North Carolina Newspapers

A ! J i T7 ' i s X " V: 1 1 WIN'. - - V o. M.V J StauJrd" building. East side of Fjyeuivillc Street.' . J j on. the KFF-P IT UEFORE THE PKOPLli. i ! V l ; Tl X til AH 3'K N TUB FIP-ST ini'lLSliAY IN At'tiUST. fie sure t vte " No Co vks lox," ami i . ,..-tt far tin -.UM I I.tOS that iis HI'" - ' " ! I tJ.i. IWhUirtn.ry. ij".VN .. i-.v :Mvnn i lriC trouble tq.oi.our X t wriii their II.i.-Meuls f'.r tt cwle purine of i-.utnIlin.ra- wli.miw-R-i-iiiK the ic a' ollimi now held l.vj Ki-pul,h- t -Mts Ml tlii. SvU t I;." t:5cin; tit- Kditorhd management 1 I w ,ri).; i.'.irf-r. as I I do tiwlayij l nave - . . . Il A. 1 ... t,. -iilil to the inirouuc- ll'JIIIII' , ntiv , torv arlicle which apiwred lh' ,Irst nuiiiU-r of the AV.r. My opinions and .,,ns are therein well express!. f inriHtlv dt1r. to maintain friend K fraternal 'and Wii relations with all, my politic-al opiM.nents cspeeial Iv -with mv brethren of the prc-ss Kottwor wldeaiart wo may bo in ml such shall be ! the case if alistinence on my 'part ,from un-nec-cssjiry personalities -an achieve uch a wisli. ' 1 cfmnot pnmisetherea ders o( this paper much variety of mat te r until after the Convention) election. The proper division of that gn-at -.quo-lion U a tiling of vast moment to the ih iiph-ftf tLN Statoandit will therefor- irrro-s an my enori ami iv -.unliable -pa v of the kt until after tin- August. Alliwl- "to no" clique or fMctioii'in the Republican iarty hav- .1' i . ...I II t lll I in' im grief or animosities to rctircsn orgndily, 1 shall -ndcavr to dull I jus i iy o.v i-ur . - Hitd work diligently In my ne ocu- tioiT forthe yromoium oi men, but for of t'f.'' iidvaiM'inent and axvndeiicy n-.il principles. I. Mawts-Kkwix. Ok all prides, s.iys Wendell Phillips, t!..-l.oilt is tlnenuty ami baseless :rnr.iiur of a llcpublicsni. Aristocnit. 1 r tliert- is ilisaffectiou' in j the ranks of tin Republican Party anywhere, on recount of -personal feuds and personal .. - il 41., !.. if t'iplll. i n'Vaueis,oiiewniiainiiifi,j- j hit mviu ileil ami ended.' .The lit i.i:l.li an Party can not ai:rd to sac- , rilb-1 ir siilwrdinate its principu ij.IiVv. to irr.itify then-iitni nt- and f in- vidual.- or cliqm s. In sm h rases, In.th l-irtle-'an- usr.jdiy more r jess in the w iou '. lii t aeii accept, tliat view of t i..oi-itt-r from an im!jirtial outsider. Compfomis. their. litT rciiccs; hand-, forget the past aiul g thir, Convention light to win. shake ii into two cunties to h?vy sie- $'?1.200. w. ie lKisscd .authorising a pivial,tax-forsixciunU,sfrof limit. Nine acts were p:uxcd for authorising nine ,.u::tie to isue $1"n.o(i0 of Bonds ...it t i t i pa;. Th t reii! ' Ikv'imI tax Jura smkinruinl aiul ii:ierr-t.' . - e thirty six sjn-iiil acts will in the o!Uly taxes in twenty two con. it e of the State at - least $:aMMKM andall of It willgiintotheh:uidsof note : haven arid sculators who will buy up tlie county Bonds for a song. ECONOMY. The Cons.rvative Iiegislatuie'of last the .viitler iriid a Yank ' llAjwirter mi of fwtr thoutand Hirer hundred andt St nti'thrr.' dollars and thirty cent, for fortvfour davs work: retorting tlu i,.o-, l.ineiit Trial, lust' a fraclioii over s.imly-.dnc dollar r day. AVhadi kZ ti d tax of tl the tax pavers of North Carol i nt , State, f ihink of the Conservative pflitician: j County exienditurein the County of who want to ctill a Convention because i ltowan, $8,9C4. , t hey say taxes an- so high that the pec County expenditure in ltowan Court tliein nnil vi t ncklesslt ty now according totlie Kramin'er' flg- s. Hinder thV public money on lxirtl lavorite. I Fori: TiiorsAXP thukk iiundukp jBut it is alleged that Granville Coun axi skvkxtv-tui-.kk nin.f.Ans ani j ty paid last year, 10,ono for County l i:rv-Korr. knts fokJ nni r Y-Foun taxi's. Well, that County paid in 18W, pays wouk: 1 1 taxes were No-, wonder that ourj great I v incread by the and that they will be. J.c'islature, higher next year than ever. Tliat such is and will iiaihe c-.isv is the fault of the Conserv atives who luid a two-thircN majority in t.'urScnate, and a majority of thirty six in the House. j ; - - . i;-ilhetrtdrl ol ' t he Republican -State Kxrcutivc Com mittee and undertakes to answer its ar guiiiciits ami' li.nclusioiis by railing at Sir. rhilliis calling him a Scalawag, and assigning unworthy motives to him, and charging him' with changing his position on thequestion of the pow er of a majority of the Legislature to submit, the call of a Convention to a I popular vote How does it matter if Mr. Phillip has changed? The ad-'dro-M is the platform, and argument in U half of the platform,1 of the Republic i-.in luirty, decided upon and promulga ted as the deliberate vjewof the Party, iiMn the great question now before the people and without any reference to the former pilion of Mr. Phillips or of any. other Republican.; The Kepubli- s can Party is much indebted to Mr. lMiilliiis for the cimsumniate ability Avith which he has unbodied and pre- sented their doctrine in this address : audits overwhelming effect is ialpable ben nothing more can be said airainst it than that unon some of the topiiM iliscussed its author thought otherwise twelve years ago; j, r - - WHAT FIBS