North Carolina Newspapers

The Law, and the Testimony, The CWstltutition of North Carolina tpressly declares that NO CONVEN TION OF TH K PEOPLE SHALL Hi: CALLED BY THE GENERAL "ASSEMIJLY, UNLESS BY THE IX)XCUHUENCE OF TWO-THIRDS O FALL THE MEMBERS OF EACH HOUSE OF THE GENERAL AS SEMBLY. J JUDGE GASTON AND CONVENTION. , Upon the question of amending the Constitution In tlic Convention of 183.3, Judge Gaston said: j 4Thiswas one of the most impor tant questions that had come before 'the Convention; for, whatever bene fit we may have promised ourselves from our laliors in the body, In laying the foundation of our Constitution on equitable and fair principles, If we put it in the power of bare legislative major ities' to upset them all, then indeed have we toiled In vain, j He was not only surprised, but filled with fearful apprehension. It appears as if this I truly was going rashly from one ex treme to another. Because difficulty has l.oeh oxixTinieed In calling a Con vention to amend our Constitution, we :m determined to have . a perpetually t hanging Constitution. What . is the proHisition recommended in the Re lort? That to suvecding Ix'jjisla- t;i:es, bv a lore majority or votes, may alter any jiurt of the Amend Mints which' mav I adopted by this ( "ofivcntion, or -any principle in the Bill of Rights, coiwcratcu for the se curity or our lives, Iilerty. and prop it v. What rnsoii is irlven for this lu-iMi-dinir? Tit at a maiority ought Jo govern. Ix't us not lx? deceived by gent-ninth's. In what sense ought major it r to aorern! That the dclilerate will of the lK'oi.Ie ourht ultimately to prevail, no one will deny; but that 1 In temporary trill of a majority , which may lr prmhn-eil by the effervescence if II..' hiOi,a;ttt ought to lU irhaf if pirate., re' tip ami pal down Constitutions from i fay tt nay no man can l;e - extrava ;'int a-: to dsire. "If nothing more is .ncedd for the pnrjn4 of government th:i! this brief niaxiiii, li t tlie majority govern, what ije.-onu-s of all our clnvks on majori ties? hy have two brain hes in our Ix-gi.-lalure? Why judicial establish ments. Why tiial "by jury? If we adopt this unfettered principle, why anv or tnse csiaonnmemsr Chief Justice had no doubt whatever about the revolutionary character of a Convention called after the manner In which the present Is attempted to be called. This will be almost universally admitted to be the very highest author Ity that can be . cited on either side in the pending contest, and will, we be lieve,' have more weight than any other. We liave Italicised certain portions of the letter bearing more closely on the question now under discussion : You will perceive, that I have hith erto discussed this subject, as depend Ingon the original and natural rights of our people, unaffected by any pro vision of our pre-existing Constitution; and, even on tliat lasis, I deny the au thority of your Convention to make or propose a new or modilied form or gov ernment for as. Rut the clause in our Constitution touching its amendment, or the call for'a Convention for that purpose, is so clear and so precise against any such Convention as we liave liad, as to put the point beyond doubt or argument, as it seems to me. Two modesof amendingtheConstitution are provided: One through the agency of the General Assembly, jroj:osing an amendment for ratification by a vote of the people, which need not be con sidercu here ; the other, by a Conven tion called in a manner prescribed in the Constitution, which is the matter now for consideration. It is obvious that, in prescribing these ttvo, all other moifes are excluded by irresistible infer ence. In respect , to a Convention, the words are, ' No Convention " of the IcopIe sliall le called by the General Assembly unless by the concurrence or two-thirds of all the members of each House of the General Assembly." "In either case the regularly constituted au thority of the organized government is required to initiate an alteration of the govern men t, which was no doubt, upon .the sound principle laid down in the Rhode Island case, in order to avoid jwqmlar commotions, revolutions, and uncertainty as to what Is the Constitu tion. If, then, the two modes designa ted are the only oneshy which the Cons titution can 1k altered, it is clear that this last so-called Convention was not a Constitutional " thn vent ion, and therefore its acts are void. Yielding' then; that Mr. Johnson's and Mri 1 1 olden 's j Convention might, by popular acquiescence, adopt for us the measures demanded by them, yet it hail no existence as a Convention of the ieople of North Carolina under the elation, and therefore, the conjoint resolution and votes of the two j bod ies shave no more effect than that of "either by. itself. I conclude it is no Constitution, and cannot be mado one by what has been done, or . can be done now. j What, then, does it behoove the peo ple to do ? They ought, it seems to me, promptly and decisively to reject the whole project. If it be suggested,l that f rt Aim arnoFtanA nil AAntfDnHni j fctrtf those of 'TGTwhich formed our original J ft"31 Wanted, and good for 0 loll rha niaaoooa . x r a hAltf tlitiA Constitution, have regularly made I . For the Carolina Era. LETTER FROM ABEL' STEADFAST. Mb. Editor : I have often heard that A. doctor never takes his own pills." This has set me to thinking about the political quackery of the present legislature. When the mem bers were candidates, they promised the people great retrenchment and re form. They pretended that they had: some wonderful Democratic JSconoml- CENERAL From the Charlotte Observer. j RUFUS BARRINGER ON CONVENTION, v THE them worse and worse, and therefore. we had better take this than run fur ther risks, and especially that, at least, those who approve of the alterations shall give their suffrage