one of the
most incendiary and shocking charac-
ter, calculated, and if Mr.. Cantwell be
q sane man, one must think intended
to provoke a collision in our city, re-
sistance to law and bloodshed. He
declared the passage of the bill would
justify Federal Intervention; that it
was unconstitutional; that certain peo-
pie would not submit to it; that the
rivers of Carolina would run with
blood.
If blood shall be shed because men,
under the influence of his speech, re-
fuse to obey the laws of the land, let
Edward Cantwell remember his re-
sponsibility. These are no times in
which to counsel men to resist, with
arms, the enforcement of the laws OF
the land. and yet Edward Cantwell
virtually tells men in Wilmington they
may resist the laws provided by the
Legislature for their government.
I have heretofore been very charita-
BILE in my judgment upon Mr.. Cant
wells conduct, for the reason that ]
thought the excentricities of his brain
were SO great as to render him morally
irresponsible. Heretofore I have at
tached but little Importance to his
vagaries; in fact have been amused at
them at times; but when Senator
rises in his place and utters such in.
cendiary sentiments, and 80 blood
provoking as was done on yesterday,
he is neither harmless or amusing,
although he be Edward Cantwell.
That speech ought to damn him for,
ever in the opinion of all law-abidine
men if he be sane. If he be lunatic
he ought not to be permitted to go al
large.
A Senator who publicly proclaims
that law is unconstitutional; that il
will not be obeyed; that its execution
will cause the rivers to run red with
blood, and will justify the interposi
tion of the strong arm of the Federal
Government in the government of a
sovereign State, cannot blame igno
rant negroes and intelligent white
men for believing that he desires tc
teach the doctrine that such resist.
ance is lawful, and that the blood shed
by those making such resistance is
lawfully shed. And this is the man
who claims to represent the peaceable,
law-abiding white men of New Hano
verl
But in spite of all his denunciations
Mr.. Cantwell has failed to point to g
single paragraph in the City Bill that
is unconstitutional Nor, indeed, sc
far as L know. did he attempt to dc
so. But what better ought to be ex.
pected from a native born Southern
Radical? =? Can a silk purse be made
of a sow's carr Mr.. Cantweu con.
demns Grant for sending soldiers tc
interfere in the organization of the
Legislature of the State of Louisiana
and iustifies in advance his interfer.
ence in the organization of the NUM-
cipal Legislature Of the City of Viii
mington ! What consistency Why
should there be one rule for Louisiana
and another rule for North Carolina :
Why should Federal bsyonets and
Federal Revenue Cutters be lawful in
Wilmington and unlawful in New Or.
leans2 Why denounce a Louisiana
Outrage and justify North Carolina
Outrage?