FIGURES SOMETIMES TELL. The aggregate amount of jthe State taxes forthe fiscal yen rending Sept. ISM, was $Gl;,7itt.lG. j The aggregate amount of county taxes for county ex enditures was J5(;i,83&2-, making the whole amount of , State anil county J taxes 1 ,2C1 ,rfx;.44. There were at that time eighty-six counties in the State; r that the average, quota to each, county for county exjtenses was $fi,.007i Some counties of course. were largely in excess of this some below it. This heavy tax was imposed by magistrates over whom the people ihatl no control, and who could tax them at will. Yet, comparing the (old system of county taxation and expenditure with the present, the Salisbury Kraminer has the audacity to declare that the present system of county government costs the people of the State $180,000 more than th old, and that the aver age annual county expenditure of the county of Rowan " under the old sys tem was aliout thirteen hu hd ml dol lars (II, H00.) These mistatements are sedately and delilierately made, for that journal, to give credit to its averments says: " We hare taken pain to invert 7 gate the mailer j j To which statements we reply : That according 'to the Comptroller's report for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30th, 1SC0, the county of Rowan ira taxed for count expense., by an irresponsible life tenure County Court, $8, 1.17, in- stead of $l,i0,asallleged by the Mjram I ner. That of this sum $G,000 went moinir to ilfrav the expenses of the iiiuiiiy ' t i old Count v Courts which Gov. Grahun : r. f recommended in l4i aim again in wW sloui(i H alHUhl, but which j y n()W WlUli ,-toml. A m.r,. mistake; In estimating tlIIIOUI,t of tax iwiid for imrticular u hl one'sown county, of so large a HUin as 7 imhi, wouia seem 10 ix; sum discredit all the IKriunUilr fiiMiM. and to bring the inventor of such nretended statistics into ridicule and contempt even with liis financial brethren of the Conservative stripe. Rut we think it worth while to exiose some other uninmlonable errors into which that journal attempts to lead the imsusitccting and uninforimtl public ; by a formidable array of figures. - ! Where does that paiT rind authority I fr the nvkles assertion that the nec- i t-ssary onlinar expenses of the State ! government, under the present system. i KKKOOti inon? than it was under the old, at-the commencement of the war? How can it dare to insult an intelligent fomiitiuiitv bv the ireiKstcrmis, wild andcrazv assertion that, 4t The people m rohlMl everv vear: of ; the sum of - ' ' w " s j seven hundred and fifty-live thousand f ilolhirs to oa v useless otlicials ? After j - - - l T taking pains to investigate the mat ter in Rowan I'ounty tuui missing ue amount of county exiiitliiures in that counlY-l'pP the war ' by ; so much a. - i " i J 4 ;. a. ll .-v n tUllli oil v uirii; m"(x IT-f i . hit ur4irculafi0)r Tfie'J&CLNtiitir says, that tlie cost ofij the county ltowan how is 7,000. 4. . government in We have seen that in ls4J0 it was S,0Ct-fa tlifferenci in favor of the pnsent system over the old of l,!Mtf. M ltowan is alove the average in the way of taxes for the. whole State. Nintety counties, at S7,00 a 'county, would make the aggregate of county eienditure in the J State .$.Vrf),iNM against $."; 1,833 exiendel for thestime luriMs4 in 18(R) si that w' have the difference, according to these figures, of $4,k sand for j the whole State upon the "present plan of county government, instc-ad of the- extra j exienditure of $180,000 as the fMMc asserts. The general nvult then stands thus: t'ountv'pxnenditurp for the whol M ft t m a .... wr4t . f . m Mate in i.smi, iU4,n.i.i Count v expenuiturei for the whole State upon tho Kraminer's average of hr7,W to the county, $.1,000. Havwl by the new plan in the whole urw. 7,000. Excess savetl by the p res ent plan, $1,904. ! for the same purjiose, $8,;i.37. So that j the case is, that under the present sys- tern Granville pays Elmore than in 18G, and Rowan pays $1,X1 less. But it is as unfair to insist uioii.the case of Granville as an illustration of the defects of the present system as it would be for us to insist upon the-ex-' : ample of Yancey in! 18C0. where the County tux watieany ifonniQTiMilig. tax for that vear ling $1,071 C4 and tho County tax $3,)S .rl 4 Thk trouble with tle lladur party of North Carolina is that all it lenders- of na tive orim were every mother's son of them trained up in tho mcIum) of lloldeiu-- War-i-rnton iiaiftte. j ( ; ! The most conspicuous instances of Gov. Holden's training are the leaders of the present Conservative party. They organized that party during the war with him and under his direction to break dotm the Confederate Govern' ment. His influence and Ma alone had them promoted to high Offices, guch as Governor, and members of Congress, Judges Ac, and on j the first opportu nity they deserted him and have con tinued to abuse him ever since. After the war, Gov. Ilohlen followed tlie path which tlie principles he advo--cated, during the j war, pointed out to him as right. ! "The others, now leaders of the Conservative party. tw ' cause they were not paid for their ne- ' 'groes turned uioii their lenef;ietor, ami liavesince pursueil hni with a vengeance which it seems " i 1 cannot be appeased. THS-IRIZE THEV . SEEK-THE, PEOFLETS ? 