for adoption. I reply, no ! Tlie great principle of po litical and civil liberty, that a -people may, and ought to make a- Constitution and Government for themselves ; ttal in so doing they ought to be careful to pro ceed in the regular and peaceful method which is prescribed, instead of an unau thorized, irregular and usurped inode from tchich uncertainty as to the validity of their aoingsand consequent commo tions arise, furnish the strongest reasons why every man should give, his boiee against the instrument now projtoscd, and wait for the action of the legislature, Uie proposing of amendments to the, peo ple or Vie duly calling of a have Convention legitimate poicer to "He would most ilesiNitii1 rather live under the government on tttrth, than under an unlimih-d government of mimliers. : He might estuie the no- Tyrant, but thcry could lie a multitude or Ty- of ont l"S4-aH Mluts which affect our internal organi zation as a distinct for examplc.the basis too uuauncations 01 ine um) tives, and of voters: the number and jurisdiction of Courts; the appointment or the Judges thereor; the tenure of their office, and that of the executive. or the like. A'o disquisition can render thete points clearer than the short and si mole paraqrauh of the (bnslitution it self. The conclusion can only Ik evad- j cd by establishing as the truth, that the -MM W A - M J - . which would adapt them. ljet me nere auuuce a case wnicn 1 ought to have added to the efficiency of the popular vote per se. I adduce it, because It I clear to the apprehen sions of every one, and exhibits n a strong light the correctness of th ar gument against the popular power a mere majority over the Constitution of a nation. The case to which I al luded, Is that of the government of the United States. The Constitution there 8Itf?cifles the modes of amendment; modes intended to protect minorities against superior, numbers. JNow, sup- IKse, upon this assumption, that ieople may do as to them listeth, tliat, the majority of the people the people, an attempt were made to alter the Federal Constitution of the United States what sort of a Consti tution should we have who could! en dure it, especially at the South who would endure it and hold it to be a Constitution? So it is under thebro visions of our State Constitution. Then let our people with one voice reject it. That Will quiet everything and we may begin anew, in a lawful way to make the Constitution wliat we wish it. But, if approved by the people and proclaimed by the Governor,! all the questions upon the validity on the the and are .....:..:,... ...,.1 -...li 4 1. ,... .. Mfii-Miiuiuiii, nun nnuu 1101, iiHTViurv, e f , alter that instrument in any of these p"f."VlMm llluA,unm1 "4 "u V?" vchtion arise questions afftxting (the - lavlif- tA oil thn filil nnl rlia nmtr nmwui licpuoiicitn state ; .i j i ,., ,t. .n.i t 1 of representation V- JUUVU" , uws , liV clisciuietude incident to them, nor to the .embarrassments of the Judiciary. Your friend, THOMAS Ac, KUFFIN from tin no rants." On a su! (sequent tbiy, i 3Ir. (iaston, of Craven, thought ' that the sen of the Convention had Ikh-ii so distinctly ascertained, the other day when the question Wais discussed; that ho further obstacle could U titrown in the way of carrying" out the principles agreiilon. I lint we an now met by I the iopuIar cry, that we are alxait to limit the jxar tr if the iite. It was not the jM-ojtle but the creatures of the leople, that the r.iiieudment promised to Jimit. The i ourse proiHis! was not an unusual out. it was n-ognizei in tnrtH con stitutions which he had picked up on the spur or the moment; viz: South Carolina, Alalcuna and; the United States. It is to imjto.-e a j clinch on the jyislalure, that if may not avail itself if an aceiitentaf majority to disturb the njtosc if the jtettpte byfretptenttyxtlling them together in (mrentton. Ve are called on by every consideration, not to sanction the principh, that a bare. majority may authorize a Convention, if we do, we shall Ik ex pose I tocontinual lluctuations. Th peojiU have, it is true, the sacred right br Revolution, they ossess the jKiwerof rising in their might and upturning the fundamental principles) of government; but they t-annot do it, unless the ehiergcney is great. . Mr. (i. concludetl by saying, if th rigid of a Imre majority to call a (hnrrnlion were nvognizcd in the Con stitution be would not give one fig for all the matters which the Convention had Uvn engaged in adjusting, since it assembled. Instead of any permanent regulations, everything j. would Ih set afloat and we should have a new Con stitution every two or three years. eli use of the Constitution was no longer in force, and tha't ttosition 'cannot Ik? - For the Carolina Era. JJliloe JJra: It is truly encouraging to see how the Convention emetiti is ! oiKiratingipon the honest law-abiding ina.s.st's in mi section oi. xne goou niti State, the efforts of the Revolutionists to check the dangerous -effects of the over dose to the contrary notwithstand ing. The laboring classes are calculat ing; how many drops of sweat, liow many bushels of corn anu wheat, and how many pounds , of beef and pork it is going to take to iay the exnehse not assert j i... ii,n i., t .. -,ii,.,i such a doctrine, but plainly proceeds j.