Newspapers / The Wilmington Centinel, and … / Nov. 5, 1788, edition 1 / Page 1
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(NUMB. 33.); M'l S C E L L A N Y. '^rom the New-York Daily Advertifer^ T he ftatc of North-Carolina, by not adopting the new conftitu- Ition, is lately become the fubjedl of pnhch criticifm and cenfure. In this inftance, having done what is fuppofed to be wrong, it is hardly admitted that ever flic did any thing that was right, ^e arc told, that during the war, her Txerrions were but trifling—that Ihe bad never contributed to the national cxpence—and that flie now refufes to confederate, ffom a defire to promote the fraudulent tender of paper money, rharges againft the unpopular are mfually liftened to with avidity, but happily none of their charges arc well Rinded, however current they are in clrcqlation. ' During the whole of the . tc war, vidienever the neighbouri^rg flates invaded, North-Carolkia was fufe^tu vl'iem alliflruire^ . have feen in the courfc of one cam- paigne, fix or feven thoufand men of the North-Carolina militia in one of the neighbouring ftates, or on their jjarch to its relief 5 and flie now counts tnree or four thoufand of her citizens who fell a facrifice in Georgia or South-Carolina, to their zeal for the, welfare of the^ Union. We fay no thing of her continental line, nor of tjjpfe who fell within the ftate while the enemy pervaded every part of it.— Is it probable that fuch armies could be fupported without money ? Surely r^t.-^But North-Carolina has uni- paid and fupported her own militia, though they were in the cen- tinental fcrvice, and Ihe has furniflied provifions to a confiderabic part of the Continental troops in the fouthiirn ar mies. Who has paid for the vafl: ftores that have been confumed by fuch bodies of armed men ? In other flaxes, ectomiflioners have been appointed to lettlc the claims of individuals againfV ihe United States, and certificates for nany a million, have been ifiTued by i )fe commiffioners j but no fuchof- ^irs have had occafion to fettle ac- ►Vnts in North-Carolina, becaufe the ft has taken upon itfelf all the debts f were due to her citizens by the Union, except a fmall balanceihat was due to her continental line^—Thofe debts have amounted to Icveral mil* lions. Some part is already^ paid— there is a large balance regaining.— From the public accounts it would appeary that in the years lySa^nd ^orth«Carolina, had paid no thing towards the fpecie requifitions, while South-Garolina had paid her quota, but this is a difierence only in appearand—for the ftate laft mention ed, has a fpecie credit for all fupplics furnifhed the army from the begin ning of 1782, while North-Carolina, that furnifhed large fupplics, ftands without any credit, becaufe fhe has noti brought up her accounts. For fcveral years North-Caroli!fa i-ns been opprefled by difeharging the (T.'.ns fhe had aflumed, to her contine tal line, and fome others of her ciriilis ; but file has lately begun to ms\ .2;^fl>.^Tl;ual payments into the nati/. Oil tiifiJafl-ypir ihe doflart in ipecie and Ivc are told, that fhe has another large pay ment ready to be made. It is true, that paper money has been iflued in that ftate, and it was made a legal ten der, but it is alfo true, that the general fenfe of the people is not in favour of fraudulent payments—on the contrary, it is common for juries, in aftions of debt, to confidcr the depreciation, and affefs damages accordingly. Has the virtue of their citizens done the fame thing in other ftatc\, where bad mo ney is a legal tender ? Bat North- Carolina has not ad^ted thenewcon- ftitution, and thcrefC(re it is allcdged that fhe is anti-fedef^l, and an ene my to good governmerit. Tlifs is the laft charge, and like the reft, it is worfe founded than pc^le are apt to believe. . It is now Agreed, that the new conftitutio^ wiwadmit of fome amendments j th(^Ii^ been pointed out* It will alfo of fe* veral explanations or alteytions, by which it may bc^ rendered fca bettei^i fyftem, but a fafer one ^nft the' machinations of wicked niel: Some Qf thofe explanations wilL^ubtlefs be made by the gcnfraLlponcur- renceof the ftates, becau^They ob viate powers which no'*ma^an ad vocate, But North-Carolm^W pro- pofed one amendment, marked No. 7 which others of the ftates may not be difpofed to make, and yet experience has taught her as well as Virginia, that luch amendment is extremely proper. The ftate wilhes to fee the alterations made which flie has pointed out, and for this very reafon flie wilhes to fee ^the new government commence. Jf eight ftates only had confederated, when the convention of North-Caro- hna fat, perhaps they ought to have made the ninth, but ten ftates had con federated, confcquently the general fyf- tem was fccurc. ^ The paufe that North-Carolina has made ;an cKcafion no delay in the ne- ceflary meafures, and no ftate, except herfelf, can be injured by it. We are told, indeed, that fhe ought to have adopted the new fyftem, that fo fhe might have aflifted in making the pro- pofed amendments; but fhe replies, that, if other ftates and pr.5iita- me alterations, they can do it in a' Ihort time without her affiftance ; but if they arc diflembling—if they are a- bout to drop the fpirit of atcommoda- tion, and to hold by majorities what they have gained by accident, Ihe is fareft where fhe ftands. A cautious politician has little faith. Let us at tend to the Convention. On the ad it was thus determined “ Whereas this Convention has tho’t proper neither to ratify nor rejeft the Conftitution propolcd for the govern ment of the United States ; and a! Congrefs will proceed to adl under thi faid Conftitution, ten ftates having ra- tiiiwd the lame, and probably lay ar impoft on goods imported into fiie fair ratifying ftates} Refolved, That it bt recommended to the legiflaturc of this ftatc, that whenever Congrefs lhall pafs a law for collefting an impoft in the ftates aforefaid, this ftate enaft a law for collefiing a limilar impoft on goods imported into this ftate, and ap propriate the money arilinglherefrom to the ufe of Congrefs.” It was allb on the fame day “ Refolved unani- moully. That it be recommended 'to the general alfembly to take effeSual meafures for the redemption of the paper currency, as fpeedily as may be confiftent with Ac fituatioa and cir.
The Wilmington Centinel, and General Advertiser (Wilmington, N.C.)
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Nov. 5, 1788, edition 1
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