1 . DANGER, j: All lulled reforms in the Constitu tion can le matle liy legislative enact ment as well as by calling a doubtful and dangerous Convention. v j Thc( legislative plan is cheap and the Convention plan expensive. , L" By the legislative plan, when ; tne General Assembly meets in November, an actican 4e ikissihI to alter the Consti tution in. all particulars which it is claimed neetl amendment, ; publication thereof made six months before the Auguit election 1872, the Governor tan call the' new Legislature j together in September 1872, the alterations agreetl r . . . j' if to during that month ana tire quesxiou voteil unon bv the ueonle I within two , j . months thereafter. In this way all that anjT part of . the people complain of in the ' Constitution can be in a very short time submitted to them if they desire it to.be reformed. I But-this plan does not suit the ambi tious Conservative lawyers, , for they are hungry for the judicial and other offices in the State. They j can only -get the nresent incumbents oiif and them- iselves-ai ' . through a Convention. For 4ik this purpose they are willing to the toeace of the State, by callingi an Unconstitutional and revolutionary i?au cus as it is termed by the great Chief Justice Ituffin. j j 4 And they are so, seifish that they i goingto turn out the present Supreme CbHrf jand put in a Conservative hu preme Court when they know that the new cdurt will overrule Hill vs. Kevxler : .1 . . . Mi .... r 1 and taereoy turn loose upon ine nomo steadj tlie thousands of judgments kliat are oily restrained by this decision. They;are "content to commit ..'sucli an unpaixlonable injury to the poor Ilonie steiidjiicn only that they jnwy get of fice, tp siurilicv thousands of families and drive them into penury and want f ii orter that they may draw the sala ries ik seventeen Judtresi! and twelve Solicitors. : Tiik Justice raid signified the inten tion tf a powerful secret), oath-hound society, aided by a great iolitical party North and south, to " yet into" power and office, or destroy the .existing go v ermnent, by tin unwarranted and. ille gal invasion of the liberty of the cit- .izen. j : Bv Insulting tlie dignity and privi ltMre of the .General SAssembViu: tin )crsop of memters. one oi us most resiKvwiiie - j t i.. in.. t . I s By insulting, degrading and defying tlie Jndu iarv of the State in sear hing for Judge Logan to take his.life. ttv viiooressimr fre sihWIi punish ing al worthy citizen for the exercise thereof, in the night time, clotlicnl in hidtKis disguises, brutally invading the privacy of his IkxI chamUr, and in the 'presence of his wife and little ones, beating and dragging - liim senseless hey declared to his I horrl iitVl &i m ily. . wupprmilirg tlie freedom of the prtsss, the greatest bulwark of liberty; by destroying a newspajier office on ac count, of its political principles. These are the dangerous elements inaniiV'st in this last bruta anil coivard- ly act of the Conservative Kukhix of North Carol inai-and thei le-aliig pa- imi"s! fequivcat( alwuit it excus4 it in ii : measure, or utU'iopi to usereiu ine truth'orthe story altogether, anilkiik of Mr! : Justice and his sufferings as if their nly regret is that heidid not meet the f:te of Stephens and Outlaw, j How long shall this arrogant and malignant E A A f L A 1.. . spirit'; prevail here ? the sulyects of j these I low Ion" shall outrages cry in vain to the constituted authorities for redress? I low. long Ix'forc the party "whose principles are thus attempted to kho overthrown nnd made oiliousi shall lave justice or revenge? : How long lefore the men anir wo men of eilucation and culture in the State; who, if they do not approve do lot condemn such transactions, will be ookeil upon as no lter-than the kt- tetrators of thise iiarK ueoiisT V - ; ; ." "1 i COV4 VANCE AND THK CONVENTION. S I ! ... ! I xv corrTjwimt-iii writer: from Charlotte 1 There is some enquiry wliy iov. Vanco ijas not tiiken a more active part for Con vention. Is he opposed to i$? . There is a Huspieioii- that the main object of tlis Tas tard tsxly, when -aIle1, will p Ixj to Muscat tlie present Ijejri.-ilature, ami thereby ttmml the elect ton 0 ; D. Vance. i.C'crtiiiit it is Vaneo pe8 to Indiana, to orate, rathef than to CuiK-oinlxs to speak for Convention. I :'. : 1 KXQUIBWt." H If f u 1 J ,. I Khquircr's suspicions are probably jtrrejft, and this accounts for the'posi- tion Of Mr. James Merrimon and Mr. Johnson, not to say anythingof Gen. ritcvni;ciir2LiC of&vJUom 7kxv 4her stump, that if a Conventim did bottl ing else, it might alxriish the Ixegisia ture. We kudw very wj?ll tha the Clingmaii and jMerrimon yings ojf the Conservative party are not favorable to Gov. Vance J LABOR AND HIGH. CASTE CONSERVATISM WAGES OF THE WORKINGMAN AND THE CONSERVATIVE ARISTOCRACyJ - 1 r - i : i ;j A laboring man will 011 an average earn per day 111 North Carolina say fifty cents a day. i The Conservative Legislature paid a reporter hist winter ninety-nine dollars a day to write down wliat was said and doncj iu the trial of Gov. Holden. For 'forty four days work at fifty cents, a laboring man twenty two tloltars. would : receive : ; For fort v four days work, the pet . of the lst Consi'Tvatlve Iegislature, re ceived four thousand three hundred and sevent.i three dollars imd fort it four cents and he a yankee at that. ' How loug can a. goose stand on one foot? 1 Try it--thats the way the goose lounuout. J TitK ptXUMgisiature madeno general lavstof any importance at its session last w inter. TJie attempts jit TTiiule hoNve'er show the animus of. tne Kimr eTiniild it eveftbe able to nerfeet WUJ r. t I "P'r.r ,A'.. 