-i'fier df uiK)n a contrary one, by -professing to 2SSJ"S all the diseases of the body politic. They, gave a good dose to clerks, sher iffs, constables, jurors, and other small officers, which put them on light diet, and brought them almost to starvation point. The doctors gave jurors six cents' milage, and take twenty cents a mile for themselves ; and then many of them travel on the cars as dead heads, while the poor juryman lias a stumpy and muddy road to travel. I would like to take some of the pills they gave their favorite Public Printer. Thev were sorter fraidof him, and they tried to coax the bear. He has a "party lash" which makes them fall into ranks; and then he can puff so nice and make big men out of small pertaters. . j I don't think the doctors arc good at edecation. They paid about twelve thousand dollars to make one book, and they had to git a Yankee to write for them at a hundred dollars a day to do that. That's putty steep, and don't say much .for the " Economical pills." They say that the Radikils, taking seven dollars a day, was as good as stealing, and still they have done the same thing, according to my kalkerla tion. The Radikal seven dollars would only buy 2 bushels and a peck of wheat, and the Demikrat five dollars would buy five bushels of wheat. The Radi kils got the most money, but the Dem ikrats had the. most flour doings, and cheapest board. I he rarmer who makes the wheat knows which side got most. That trial of the Governor was an other " Economical Pill." They said it was a clear case, and yet they got some big lawyers, and paid high for them. The doctors did not know much about law, or they ought to have tried the case. That fifty thousand dollar pill is very hard to take. They sorter promised to stop the taxes, and yet they passed more county special tax bills than was ever heard of before, and say they will have. to tax us to death, unless we break up the gov ernment. They passed no good laws, and spent about five months in passing private bills and making corporations at twelve hundred dollars a day, when corpora tions can be made at home and cost nothing. They promised to reduce the number of officers, and yet they made two Deputy-Governors. I don't know why they made two, unless the patterns were small and it took two to niake a whole one. I don't know exactly how to call them, as I cannot tell which is the head and which the tail. I call them Deputy-Governor Captain Warren Jarvis ; and my nabors say they think that will do, as little men like big Hied, is or questionable vaimity. Vnhnrlv ll rity and precedent are both UJ'$ mtv : it. With this fact lying it the. jS!nn nr WllS ol iresholdof the movement is it r lKksi true, unless it le also admitted, that no other part of it was in force, or, in other words, that by virtue of the war and its results, we were a people without Constitution or law of any sort. It necessarily comes to that, and that never ought to be, and never can "bey yielded. Perhaps it would be sufficient lor our present purposes, to say, that, even your Convention does names. I have just are going ito give bond to STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA, SlTpKKMK Col'KT, Raleigh, Feb. 11th, l.STl To Hi lieieltenry, Govi. CALDWELL: Si i !n roiilv to -iiii frknimiuiii- tion of the lth inst., 1 have the honor to say, that the Chief Justice, and Jus-tii-es Rodman, Dick and Settle are of opinion that the act to which you refer, is in violation of the Constitution. . All Igislative innvcr is vested in the General Assembly. Calling a Conven- . ? I . A. r I 11 r II 1IOU I.- till UCl OI ICglMUlIOU. It IOUOWS that no Convention can j be called un b :- it ledoneby the General Assembly. ........ a.x ill M-Ives no Miwer of legislation : It fol lows,, that a 'Convention cannot be t-ali-d by a vote of the people; nor will uch voting enablqitne General .Assembly to call a Convention, in a manner not authorized by the Consti Justice Reade, for the reason stated by him when the opinion of the Jus- , t ices was requested by the General As sembly In regard to the tenure of of fice, K"lines to give an opinion. Coon the second ciuestion in regard to your duty, provided you believe the act to be unconstitutional, the Justices do not Teel at liberty to offer an opin ion. ; i Very rrsictfully.t Sre., It. M. PEARSON, , Chief Justsce, Supreme Court. From the Old 2forth State.1 CHIEF JUSTICE RUPFIN ON THE MODE OF CALLINQ A CONVENTION. "amend" our old Constitution, as still sulsisting, and not to make one abori gine, and by designating the old laws still in force as (tintra-distinguished from those passed by legislatures sit ting under the auspices or secession. Indeed, it is impossible under any as-K-ct or any law, as understoKl among civilized nations and in iiKxlcrn tiniesj that a whole people can be Ireattl or consilenI as being without any law or ministers of the law, even by con-' querors. The security, ami the obliga tion of contracts still subsist. Can it, for instance, lx? supposed fora moment,' that upon "the death or a proprietor, there is no rule of succession to his real and lx'rsonal estates, and that the first . occupant may appropriate them, or that no lody can! On the contrary, I say, that the laws of North Carolina were still her laws, including her fun damental law, and if so, it is then to be deduced, that there, could be no Conven tion to abrogate or to alter that law,, un less called and chosen in the manner pre scribed in if, and that, as a corollary, your. Con ventien had no power in the premises, and its pretended powers and acts ought not to be confirmed by the people, if the jK-oplc could confirm them, but ought to be opposed and re jected. It would seem that body was aware of the defect of its powers,from the submission or those acts to the people thus seeking the requisite confirmation. Rut, in trutn, such confirmation can not be derived from that source ; for the same provision in the Constitution which-makes the Convention a nullity, equally excludes the efficiency or a popular majority to annul one Consti tution and make another. As the act or a people living under a constitution al Government, even the vote or the majority is propria vigore ineffectual, without the assent or the subsisting constitutional government and its di rections ror taking the vote and ascer taining the