The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-08-18
NORTH CAROLINA.

| Is 10 nave CONSTITUTIONAL convention,
whether in that Convention the Conservative
will have majority, or whether, in case Il
Radical Republicans have majority Of del
I gates, they will bolt the Convention, as thu
threaten to do, and thereby break it up. I'll
majority of delegates on either side must /
= small, not exceeding two or three. If Il
Conservatives prevail, it is, perhaps, as we
: for the party at large in other States that
should be by majority SO small as to prever
extreme changes in the fundamental law {
the State. For while we concede to GU
Democratic friends in North Carolin
as much adroitness, reticence and sagacit,
as We claim for those of our own State or an
other, We still remember that their existing
Constitution is the result Of that reconstruc
ton in which the bayonet weighed more thai
the ballot-box, and has not at any time repre-
sented the will of one-fifth part of North Car
olina's white voting citizens. The electiv,
franchise was put into the hands of the ne
groes without qualification as to property o.
education, very much to the disgust and
chagrin of large part of the people And
now the people want an opportunity to revise,
peacefully and without restraint or compul.
sion, freely and without hindrance or inter.
meddling, the action of the Candy delegates,
in order to correct that action so far as affects
the law-making power. The wish is a natural
meeting of the Convention it will be the first
time since the war that Southern State has
been permitted in Convention to express the
true desires and earnest convictions of her
people.
There have been in North Carolina great
many abuses perpetrated by the Radicals un-
der the auspices of the Federal Government,
and by the procurement of adventures and
vagabonds. If the Conservatives prevail in
the convention they will naturally try to rec
tify these abuses, and restore a regime
of purity and fair dealing. By the light of
the experience of eight years of direct or in
direct government from the Federal Radical
authorities at Washington, the Conservatives
will so guide their action as to secure to
North Carolinians the power to govern their
State, and to render Federal intermeddling
no longer practicable.
The supporters and defenders of Grant and
the Radical policy have brought extraordinary
influence to bear in the late election in North
Carolina, for the purpose of defeating Con-
sentative efforts to change the Constitution of
the State; influence plainly apparent in the
close vote in spite of the large Conservative
majority, as shown in former State elections.
They now endeavor to forestall the action of
the Convention, to create prejudice against
its action in advance and to prevent anything
which the antiR sdical delegates may do, to
The prejudice of the Democratic party at
arge As one of the numerous evidences of
his purpose, we quote paragraph from the
Providence Journal of August 18th, as fol-
lows:
This Convention, in which it is probable |
hat the Democrats will have majority of
)ne or two, although the minority of the |
Convention will represent majority of the |
people, is called to frame a new Constitution
which shall eliminate the Republican features
# the present organic law, and restore the
pirit and the practical effect of slavery, which
hall re. establish the distinction of caste, and
ring back, practically, under another name,
he institution of human bondage 1t is plain
rom the popular vote that such Constitu-
ion would fail of rattle alton, but Judging
rom the former practice of the Democratic
arty in the South, especially from the mode
y which the ordinances of secession were
breed through plant conventions upon I'M
Killing constituents, it would not surprise us
a. NJ, IL s. |
n the principles of slavery, secession and re-
elton, and declare it to be the supreme law,
'lthout the formality of submitting it to the
eople. But if this be DONE it may not be
le end of the matter.
Here briefly but significantly are set forth
le accusations which the Radicals of the
orth intend to bring against the Democrats
I'D Conservatives of Moth Carolina, and by
APPLICATION against all the white people of the 6
outh. With whatever wisdom, caution, JUS
CO and circumspection Conservatives may
1t in the Convention, their action will be
storted and misrepresented by the Northern
adical speakers and writer's in every possible
amer that bitter and settled hatred can '
,ggest to practicsd cunning and wicked i
genuity.
All the debates in the Convention will be 7
ported to the Radical press and scrutinized b
7 Radical editors with eager vigilance, in J
der to catch up, distort, magnify and mis- a
present the sentiments and utterances of t
onservstive speakers. If the Convention e
ould do anything to throw greater safe Il
lards around the elective franchise, or to D
ke from ignorance and blind passion the Il
'wer to do injury, or to place wholesome G
eek on the hasty action Of majorities, or g
better guard the States reserved rights 81
I'm Federal invasions and encroachm snts, o
rtisan clamor will at once break forth to be p
hoed from ocean to ocean, through the Al
lole of the great campaign of 1876. b
We have little doubt that the Democrats of n
,rth Corolina in their Constitutional Con- ie
ntion will be we'll advised. They know C,
1T home reforms can do their people but al
all service unless the central Radical ir