1-1.-' ; evidentiyAuw w u-gisjaro iorine jayor- ed few again: . t the r masses to sei up a J priviiegea ium uguiust me greai oouy of the people and to go back to the old UI " 1 . . . - . i . ostein wherein property nau superior rf not exriuywj privileges over me i La onrl musclftnf tbiStnt. ThnJIn I f . 1 -. . , I - - 11 I III 111' "v . J I e.muv ia thUviw.fhvnmnnsw1 be ineligible to hold his office unless he could aire a bond for one thousand dol- -,.-prmnl abovftlipTTnmesteatl nntl ' i .. i. i ...in I urniMTiv PYmnminn inp faithful execution of his office. With the alxilition of the .Township this would concentrate all the magistracy of every CTtyintlaarewm and lawers In the county towns the country people would have none. fhr nrnnnelnor ciinli ari Ipv- I I A 19 klllll. WA that, it would riraonuuarj aw. : a,wiai. " drive the coiorwi -people out oi suen oi- flees and that twhite men and j,whit men alone c&nld then fill those posl- J -- v ' i But there, -.iq. ixpai aooui as many poor white men in the btate as there are poor colored men who would be disabled from holding such plaeea.; In forty mn.i, la-thp WV niriH tenths of th white population would be excluded t from office by such a law; as was proposed at the last session of a! party wliose leaders are now as they alwavs havehcen,opiM)sed toextending tiwJ orivileikK of he ivwrer'classes1 thcj pm liege, of he tiass, wnetner wime or oiacjo ,wic:i; rliey clamor for-the pld- Onistitutioa and againsMhat of -180, 'which Gen. Cliiitrman, wie of the latest converts to this retngrade movement, proriouhped,' a little more tlian tweU'e -months ago, to ibe 4 fair -and "liberal instrument. 'he old system was unfair and grossly illiberal to the jjeople ; who were not rich, and it H to that system theyl who Gep. Clingiuan denounced in March,1 1870. as a hiiterfeits. Wish now" to return. , . Wr: ai-b 'opinion, says the Carolina Hi ole. (Coir. .Uhat While there may have xi ' L ,rtft; f.iftarJ to A i i vr4jririiTiii tiiut i i inn v it- v aiA iiu v.-wionvunv, , r- ; I . i!,. 1,11 3 couid-be another convention . hold in unoiner couyci'mv11 ;j wtitrvnt. it on called bv a two- i " I the General .vssempiy ny me reaciioii-; Q-judiciaf establishment and county aryL revoliltionary Conservative party hrn-ernment. onraiiized and existing 1 - a v la . I n-Mi lrmn iii Limb -uiu v.vuoniuuvii Except it 13 called by a two-: (prostitution -tekaheJiiemWof .i T?1 A 1 1 Votllj house f tlrtj General Assembly; J that iwJniinnrfiVknf vast f worded le.fore tliat the legislature, by a-, niajontyi xvvtx. mio-ht Kiibmit the Droorietv of lU Mill' ILl'IIIVfTULlUll M .- w v the State to call it. Tr thi,iinv Vj'nlex wilt examine ; . t , te cw "i ium " u ioiw. with fairneihi doubts will be re moved. xVs to what passed between Mr.iGiles-and Mrl iMearcs, in regard tof be nlteniiion of the phraseoloffv' of Mr.lMcaros itmendnient, it amounts to nothing, as is conclusively shown by CohjCliarles. FisluT, in his speech in? the 'Senate in ISo-l. Mr. . Mcares an astute, aci onlisluii, keen deleter, and parliamentaiy manager, readily as sent! to the innocuous proposition of fr. Gihs an inferior lawyer without cap;icity for tlie ixnition he held be cause it ammuded to nothing, and did not vary the 'meaning of Mr. Meares original proposition. That this was Mr. Meares oninion of the effect of the . . change of phraseology to which he m'Mfj nsntHl on Mr. Giles' request is plain enough ffotii the subsequent de- imte but is ronilereil certain by his re-; mark at the tim, as he timk his seat. "How easily some men are satisfied." 'THE OUTSIDE PARTY. The Albany Argus copies witli com- mendation from a lemocraticcolempo- mrvin Raltimore the following? "Tlie great blunder which the Xorthen De niocracy makts is in setting up a plat forni as a mark for its antagonist. The outside party wants no platfonii. Its policy is to get in. When it succeeds, then it can shape its aim and purposes to meet the necessities of the situation." How apt and fitting are these expres sions applied ttfthc Conservative party in North Carolina. It "wants no plat i form" and it has none.' "The outside party" shall be i henceforth. Who doubts that tx ui it win "shape its aims and purposes to meet the necessities jnne siiuaiiou . . . 3gbo dntp jfcSffijU loliey II!Tl get in" by any means even Ilevolu- tion. j ,. , I , ; It lias no principles. It " uuits no platform." "It's policy is to get in:" Its yaiuis and purposes' ' arc concealed and covered up. 