majority. Without such previous authority and regulations the majority, if physically able, may over throw the existing government, but it can only do so by revolution and not as possessing a legitimate delegated office and power. I need not, how ever, dilate further on this topic as the grounds and authorities on which the doctrine depends are. ac o "ding to my recollections, set forth in the anrument and opinion given, by the Supreme Court in Dorr's case. Then, if the people of a State cannot, by their own direct vote, abrogate or make a Con- t, A A A a . a siuuuon, wunout tne previous sanc tion of authority in power under the existing government, as in Dorr's case, mucii less can mey ao it, wien the von stitution then subsisting especially pro vides two other modes for effecting these purposes and exclutles all besides, which is our case. We arrive then, at these results : tliat the Convention was notconstituuonaP; it had no powers and could not make a constitution ittiat for the same reason the people IiAve no powers, and that as neither the Convention nor the people had any power in the premises, by con sequence, both together are equally des titutute of the requisite power. 2he Af A A K 1 I - L.onvtTuion teas an auuionzea ooay, ana, dollars squandered in the Holden Im peachment they find that barely enough ! will be left to keep the wolf -from the door, anil say they cannot take the pill. They say the last Legislature was worse than Kirks raiders, for they would come boldly up to a man's door and demand what they wanted and that too in open day-light, but the legislature took "snap judgment" .on them and comes like a thief in the night, when you least expect it. There is.t he sixty-One thousand dollars spent to impeach Holden, the three thousand dollars to pay the lawyers to prosecute him, the $4,o75.00 paid to a yankee re lorter for 44 days writing down the evidence of the witnesses against Hol den, the fcViM.ol paid for printing the book containing the evidence against Holden, all go to make up a considera ble claim in the tax list to come out or the pockets or the hard-working peo ple of the state. This accounts for the increase of taxation, from, 3G cents to r2 cents on the hundred dollars worh of property 10 cents higher than last year. We voted for the members of the present Legislature under solemn Sroniises that times would be better n Torth Car61ina. .The people feel that they have been deceived in this matter. Instead of times being - bettered they have gone from bad to worse, un- in now we una ourselves on tne verge of another Revolution, which with the high taxation incidental from bad Leg islation we find ourselves up here in the mountains well nigh ruined. All these facts combined have had. the effect to open the people's eyes in this section of the State.' We are fullyf aroused upon this question of Conven tion in the mountains. We look upon it as an issue between -peace and war. A covert attempt on the part of the Legislature at Revolution. The good people are rising up in their might in all ia'rts or the country and swearing by their right or suffrage that they will not; Ik led blindfolded into another Revolution. The people or this county have heretofore been largely Conserva tive, but they have combined with the Republicans with one accord, in & solemn resolve, to vote against this at tempt at Revolution. Determination can be seen in almost everybody's face a determination to vote down the Convention nit r- i.i. t-vr Aiie- ucacun iirvs oi iiiu ru w.uiivtii beam that the Deputies make Maj. Bill Smith keep the peace and not make such big dividends on the rail road. I don't blame them, as I hear Maj. Bill tea ruff cuss-tomer, but as he lives in Alamance, I reckon he will jrove an a-ly-by by somebody. I don't enow how it is that a fellow can get limself out or a scrape by proving a-ly- by by anybody. That is a new dodge which the Ku Klux brought from Ten nessey or Georgy ; but I reckon our Deputies will know how to manage Major BilL They will stop the divi dends anyhow, since they can't be ta- Ken to pay per aiem to tne doctors in the Legislature. i The big Economical Pill is the Con vention. That's a level hundred thou sand, certain. Lawyer Love said the doctors and the people did not want to take it ; but " crack" went the party lash, and they trotted into traces, and they think they can scare the people in by big talk. The new offices are all promised out. Fifty offices is to be di vided between two hundred.' -That's more than riding double, like Captain Warren-Jarvis. There will be a fuss when that division is made. I think the Economical Pill will turn out to be nothing but " dead shot ver miruge," and the doctors will be killed by their own physic. Friendly, Abel. Steadfast. Shady Homestead, July 4, '71. Cat a tiTjOtte. July 7. Editor Observer:- f J I am so often asked for my vi3ws in regard to a Convention, that I may be pardoned a brief statement of them through the public press. Free and fair discussion is what the country now greatly needs. 