The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1889-05-30
He Explained the Causes and Results
of the Changes.
HE POINTED OUT THE DANGERS
AHEAD AND THE DUTY OF THE
RISING GENERATION IN
AVOIDING THE SANK.
He Related Many Pleasing and
Interesting Stories and Incl
dents About the Unique
Characters of the Last
Century.
HUNTLEY, N. c., May %, 'S9.

On last Friday Hon. Kemp P.
Battle, LII. D., President of the
University Of North Carolina,
delivered the annual address be-
fore the closing exercises of Sa-
lem High School and the 14th
Anniversary of the Philotechnic
Literary Society. After being
very happily and gracefully in
troduced by Mr.. II. E. Paison, a
member of the University Grad
uating Glass of 'S1, and q rising
young attorney of the Clinton
bar, the learned doctor and dis
tinguished educator proceeded,
and for an hour held the atten-
tion Of large and promiscuous
audience with one of the most
instructive addresses it has ever
been our good fortune to hear.
We had hoped to be able to treat
the readers of The CAUCASIAN
with a reproduction of the ad-
dress in full, but for several rea-
SONS the Doctor would not con-
sent for the document to be put
in print at present, but promis-
ed it to us for a future issue.
Therefore we are forced to give
you brief outline or synopsis
only of it at present:
He opened by stating that as
this was a centennial year and
so much had been said about the
United States Constitution, the
changes in our National Govern
ment, from pulpit and forum,
that it would not be inappropri-
ate to take a review of our Con-
stitution and Government OF
1776 and to trace a century's
changes up to the establishment
of our present Constitution in
1876.
He first went into a discussion
of the principles underlying
the Constitution of 1776, and
showed, though the idea Of the
people was that each branch of
the Government-Legislative,
Executive and Judicial-should
be separate and distict, yet such
were their horror of the Judges
aud Governors appointed by the
King Of England, and under
whom they had lived during CO.
l lonial times, when their only
safeguard and protection lay in
a representative Legislature,
that, in their desire to curb the
powers of these officers, they
went too far and put them al
most entirely uuder the control
of the General Assembly. This
was oleCIeu:
1st. By having the Governor
elected by the Legislature and
then for one year only, and Civ
ing that body power to reduce
his salary during term Of office
End. By having the Legisla
ture to select the Council of
State, wiz, Secretary of State
Auditor, Treasurer, Attorney
General, etc., which council
was to watch the Governor rath-
} er than advise him.
3rd. The Legislature also gov
erned the pardoning power Of
the Governor, and appointed
and paid the officers and mem
bers of the State militia
4th. By placing the salaries
of Judges under the control OF
the Legislature.
9TH. While the Judges hele
for life, or rather during goo(
behavior, yet the Legislature
could get rid of them by abol
, ishing their offices.
In addition to these autocrat
F.. ic powers which the Legislature
held over Governor and Judges
it also had unlimited power o.
/ taxation and exemption from
t the same. Also Of running th'
, the State in debt. NotWith
= standing these tremendous pow
= ers, our Legislative bodies il
3 the main acted unwisely, excep
that they showed a rather nig
: gardly economy toward public
7 improvements and the materia