'It is the admitted slave bf the " necessities of: the situa tion ;' iind therefore will be against the IIonicstead,agaiiist the Mechanics Xien Iaw, 111 favorof property qualifications, unless1 the people keep it where they Tjropose to do in Auerust next "out- side." The1 Democratic press refuses to wel come Alex. Hi Stephens Into the walks of journalism. Like their regard for Jefferson Davis, they secretly -admire him, but think his appearance at this juncture unfortunate. They do not de sire him to discuss abstract questions, or to t scrutinize too closely what are i principles of public iolicyr They are afraid he will lurnisn ." capnai" ior uie ltepublicans. This is an unfortunate dilemma, and we pity Mr. Stephens and his friends. -.PA u. fress. "it. A young ladyj being askeil by an enthusiastic politician whicli party -she1 was most in fovor of, replied , that she prererreu a weoaing pany.. m . J ' . Ii . ;t .,i oii'Anfiniv that nnon a lair! con Jefferson and those great men, ms T "v '7 7irr i -vrtio VtTT ciples; who afterwards .Infused these struction.of Section 1, xVrticIe, AJ11, iiJ,xloa xh .x Hnrl ormvins: j I . x - KXTltAOTS FROM A SPEECH DELIVERED AT ' 1 FEBRUARY 11. X87I. I ! ' -- - . -t . . Prtiiw Citizens:-! speak to yqu .T oa rv,rnlinian. ;tironi a subiect of great inter&st to North tro una anu ner wnoiopypt: ui and ? colors whethei rn orirtvitori nitivns. T sTeak to vou, not - - - :tv manfor a party plat fornlj or a party; purpose,but in aeieiice rirT rkldri of orovernment HOW Uil- w ' . . - - , vi Hv I - 1 1 ' T iustlvand-nnreasonablyafiletMi jnns of American statesmen : of le whose political specuiations-4ar in ad vance oi ms lime riia.v? uwniwicBv o n ,r i-oaiiKfxl and nhtin practice sin -""j . i . . our day than those of, any other iwliti- cal writer or statesman oi ine ppt. His opinions and the sound tioetrmes whicb he advocated throughout a long tl 1 tion, are now incorporatetl into the fun ana 1 tlamental law of almost every one! of he rreat communities comprising mis nmrerfiil. and nrOSoerOUSnatiOll. -HurI hack the imputation in th? -:." " . r..f.:a 5c p!,ov1 the present Constitution is the spawn of a rewlution and the vicious effort of corrupt and .incompetent scal- nwnsrs nna caTri-oajrers xo imixw no m v 6rtli . Carols n; it is no 6uei imng'It IsVsaeh'' Constitution as Tliomas l Jefferson t of . virgimw taw w UUMV .Sffn.S3ffi pririeipal'particulars, wherein it differs from the old Constitution of this State, fmbodlmt of the ideas of needflil under it, . which, were : often i proposed ajid urged by the representative : men of the old Whig and Democratic parties before the war. , It especiaUy realizes all the distinct and pronounced views of the old Democratic party when that party namerepreseniea great principles and not mere organized opposition , to the government. : ! . ? 'T Mr. Jefferson,1 in a letter 1 written' In 181G, in response to a request for art ox itression of his views as to what chan ges ought to be made in the then Con- stitution oi V irginia which at piat, time was pretty much what our Consti tution was before theaaoption oij me present one, sums up the whole i natter i;t I ir.tifrll sillfTrjlu-O. .i , iii.-Rniial l-erircsentation iu the .Legislature. 4 i:J ;vrv : -, ' . 3rd. All Kxecuti ve cnoseii oy the people. I 4th. Judjres elective or reniovnble. 5tli. Justices jurors,and heriffselec- tive. fith. Ward divisions. A 7th. Periodical amendment to the 1.4 A9SX-.. t ixmstiiuiion. more than a i pare 4 If our Constitution to see how completely I it. fulfils tho iolitical asnirations of-Mr. UlSf4f tl oc vest. Tliev stand this i day the i ruin of (jovernment of these States Ktrf'teliin'in' imperial majesty I and I . from the banks of the - Ohio to the goldeii hdres of the itvcie, an -ev rSVjnii trtlm,,mf. to thhwlsdjai tTnlrreaftlifa n wfuTnrst suggested them and whose labors gave them practical effect. . j The reactionary party of North Car olina; a party of very miscellaneous sent i merits ; of i ncongruous j material , and unsettled purposes announced' in an ofiicial form a few days ago over the signature of one hundred anil fivejof its most prominent represeuiaue im-, the following: 1 I 'This Constitution has overturned our ancient judicial system, jonee the pride of the State, and has introduce t iri its stead a novel one so full of fletor mities that it has become a byword of reproach and contemi)t. The old meth- 01I of practice and proceeding ' ih the courts has oeen aoonsneu, ami ai cinie of procedure substituted, so ill4digsted, crude and contradictory in its provis ions, that our highest tribunals comess themselves unable fully to understand it or to administer it,except by juilicial legislation. The enforcement of rights and the redress of wrongs have to be sought by such tortuous and expensive channels"that it is' oftener clieapbr to submit to injustice than to seek a j rem edy through the courts. The Coile bf Proceilure cannot be repealed or Essen tial lv changed by the Ijegislaturg; fr either this or something like it is pre scribed by the Constitution. AM Con vention alone can rid us of fhi.