1 J I , I am opposed to a Convention m the present juncture of our affairs. The or eranie law should not be chanfired.Hvhen possible to avoid it. except in times of quiet and confidence, and when the co operation or good men oi an qiasses could be secured. This is impossible at present. Public affairs, especially in this State, are now in great doubt and confusion. Even the act itseir, un der which the Convention is to be called, is or questionable Authority against very threshold possible that the work of the Conven tion could prove satisfactory or perma nent in its results? It is -more apt to lead to further, confusion and vorse complications if not to conflict,, and violence. p - j; : ; But mv main objection lies in a dif ferent direction.' The Constitution of 18(18 has its derects and blemishes. ! But for one. I db not hesitate to say that in my humble bpin- lon, that hated and much abased in strument contains many excellent! pro visions. Its enemies admit this,' when they propose, as they constantly do, to retain and re-adoot so man v of itil pe culiar features, such as its principles of equality before the law, the abolition of all property qualifications for .office, the Homestead, protection to the es tates of married i women, the Laborer and Mechanic's Lien, the eouatidn of taxation, the destruction of all distinc tions between Courts of Law and Cburts of Eouitv. the establishment of a sound and convenient Probate system! the enlarged jurisdiction or Justices oi the Peace,1 the concession Of local self-gov ernment to the masses, &c, &e. Jfhesc are great improvements on the old sys tem, and will ultimately work well. Give the new Constitution a fair trial, and I have no doubt, the friends of Convention would ere long fall injlove with others o its peculiar features its so-called novelties and innovation. People fret themselves over the losses and changes of the war, and clamor for the old .order of things, as though it were possible to escape the terrible evils incident to all violent changi revolutions. This cannot be. Bu could, I would not go back to th Constitution. That instrument, had its merits. But its essential tures were an outrage on the great mass or thej humbler whites, and prowd a curse to the State. It kept -.thc.masses destitute and ignorant. It drove hun dreds of thousands from the State ; land it did more than any one thing hj fix on North Carolina the opprobrious epithet of Rip Van Winkle. The peo ple rose up against it in 1835. I joined in denouncing it in 1851, in the " Wes tern Address," and I now hope it. is dead forever. ' . : ' f The 'chief merit of the Coristitu of 1808 is, that it fully and freeH ac cepts the results oi the war,. and re nizes the true principles of popular and development ; and this, with ter safeguards than ever before. Our I incompetent and worthless bin cers, and late reckless legislation ismot the fault of the Constitution. It ls rnr the Carolina .ra. i LETTER FROM REV. J. W. HOOD. .!':-. ' I I , Tvr Fpttor : I see by your issue of th 4th inst. that X have been the sup-. ject of a recent article j in the SeJinei. that nimr tO Keep in Uiu in"'1" " that paper i . . ; .vho haVe people tne ineuiuijr u --" --z Sone the most for the benefit of the tt u-hn have worKea uiemiM" and received the least for their services, i toSfc that I should feeh great y slighted if it should pass ny name in silence. . L l. L: Lwr received the sum of $1,877.85 for thir- tunities in a State of freedom has qual- And I have fears that thi is the way thev will protect us in our Tights throughout the State If their Conven tion scheme succeeds . i A't. Suo't. Public Instruction. Charlotte, July am, izu. ; teen months service. This is erroneous m,nt nf ft'r.-.iv Personally, i care nothing for the statement.. Ilad t rwi;wv.i thn. sum nameu, ior neriod iriven. I would still have been r . 13 . i , Or fitness for of duty in any particular upon me, imd as i nau an occasion once ueiore to suue, i u wv, is Opposed to a colored (Assistant Super intendent or Public Instruction except those who are unwilling that colored children shall have fair play m school matters.'! j J ,1 . Tho nnnnintment then being neces- sarv, and the position having been so weil filled, that no word of complaint is heard, I repeat that the amount named is not large. But I did not receive it ; and as the statement is made for parti zan purposes, it seems proper that I should give the; party I that is held re sponsible, the benefit of the facts. They areas follows: ) j When first appointeo, I was allowed. $104.16Jjper month $1,250.00 per year. For the first five months I drew $100 per month ; on the sixth month I drew $125, making in all a half year's salary. For the nextnvej montns l arew, as oe fore, $100 each. (But in the! meanwhile I had petitioned the B6ard :to raise my salary to $1,500, as I founds my travel ing expenses would amount to $500 per annum. I had also asked ) for $182.85 extra, for traveling expenses incurred from December, 180S, to August, 1809, inclusive: JNIv salary was! raised to date end 't'Og- life et- mainly the result of the course pursped by our leading men in-the elections of 18G7-iS, when they advised the W'hjites to stand aloof and have nothing to do with ;negro sutfrage." They have! at last had their eyes opened, and tjiey now come with their "New Depart ure," and say, j " trust us again let us provide the organic law." But alter the sad experience of 18G1, the stupidi ty of 18G5, and the criminal blunders of 18G7-8, 1 prefer to see no more Con ventions called until things get some what settled. ; j Let jour friends of the " .New Depart; ure" turn their attention to the changed situation surrounding them. Let .them ,1 X XI 1 i !J aoovu.au, ucvoie uiciiiseives 10 pracu eal legislation, to the restoration o peace and confidence, and to the de.tel opment oi our vast resources, and taey will cease to abuse the Constitution of 1868, just as they have ceased to !, from No wlst? 18G9, sd that, at the of November, I received $125 for that month, also the $4.1G for each of the months proceeding in all $20.83. There was some Opposition to paying me the additional amount for traveling expenses, and therefore a (delay; but facts and figures convinced them that it was just, and it was granted. Hence I received, in Jan., 1870, a bal ance due for expense incurred previous to September, 1809. This amount the S5?HererroneousIy adds to the amount actually paid for , the period named. But even this will not make the amount reach the, figures it gives. For September and Pctober, 1809, I was paid sini.lGj. lrom CNovember, 18G0, to September, 1870, inclusive, for each, $13, making in an $1 ,sif ior the thirteen months. And this is every cent I received for theperod named ; and the whole amount paid me, for salary and traveling dxpense, for the twenty-seven months for which I have been paid, is $47.47$ Ijss than $1,500 per year.? . j When tlie, Sentinel's iiarty was in Eower it pad an Agent for Swamp ands $1,500 a year; to sit in Raleigh and read newspapers. 