The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-12-10

>~o L1~A1S 80 - ti-t { tf
land Mountains two shillings TO-
100 acres. At that same sess
act, Chapter 35, he frees a No
slave by the name of Mary Ions
The Convention OF 1855.
On July 2o, 1888, the CONVEX
called by the General Assem-.
consider the ratification of IN
stitution Of the United States
Hlllsboro in the Presbyterian
1t was composed of 24S do.
each county being represented
portion TO the number Of s.,
n Representatives of th41
and the borough towns within
boundaries, and those present =.
senting Craven county We're II
Dobbs Spaight, Joseph Leech.
Neale, Benjamin Williams, and
ard Nixon. Fol able men no a.u.
body ever assembled in North Cgrz-
has equalled the personnel of -.
HlllsborO convention, including
as It did Governor Samuel Joh ,-e
eX-governors, judges, legislators
lers, and men Of property and 81
nence. Present In the ~conv,,t.a9
were William r. Davie and KI.f.s
Dobbs Spaight who had sat IN
convention that formed the CorS...-
Q OF the United States Also I.gt-
ard CasWell and Willie Jones. N.Y..
had been elected. to that bod .ra
declined. Upon its assembling NAV
unanimously elected Governor $500
Johnston as president Of the CONVEX
ton, his well-known fairness h,sn.
apparent to every one. LEADING tb.
fight for the adoption of the rur-
St'tuuon was James Iredell, q cl-af-
headed lawyer of Edenton, known Lr
reputation to all of the members -
that convention by his work a. al
tdrney-general for four years, and
following that service, judge ot H.
Superior Court for that same length
Of time, he then being thIrty-~.l,4
years Of age and in the practice Il
the law. At hat time the Super:er
Court sat only at eight places ii the
State, namely, Edenton, Halifax, New
Bern, Wilmington. Fayetteville. mas
boro. Salisbury. and -Morganton. ard
it was the custom Of the lawyers r.
ride the circuit Of courts Win Use
judges.
One Is now led To ask why I IS.
that General Davie or Colonel Spa GIN.
each Of whom had sat in the Consl-
tutiOnal Convention Of 1887, were hot
selected to lead the fight for the
adoption Of the Federal Constitution
Their eminent abilities as Leaders
there can be no doubt, az 1utnre
events and the honors upon each II
this show. The reason for the CHOICE
VI OoNoo III AA0SN " btSh I'
cause Of his pre-eminent abilities .,ns
qualifications and not by any dig
credit to the others Colonel Spaight
was not a lawyer, and was seven year,
younger than Judge 1redell. General
Davie was a lawyer and like every
lawyer testified to Judge 1redell's ably
scholarship, distinguished learning
and clear-headed legal ability, and
besides Judge 1redell was probably
the only man among hose advocating
the adoption Of the Constitution VII.
was known to h larger number -
people. 1t is true they knew Goeel-
nor Samuel Johnston. but his p"-
sition as chief executive for the en-
tire State precluded him, and lli,-
wise Ex-Governor Richard CaSvei.
while known to many, would lt"t-
ably not be in touch with the y"1nser
element Of tho convention as u"l-d
a young man leading such d fight,
Fortunately for the country, III" d.
bates in this convention which st
from July q to August 2. 1888, in
elusive, were taken and preserved Ard
ordered printed for distrihHtior
among the people as Information
There is a world Of information a1i
learning in the two hundred PAGES al
Elliott's debates, comprising the pro
ceedings Of this convention. ]ldEf'
James Iredell as before stated, led
the light, being most ably scconde3 "a
General William Z. Davie, afterwards
Governor Of North Carolina, and Gen
eral Richard Dobbs Spaight, the SUI
Ject OF u address,, each Of whom
had sat in the convention, also GOV
ernor samuel Johnston and Mr.. Arm
paid MacAline, a lawyer of WIlinlh--
ton. The result of their efforts w.
that the opposition, headed by Ger.-
eral Willie Jones, Of Halifax, Though
he did not take the lead in the o.
bate, defeated the advocates Of u.
Constitution by an overwhelming vet"
CT 1874 to "a and delayed its adoptiaf
until mex year when this dverwheIg
ing vote was reversed the followIn'
year when h convention met AT ta5
etteville on November Is, 1889, aHd
on November 21, 1889, adopted r.
Constitution by a vote Of 1875 to
adjcurning on the 22d day Of W