- incubus and nuisance. The number of Judicial Districts is too great, entailing ;lnuch useless expense. Many other features of the present system are inconsistent with' purity, efficiency, and cheapness in the administration of justice, which is one of the prime objects of all jgood government. The people have, by ex perience, been made so sensible of the evils of this judicial system j that we will not dwell longer upon the subject. A reform is absolutely necessary tp pre vent our judiciary from falling into general contempt." j With such a: solemn, deliberate olli- niul rlloHrtii Trnntflircf frorh the. highest authority competent to declare I tfoe vievVrg intentions of a party, we infer, necessarily : 1st. That the jparty of wtioiiiiitCTidrtry,rdestrOy ' ; the judi- cial i establlshmenproyidod Jjthe present Constitution. " 2d. - Thatltliey intend to set up in its place th old plan of County Courts and Superior Cpurts of law and Eiiuity, and to reducfc the number of Judges in the State, flow will all this subversion - and substitu tion of systems promote the Welfare of the people? How will it correspond with the demand of tlie people of the State made many years ago to bstablish tin; prest'iit ? How does it agreejwith tho views of many intelligent men of a for mer generation who did not regard " our ancient judicial system 'fa the "pride of the State," but, on jthej con trary, denounced it, and twenty yinirs aro, nearly all of them being lawyer.- fsim hsir w ith the evils asanist wm -n Hvstem now sought to reviyiil ami re-established by the reactionary party had as it-s essential . feature, especially distinguishing it from the xresenf , sys tem, the election of Judges and Magis trates by the Legislature, for life, with no restrictions as to the number or ter ritorial limits of the Magistrate's juris diction, and no constitutional restraint of their power to tax the people, j ; On this subject the Western Address, promulgated in . 1851 by gentlemen of great ability in the Whig partyL among the number the late John Gray Bynum, rtlie author of it.. John A. Gilmer, J. M. Leach. G. II. Haughton, IN; W. Wroodfin, and T. G. Walton, says i ....... ' .- 1. . i . . j tbev inveighed divlareil that thei "ai:- County Court may hot Ik? with ad cieiit yvstem" ought to Ik upset. That l vantage established, and tjiose Courts legislature, as required by the Consti tution. It cannot be disgULseciinai our own T jpoiv iatnrihfls.in raftnv instances, been the scene of intrigues jentirely at "A war with our ideas of the purity or the iiench; and in which rit was shown that neither character nor oualificat ions were made the tests of fitness for office, but simply party services. Legislatures are small bodies, usually elected upon political party grounds ; ana loo ire quently at the sacrifice of the best in fests of the people. L h i , K "Under these circumstances many fhelieve. that Uiepeoplew6uld43e-4he safest depositories or this iower. ine opportunity and facility for corruption and intrigue exist ; and the people in acting would not be ' influenced by the fear of denunciation or punishr ment of party men. . Thej jsystem has been tried in many States of the "Union and found to -operate so well, that it is much to be doubted whether it will not in time be adopted bV'all.'! ! I ' . 44 Others, too, think they ought to hold office for a limited period, j There is no other officer known to our laws, hut who is limited to a short period, aft- which his J power is laid down at th feet of those from whoni ho receiv ed jt i and in determining whether they will Igain place him in powerthey noes nnnn the manner In' which his du- ties have been discharged." Many of these offices are of. the highest cnarac fmi-url" i--"-nvf :-no. 'And di'V." P T- iiuiraig ir; the- uivamLcnt -iu1iuy;nu integrin'', oi ciuinicicr.. xu cmi(h' resulted from giving the election of these ofiieers to - the people, and cer tainly no eorruptioaof the people, nor of the officer, has been the consequence; and it certainly is not question' of much diflieulty whether we shouia oe cursed with a bad Judge during his life, if, in despite of all precautions, one should, unfortunately be Jelectetl. In no other instance is implietlsuch a curse. Can any other be greater ?? : fj i 44 ThQ present mode of appointing Justices of the Peace is universally ad mitted to be.' worse than a farce. -A certain evening Is set apart forthe pur pose, and the memoers.ironi' ine uiner ent counties hand in the names of those they desire to have appointed;, and they are read at the Clerkfs table. No-; body hears their.naiiiesor,cares to hear them. It is understood to be I the sea son for sport and is one of those cus toms of our Legislature, long known and recognized, and i never deiarted from. They are frequently selected by the member of the Legislature for the influence which each can xert; at home in some particular neighborhood. : And it is well known that many of those appointed are wholly unfit for; the Jer formance of- the duties jentrtisted to them. And some of those duties are" of the highest importance! to their sev eral counties. ; They enjoy and exer cise the right to tax the people ; they impose taxes much mere heavy than those imposed by the Legislature. ' i Therft is no amendment to i the Con stitution more imperiously demanded for the public good than this. If they tax the people, ought not the people to eleetthc.m?" ';--- 1 ' ' I A The reactionary party 9f North Caro lina say not. me ? xvepuoncau party