Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1875-01-01

er telligent i'll its terms and North Care
r hnlan IL its pirit and taste.
a. / have no fears OF q Conventio
le without limitation of powers. Ths
to which deyisedthe present Constitutio
e. was unlimited, and if it was worthy c
,e trust, 1 have no apprehension of usu,
II patton or abuse from q body chose
e. under the more favorable auspices Q
,e the present period. Bat If it b
5e thought necessary 10 impose limits
le there are precedents il North Carolin
II of great authority. Both of the Con
d vention8 called by the Legislature t,
:, deliberate on the adoption of tn,
II Federal Constitution IN 1888 and 1889
i We're constituted to consider Of tina
h subject. and Oh a single ameDdmen
: each, in the State Constitution. EacI
: made the amendment proposed to tlt
i Constitution OF the State; the one re
:. Jecte3 AID the other adopted the Fed
a eral Constitution; neither essaycd tc
t go beyond its limits. Dut 10 DANCE.
) can arise from the absence OF limits, if
!, as [ presume, is Intended, the Consti-
l tuition prepared, shall be submitted tc
t the popular vote fer adoption.
: The colocod people entertain distrust
OF the measure, from anprchensi0ns OF
: an abridgement q Their rights. Bat
) this will be sen to I've grnundless,
when it IS clyed, that they have
full protection UIGer :he Constitution
OF the United States, if thee were a
disposition to infringe on their prlvif
eges, which do not believe exiats.
Equally uutoUnded, would be a14y
fears Of the loss OF the provisions for
Homestead and other exemptions now
existing IL favor OF falling debtors.
The policy Is tyo well established to
be abridged, aIi froln recent inlica-
ti0rs they may rather be expected to
be enlarged and confirmed BY any set
Of del gatts tl.at may be chosen.
The only grounds Of disiIclinatjon
10 the step "norp orr Conservative
friends seem 10 bo founded on the
sHipo.ition that the peop.e are not
supposed 20 - alive to IT'S adoption:
ana this Inference IS drawn mainly
from tie issue Il the election Of 1877.
| upon tie C~HvcntIoH question as then
propD ci. But it is a grea5 mistake
| to lma8!no that the present question is
! the parallel of that. ThaI w.,s = pro
| position that the people should. by
| their Fote, under proVisio.,s of Law
made by The II7gisiature, ell Con
vontiOn 10 amend TIC Constitution. It
was opposed on the grounds that the,
p nOple did not possess rh1s power eTeu
with the sanction OF the Legislature.
iGas1nu"h as other modes Ct amend
me'lt We're provided in the Constitu- !
t on. i had given InJsc:l consjle ration /;
to the subject then, ard at previous |
period, and was fully convinced that it !
was right OF the people, which, with |
the appreciation OF the General As |
sombiv, they were at liberty to exer-
Csc whenever such appreciation might |
be Obtained; and [ have been gratifed |
to observe, tLat by means of its cxer- !
c:se recently, III the State of Arkansas. |
tne Conservatives aud Democrats OF |
that so,ate have formed q Constitution |
IL cOnsOnaucc with the wants Of an |
overwhelming majority Of the people, |
and elected Mr.. 4. II. Garland, one OF |
the most able and upright statesman
III the Southwest, 10 the office Of Gov ,
ernOr. IUt orr friends IL this State, /
OF the profession of the law especially,
in many instances, differed from the
theory which we maintained; while the |
whole body OF our opponents were
clamorOus III their opposition, threat
enlng resistance by force in case I.
OF our success, and claiming that !
they would Lo supported il such !
course ~ TIE authority Of the T.
United States. IN this way, we lost
the election by a small majority. But
the question noEE presented, Is ,iivest-
ed ct any tefro1s IL our patti, ii it is
deemed besc TO pursue ii. IL the wis
dom Of the Legislature. The 2ower
to call q convention by vote II two
thirds Of each house, IS OK undouhtcd
authority: as little to be Guest oned as
the power to pass nu appropriation |
bill. There can lie &c pretext for in
terftrelGe or Lillran<,A on tile part OF
the Government Of tiie United States,
and IN charity we must believe, no
disposition. 1t addresses itself, there
fJre to the General Assembly IS a
great question OF domestic policy and
duty, whether they will ALLOW the nGc-
pie al opportunity, through agents OF
theIr own selection to lelnsptct the
machinery Cf their government, and
readjust II according TO tLa wants and
welfare OF society as 1t exists at this
day. Since the lsVtrse Of fortunes
which has 0Yertehan Iii, tie great bo-
dy OF the people have been engaged
IL SO earnest a struggle fC the recu-
DeratiOn OF means to maintain and ed
ucate families ana fulfill their duties
/
leisure to devote to public affairs, and
have been less sugSestlva to t;:9ii rep
rest ntativos t.i&n ia% perhaps been
their custom.
But they arc rot inseusib,c of their
rights and dignity as freemen, and are
fully capable OF dealing with this sub
ject III all its bearings. And il, as
seems 10 bo imagined, they haze Il
blind revcrcTice for a Constitution,
which II IS difficult 40 cye,c0me, it will
probably he found 10 apply 20 that,
which has been suppiante:i. rather
than to this, which :eigns in its stead.
Whatever OF real reform there may be
in the present, would no doubt be re-
tanned, whist III every thing else il
should yield 10 fiir jaG Gmelit ot those !
who are TO be subjected to is rule.
AS to slia eZncusts u q Convention,
it is but Il minor consideration, con-
pared with the general revision cI the
IL, lea,il i)tation to the
present phase rf 0ur "ti';iire nd the
new hope and c"1l"?c'-, ,.-.-. which,
under g leio4n.ei Spveri.j-. M, We
shall pursue cur onward march to a
higher civilization ANA prosperity.
an, w,iA .5c;'t,s -! !s..:',
Gonttcn4cH, your cot s2rv't,
" ~ GHAHAI.
To + tho Homo: able 1[,ssYs. Il. 2.
WarirG, GO. :, .!.la14son, ". Foster
Frenril. Ldvin W ke,r, J. &. Mar
Ter. Z. II. Bu~bse, 9. u Cooke and
}. /. fiOrejead, t'enatois Sc.
DARD=N Mr.gs, nrooab'y y tie largest
MAJ. Ct =. cord, born Iii Evrth Csuo'i-
la IL l1.tS. ii. q IN Henderson cuun'v,
Tennessee. January q. lnE7 IL ars
: ls-,-t ::.s,. . ltoi@s L.-i., ;...,i in i~45
',N pourdS. ~ III, ;'c:,'l II his
Wei sght e.l~ .. site ov,r 1000 ppn1sIs
UHiii 1872 na va, .ct:vn an, .iy,iT,
and allie to labor, huy from that tl,ne