'Thus it will be seen that the Sentinel and Its party places a higher estimate' upon j these Swamp Lands, I which never have been any benefit to the State; than thbv do upon the educational interests of 125,000 colored children. Should they succeed in caning a convention we may ex peep to see the Swamp re-established, and the But Land Agency Colored School to . the Send- amount which thb thirteen DON'T WANT ANY For the Carolina Era. MORE CONVENTIONS. man. from vote. Mr Editoii : I am a colored I have always been free, and 1817 to 1835, I was allowed to The Convention of 1835 deprived me of the right to vote, simply because I was colored. In 1858, the men who are-now calling for a Convention, made a strong effort "in the Legislature to have me and all the free colored peo ple in North Carolina, sold into slavery. Col. L. W. Ilumphey, of Onslow, introduced the bill in the Senate and advocated its passage. I want to say to my colored friends and to my white friends I don't want any more Constitutional Conventions. I was deprived or the right to vote by one or them, and I am afraid or them. I warn you against them. My colored friends, the Convention which tne conservatives are now so anxious for, may do you as the Convention of 1835 did me. I. want every colored man, and every friend of law and order in the State, to go to the polls on the first Thursday-in August, and vote "no Convention."' W. A. B. Fraxkijxton, July 4, 1871. as tney nave ceased toiler nounce "iNigger voting" and the "nor rors of reconstruction." . They would in this way soon ri of worthless officials. They would virtue and intelligence resume t wonted sway, and ere long, the coun would once .-more rejoice in. plentiful barns and hopetul homes. Yours, &c, j RUFUS BARRINGER cBus see heir trv For the Carolina Era. Mr. Editor: The Republicans and tion" men blaze on almost every hillj 1 anti-Conventionists of this County have top in the county. hills are moving on anx to sure victory Under date of July the 21, 1SC6 the late Chief Justice Rufilii wrote a long letter to a member of that body, dis cassing the powers of tlio Convention of 1805. We present below all of that , therefore no more than a rahmtary col pnrt or his letter In relation to the man- j lection of so many inena caucus te nor in which a Convention of the poo- j commending to the people to adopt by " it . . J.. their vote a certain Instrument as our pie must be called under the Oonstitu- constitution, a thing which the peo tlon of this State. It Is clear, unequiv- Pie. under our Constitution, are not ocal and to the point. , The eminent I competent to do on that recommen- TIic men of the in one solid phalt in August next! The freemen of the mountains are nd longer going to submit to the part V lash.: .Cheering news comes from aft, parts of the counties west of here. The universal cry is "iTo Convention."- Down with Revolution t- Homestead for ever and low taxation." ; Yours truly, Haywood. R iciiiJvnd, Haywood Co., July, 1671 TlIKl )EMOCRACY OF ARKANSAS haVCj accepted the new departure, negro suei frage and, all. This is the most encouraJ ging sign yet seen in the political skiesj When the Arkansas democracy the; bowie-knife, draw-poker, blood-drinking Democrats of old chivalry antece dents accept negro suffrage the spirit of reform must be scouring through the Democratic party like alcohol through the pores of an old toper. Herald, selected Hon. J W. Albertson as their standard-bearer; a more efficient can didate could not have been chosen ; he is the right man in the right place. and he will make some of the swell-head-Conventionists reel dike quietly reposing beneath the shadow of some big tree, with a fan. to cool them, before the campaign is over. The op position candidate, Mr. Skinner, is an honorable high-minded gentleman, and a rriend of ours ; but his opponent .will use him up before the 3ra of August. Two thirds of this county will, -vote. a?ainst anv such foreign Revolutionary measure as this new method or call ing a Convention. People are afraid of it and it is well they are, for it is a dangerous trick, and should not be encouraged by any. lover of peace, law and order. Your paper is doing good work, let it come. 1 think it has con verted some, and there are some still halting between two opinions. If they continue to read it, they too will be, all right by election day. " B. Perquimans, July 10, 1871. ; For the Carolina Erf. Editor of the Era : I , Dear Sir: Thinking perhaps tliat you would be anxious, ' with - thoselof. your middle and eastern friends,to know how matters are progressing iin the region west or the mountains, I can inform you that the friends of the Con vention question are growing " small by degrees and beautifully less." Jn some or the western counties, it lias hardly enough friends, to keep it com pany. In Henderson county the peo ple are almost a unit against it. Thelre will be, I think, a large majority In this county against it. The ''same cjm be said of Madison, Mitchell, &c, coun ties throughuwhich I have traveled re cently.1 Transylvania will also roll ip a big majority against it. At a towfi ship meeting last Saturday at Lime stone, there were not less than one hufi dred present. Of this number I can didly do not believe there were a half dozen Convention men present ; though I am candid enough to say tliat thefe will be more than