ntrrees with and has put into successiui Ynprition the present plan of State gov-i eminent in ' exact conformity to the wishes then expressed by J the gentle men who puoiisneu. vraiu x.a dress. Where. Is the 4 novelty," or deformity,", therefore," in a , system lative-iiorii sonsTo 1 Ui ytv Ckrolink? ' - But to proceed further, Goy. Iteid 111 his Inaugural Message, speaking as much as his position would allow, the voice of the Democratic party which elected him upon, what was then con sidered a very advanced, idea in North Carolina the extension of the right of suffrage to every citizen, without re gard to preperty qualification saidj " The election of Judges and Justices of the Peace by the 'people, and for terms less than for life, are questions of Constitutional reform whicli !l recom mend to the favorable consideration of the General-Assembly.' j r It is useless here to follow the histo ry of this question further. There was from the period of the! publication of the Western Address, in 1851, a pretty generally establishad wjish among the leople, oftinii expresswl in various ways, by the platforms ; and news paper presses of bpth . political parties,, and! by decisive, votes in the Ijegislatures, of both parties, on the . abstract ' expwlieney of electing Judges and Justices of the Peace, by the people, for a term of years, insteailessoo, all the Judges were elected by of appointmsr those Otlicers by the legislature, for life. The Whig and Democratic iarties differed and di vided about the manner of accomplish ing the necessary change oft the Con stitution to bring about: a result which both 'seemed to desire. The j Democra cy rested at the commencement of the war upon the principle d of making all constitutional changes by Legisla tive enactment, by which means they had procured for the people! free suf frage in I80C. The Whigs pretty gen erally advocated the plan of making, all changes in the Constitution by a Convention. The people of the State in 18;, m, and '60 decided in favor of tlie plan of Legislative enactment and endorsed the view whicli the Demo cratic party formerly, and tho Repub lican party .now takes of this matter. Let it rest as decided j and give the svsfem which we have a. lair trial be- ifore w undertalto'to return to -the old 1 . f .1 ? A.1 11., oraer ox vnings, ; ixv , cy y uxua ' mv" veniehces of which are; so' .vividly de- But in another point of view, besides the principle of popular elections and limited terms for judicial officers, the re-establishment of our, "ancient: judi cial system" does not seem to be' enti tled to the high encomium implied bv styling it once the "pride of the State.',' Twenty-five years ago, and frequently afterwards the leading men of the ! State declared it to be important to rc- torm it and expressed their own anu the dissatisfaction of the people withl it. For iiLstance, Gov. Graiiani, ml his Message, delivered to tlie General Assembly in 1840, says : "It is commended lo your inquiry whether all Jurisdiction of pk-as in the ; Lw iermitteil to remain only for pur- ixises or probate and county ponce, with a session of but ji : single - day in each month. : By substituting for the present system of County and Superior Courts, with six ternis in the year, three terms only of the Superior Court, held by" Judges learned in the law, an arrangement would be Introduced far less expensive to the! public, and the parties in legal controversies, while greater despatch and correctness would be attained in the administration of the Law. Such ft change would require some addition to thei present .number of Judges to whom salaries must needs be paid, but this would be inconsider- made to J urors - TiS fouf .fCourts a. yr j-i-v , ,1, iSHl to all concerned, and. the j less am xk:m AAfnniuiiifii Ki-vvi v a- i r m -w ii e mm. mBj-v. 'mm mitted from father, jo sou, . Vi "Hi. i. ioriino. the value of the T undertake to say iui. puDnM-vi plished by the provisions e LmI cm . Ititntion. Yet the; party of reaction t n otnvin follow the .enlightened views of their great leader ho., fowl wy. VV - i x...firn'o vonrsr Afro 111 expresscHi inu-iv T'rnuw-S ti ' the infancy of law reform.' They to go back4 and. revive -a: system ex ploded, and abandoneil long a.'ifh most everywhere onei i0fs the inovhi ble consequences of which Ls to .entail, as heir looms in families, rulnou.4 and vexations law suits through Lsucceeslve generations 4loadedwith costs, fac ;x ceeding the value of thopriginal. sub ject of contest.", Will the ; people do i t ? This idea of Gov. tiraham' .was pressed' with ability and' after wards In the Legislature by Gen. Itu- : fus f Karri njrer then r. of aibarriisrfand failed , bv the interference and lnllu enceof the County -'Magistracy, who, . !.r,I.