a half dozen in tlie township who will go for Conventioif ; but we will gain largely in that town ship this year. I am of the opinioL that if the people turn out and arc allowed to votei unmolested, you w01 not near anything more about the Coil yenuon soon. : Yours, truly, BUNCOMBE. Agency abolished, net's figures again s isy adding to tne actually! received for months named, the $182.02 which was allowed me for traveling expenses, for a period antecedent to (those months, and $12.50 of what I received in Nov. 18G9, which was a balance due for months previous to the I period named, and we have in all, $l,777j85J. Only one hundred short of the SentinePs fig ures. How is this to be) accounted for ? Easy enough the SenfihePsl ingenuity. It would lose its reputation if it should fail in so small a matter, in its own particular linel Iri 18GJ) I received pay tor tie month of Angust in Sep- of September month of Oc- tember ; ifor the month in October, and for the tober in November. But for No vein ber I received my pay !at tjhe close of that jmonth, instead of the beginning of the following month, and from thence forward I received' pay Sat the close of the month. So it will be seen that the Sentinel has taxed itself (with the labor of hunting up a period in which it could crowd the pay of fourteen months into thirteen. Ingenious', I grant. ' When I first read the article. I won dered why November. 1869-'70. had not been selected, as I had received. during that period, at the rate of $1,500 peri year. Why should! it select two months of a period in which I was re ceiving a smaller amount ? But a mo ment's reflection made all plain. In that case the ingenuity could not have been so cleverly hid. It! was necessarv to go back a month or two iso that the two entries in November would not be so readily noticed The design of the article seems to have -bfenj to get up wjihi wouki appear an enormous sum in the eyes of those whd despise to see a colored man paid for his services, like white men are, no niatter what his ability. And these are the men who are trying to persuade the colored peo ple to vote them into ii Convention, or stay from the polls, which amounts to the same thing. I j j ney ten us they don't mean to inter- ' ill. A . . uru wiiu our ngnts. iq; not sucn as I Correspondence AshevUle pioneer. JUDGE MERRIMON AND TH HOMESTEAD. Marshall, July 8fli, 1&T1. Mb. 'Editor: I understand that A. S. Merrimon, the revolutionary candidate for the Convention, In the county of Wake, made a speech in Ashcvillo one day during the last week of ypur court, in favor of Con vention, in which he took grounds in fjivor of tlio Homestead. We peopip down uero in this county would like to kilow if thin is so, and how long ho has hoeii iiifavbrof the Homestojid. It has; been the under standing generally in this county, that he was opposel to the homestead, j We hoar if stated here, and never hear it contradicted, thatrwhen Judge Brooks gavojhia opinion in the Federal Court that thd Homesteail was unconstitutional, Mr. Mrrimon;was loud in his applauso of the J udge, and actu ally applauded him there inr the Court house, on tho justice and correctness of the decision. We have- also heard that Mr. Merrimon said on divers occasions, In the presence of -reliable gentlemen, that (the homestead was unconstitutional, and would ; not apply to old debts, and that tho decision of our Supreme Court in tho case tried be fore them, in which our i homsteads aro so cured to us, was unconstitutional and yas made for partisan motives. I do know tli much to be true just after the decisions re ferred to, Mr. Merrimon wrote a letter to a merchant residing in Marshall, who had a great many old debts duo hint, stating that he had no doubt tlio decision sustaining the homestead as applying to old debts was un constitutional, and would lo so decided if. tuov rriiil irt thfi matter Ixifore tho Su preme Court of the United States, and so licited a contribution from tho merchant to enable him to carrv the quewtiou up to the Supremo Court of the United States. I do not know whether the merchant assisted him in tho matterbut understand that tho question has gone up. So, if we poor people are turned out of house and home, on ac- j count of this decision of the Supremo Cdurt j of the United States, I supp6i4e wo may thank Mr. Merrimon for it. This is very unkind in Mr. Merrimon, for ho ought to know, if ho succeeds in getting the home- ; stead set svside, that ruin and snfl'eringmust I fall upon thousands of poor helpless women and children, 'whoso only hope ii in sustain ing the homestead. Mr. Merrimon used to have many friends among the Jxjor peoplo of the mountains, but - if theyj are to j be ' turned out of house and homo by his efforts, and reduced to ruin and suffering, through his agency, then it is time they should Ijo careful nliout their confidence.' I I It is hinted, and pretty generally 1 elieK.d thatMr. Merrimon is fishing for a iwsition . on the Supreme Court bench, irt the event a Convention is'callod. This being true, asall believe it to be, it is safo to say that in all probability, the Legislature will reward him lor his gailant services in the campaign in favor of Convention with that important po sition. Should this come to pass, ami I, have no doubt that it will, if this Conven tion move is a success, can any one doubt for a moment what will ! bemino of tho homestead, when tho question is brought be fore' him for decision. Kntortaining the. sentiment in relation to; the homestead,, heretofore expressed on the subject, he can not do otherwise than reverse the present decision of the Supreme Court sustaining, the homestead, and with bno stroke of his. Willing pen sweep away tho last vestigoi of a homestead in North Carolina, j The people care nothing about the hew debts, they