-.!:ri olV -o Z -r li.'dld 'T t give x ; it-x- notori.uslvi' iiicommitcnt to ioi bui , - which they would not surrender' p.m it was attended wiu .soine. f ' 17 ' -7 , quence. umer gvnueoitni, ttv mui.. times, afterwards made the same proj osition couplotl with' one ito infrea-'f the number of Judges to ten , It fail- , ed always from the same causes-hostility ofw the local: lifts tenure niagis- tracy. in ract as xney very wuw .iw trolled elections In tlielr i several coun ties they exercised a very greuir.uuu -often times a very pernicious influence, . over the general Legislation of the State. ' ' v." vt;' -. --'f4' ,The i multitude- of r. usles4 ottcers maintained at a great; and unnwssary cost Is the main point; of attack - upon the present Jndicial, systeiih How Is , this? How many Judges-are'ruired by the want of the people of North Carolina for the prompt and -convenient ,dispatch of their business-considering the extent of territory and the population of the State, and how much Is it fair for the people to pay them for their services? A t more . correct estj- r4 mate of what isright in this .matter ( will appear from a comparison, of the area, population, number of Judges, salarieof each, and; of the whole. In each btatcv in the States of iVirglnia, .Tennessee and Georgia, States contigl ous to our Northern, and Western and Southern borders and North Carolina. At the commencement of the wfcry the time at which" I propose ; to notice, the number and expense : of the, Judicial establishment in each "of those State, North Carolina was, in size arid" popu lation; about 4 air average of them Virginia,hav jug been since tha,t, time divided. The general , surface ,pf the four States was in many respects simi lar. Their people were in all the dally habits and wants of life very 'much alike. - .-w i-i :. Mi ; ; ; Tn 1 ftfil Virerinia had a territorial . kfp.t nr.-7 u.imm ttiMau a nnrJulatloh 1 nfl .WW.1d. and tvventv-six Judjres. five cm thA heneh of the Sunremo Court of one at a salarv of f 1..W0. elected hy the people for eight years. The aggregate,! cost of their judiciary was, at thO time mentioned, $5G,500.- 1 Tennessee, in the same year, had twentv-four Judsres. Three on the Su-c preme Court bench at salaries Of $2,500 1 each, six Chancery juuges ana niieeni Circuit Judges at salaries of $2,000 each aggregate cost of judiciary) $.4,800J Area 44.000 square miles: population 1 ,1 10,640. Georgia had an erea of 68,- 00 square miles, a population or j i,uz,- 7U7, and. nineteen Judges., 'jihrep.on the Supreme Court bench itt $3,o00 each, and sixteen on the Circuit Court bench. at $2,f00 each aggregrate cost of judi-i ciary $o0,iot). North : Carolina has an llirea estimated .at 4.,0IX) square , miles. Jftmuch below what it realfy is, as com petent pei-sons have statoaana in 1800 a population of l,(MW,:il2j Under the present Constitution she has fteven teen Judges, live on the Supreme and A 1 9 A. A A ' As. iweive on inocirciui l.ouix pencil, ai. an annual salary of $2,.rj00 each. Ag- Bgregate cost $42,500. ; At the date above mentioned, in Ten- the people for a term of years. In Georgia the Supreme Court ' Judges wore elected by the Legislature, 'the Circuit Court Judges by the people; all for a term of years. "I have not heard1 that any of those great States pouching our territory on three sides havechang-, ed their plan of selecting Judges. -; ' Take these estimates as correct, and they disclose no extravagance j in , the numl)er, pay, or aggregate cost of our Judiciary, as comjMired with our nelgh bors,on the contrary, we are lh a markeil degree below the average of - numbers and expense in tlu3 - way'- of,, Judges in those Sbates before tlie war. The above statement further establishes tho exis tence of the' principle . of a Judiciary elective by the people for ai term of years in three of the greatest. States of the South, under the control-1 of their natlvenbom wnHandbefore the vocab ulary of our language had bert enrich ed by the inventl' geniur of partisan writers and speakera with 8ich choice and mellfluQii3jy?neUatjcns.-)w caUa-5 wags, carpet-baggers . and , brindletall democracy. j . .,.,-, , , . ..! It is said that under tho present sys-. tem we have some bad and- Home In conipetent men in office; that a Code Of Pj-oeedure has been adopted unsuited to the wishes and habits of the popple, and that a multitude of. uselesfc of fleers contribute largely to the burden- . of the pcoile. , ; i . 1 That there may be bail or, . Incompe tent men in judical station furnishes no argument against electing ; Judges by the ieople, nor in favor of going , back to the old plan. The. advantages , of the present over our former nnxle or election are well displayed in the ex-, tracts I have read, from the (Westeni Address. What was true then ( of the prevalent intrigues anil combinations, in the Legislature of. that day, uq pne will deny might have . beeh ,no ln( j(he IiCgLslature of 18C8aivl 'CO. . fNow, if tliat hotly had exercised the function of Ichoosing Judges, no one ; will Suppose null iiiey wuuiu jinyv uuik an, eu m the people did In the spring; of l&Ck 1 1 certidnly do not think .so.j nje.Jm prpper selections were to" liaye bpen, ex pectedi as ineyi table j incidents jpf ,the times. :. . ;'.fi....' ..-u ' . Sue! mistakes liad been made before ih this State, iii tlmesupf convulsion and change in politics. Thus at the period of the overthrow of the old Fed eral party in this State and . tlie, rise of tho Republican or Democratic party of : ". 1 ' -' ;- u fr 1 .1 , ' Appeals, each at a salary of 3,uuo peri twenty at a salary of each., and I -4- 1 1 7 l - 'f t J' !;- ' . ' ! ' . : ? t-