expect to payj them; it is tho old debts that tvill ruin the people, if tlio homestead is killed, and thai! will most certainly be done if such men a3 Mr. Mer rimon get on the Supremo Court IkjucIi of North Carolina... f '! j -I . . I Then I want tosay" to the 'people, who aro j interested in the homestead, . that tho best: way to keep such men, hostile to tlio homestead, off of the Supremo Court bench, and thereby retain your homesteads, iXto vote down this Convention. There is dan ger in this, Convention, and I might be safo in sayingwith the call of a Cpnveritionis (hp certain overthrow of tho homestead. I I'eel ,atlecp interest in this matter, and I rail upon every man in the county, every poof man in the State, every man -who is not worth his thousands, irresncctive of party, for the ?akO of their wives and chil dren, if nothing else, to defeat this attempt--ed i n vasion of ou r homes and 11 resides ny a set of lawyers and wealthy ollice-seekers, who: liave largo accounts of old debts on haiul. Tho call of a Convention and set ting asido the homestead I will make them thousands of dollars, but it will reduce us to poverty and want. Self protection Is tlio first. law of nature, and party friends cannot complain of us if wd join together ami. vote this Convention down,' when Wo toll them wo are voting for our, wives and children-,voting for homes ant firesides." It is dangerous to risk a homo in the hands of men who have declared time and again that our title was not good, and havo gono so far its to call a Convention' to - enable them to commence suit against us. in order that no may havo tho pleasure of seeing us turned out of house and homei To vote for thi Convention is voting for-men that have declare! their hostilitv steads. Vote for a Convention aitd prepare w-mwv vuur JiuillUlO jioincs. vote. vumiauuii, aim Keep ii j nouse lor wives and children. 1 j Yours Truly, MADISON. DIALOGUE-CONFEDERATE SOLDIER AND .! ! : ' CITIZEN. - . j j Citizen." How aro you to-day ?. ; OOlUier. " JNOt Well. snfTorln.f. frrn, ... i tt r rw Ua you get wouhdetl ?' H.p " In tho war." GV Do you suffer from it yet?" S J Vno . T K X A A m ii . A. 1UIYU LWfl HTIHflfa fil'nytr year artel lose some bones." . j C' 44 How are the TMVmln orIn ti.l -m.Ar. -- - -r j pv.uVUm UU rn-rvn4. aT No your nn flin I vu v wuvvitiiMii quissiion J" V m, against it oy a large majc i i it . m ill iii f-tj Shu fordsvi lie, July 10, 1871. r they concede. Theriahlto' be their slaves. In this they would protect its, no doubt, and be our best friends, too'. Let them call a Convention, and control it after the Sentinel's idea, and therel will be no more Public Schools for feolored chil dren in this State. I knoW bf but few i-onservTative counties m Which the colored children have had anything like a fair proportion of the school i j i For the Carolina Era. Mn. Editoii Sir: By appointment the citizens of Cumberland county op- osuu io convemion met in tne town Call at Fayetteville to-day. Captain O. II. Blocker was called to the chair, M. X. Taylor was appointed Secretary, yhe following nominations were unari lmously endorsed as candidates againsit Convention in this countv. viz : V. (L Guthrie and Thos. S. Lutherloh; Both gentlemen came forward and accepfi ed their nominations in appropriate speeches. Several other gentlemen addressed the large meeting, after which it adf journed, fully confident of putting down this proposed political scheme and crusade against the Constitution o; North Carolina. Fayetteviixe, N. C, July 5, 18711 rity.'f bullion i, i i ii - t I II -m " - .J 1 . 1 ' O. ICS. SIT. I RtWmf fmiMtrnnMvf the bloom of my manhood fighting for rich: men and their negroes. I am tired of strife, contention and war " I ou believe that the object of , the Conservative party is war, strifi and contention ?" i ' "f JiT" Yc We 1oor men dW a thi - fighting in the, war; came home with nothing but a poor piece of land, and the Conservative lawyers want to kill 4 the Iloniesteiid and turn us all out of doors. The true soldiers of the Stak5 are satisfied with the present Constitu4 tion.: It gives them a homestead of one thousand dollars and live hundred dollars' worth of personal property ex . jiiujiuiiivii kji ijiu BciiiNji i ,,1,-1 , , . . iiiiuiiuy money. I know a Townshin in which "". "versanu Doinbproofs aro do the two classes are about equal in num- tliey an to get a Convention td oers. or the school yeari epding with October,' 1871, the Township in ques tion received from the School Fund about $700. Only $120 of-tliis sum has been expended for colored schools. Last year the Township had the same amount of .which $100 only was expen ded for colored schools making in all but two hundred and eighty of the seven hundred dollars the; colored chil- drnn n-orr sirtf-i lfisl 4-n 17.. 4V. t .. I i t -a a i . rru, T K . ' ."""'i'wpieHiow, says the Tele xxic xiiiuiet, i -"SSXT. ilOOU IS a are not afraid of the discussion overthrow the Homestead anrl r property exemption, for the purpose of paying old judgments that are worth less as long as the Komestead decision of Hill vs. Kessler is the inw i cVi- State. The mechanics and laboring men control this country, and the? will vote down this new Conservati vS -Itevolution in August next? ?f, aram. : flint, t Un nrvnnnin - 1 respectable free negrq from the North ; ' rVolnrcnUonr he has no special claim upon our people ;. ";v ussioi white or black." He ndmita nil fhia Convention question, either but he recognizes the fact that the UP or through their papers Of On thOh thet colored people, at least his loner suffer ing and oppressed brethreri, have claims on him. And until he forgets God and himself, he will not cease to render them any service that, his better oppor- But let it be known thnf ru. ' both on the stumn nn.l thiiTi1 oiuu uaiine eimer,