The Wilmington Journal, of Friday evening, thus sums up the action of the
North Carolina State Convention:
‘
The Convention, presided over by
Hon. Weldon N. Edwards, of
Warren, has, as everybody knows, passed the Ordinance of Secession, and also adopted the
Provisional Government of the
Confederate States.
The ordinances for these purposes have been signed by all the members.
So far the movements of the
Convention were made unanimous.
In the order of procedure, the ratification of the permanent Constitution of the
Confederate States ought to have come next, and we presume would have done so, had there been a certified copy of said Constitution in the possession of the
Convention.
Of course pamphlet or newspaper copies of that document might have been procured, but very properly these were not regarded as sufficiently authoritative to form the official basis of solemn State action in so momentous a crisis as the present.
A properly attested copy will shortly be received from
Montgomery, and the subject will then be before the
Convention.
No doubt the
Constitution will be ratified, and if so, it must be taken as a whole, the
Convention having no power to amend it in any way to suit themselves.
Any desired amendment can be suggested by the
Convention, as was done by the Florida Convention.
We doubt if any amendments will be asked for. The Constitution will be promptly ratified as soon as it gets officially before the
Convention.
The other matters already mooted in the
Convention are--First.
The preparation of an address setting forth the causes which induced
North Carolina to separate herself from the late
United States.
This arises out of and in connection with the passage of the Ordinance of Secession.
Second.
There will probably be something done in regard to the
Stay Law, which meets with a good deal of opposition in some sections, and which is seriously believed by many lawyers to be unconstitutional as to several of its provisions.
Third.
The question of taxation, involving the
ad valorem amendment to the
Constitution, will certainly be brought up at an early day, and some change is certain to be made.
That was clearly indicated by a vote taken on Wednesday.--What the extent of that change may be we hardly know.
Fourth.
There has been some talk about a Lientenant Governor.
We do not know whether one will be elected by the
Convention, but the fact that the office will be created is pretty clearly indicated, although we have not noticed that it has yet been brought before the members publicly.
Naturally there are a good many people dissatisfied with matters and things connected with the military movements and arrangements.
Naturally, too, there may have been things done that might have been better done had there been greater experience and larger facilities for doing them.
No doubt there are ‘"screws loose,"’ there always are some loose ends left hanging in times like these; and when movements are initiated as suddenly as most of the recent military movements have had to be initiated.
A source of confusion has been the changes in the laws bearing upon the military service.
The raising of the ten regiments of State troops deranged the offering and acceptance of the twelve months volunteers.
The bill for twenty thousand volunteers, although a very good bill, necessarily, more or less puts things out of gear with those companies who had offered their service under former laws.
These difficulties were to have been expected, and we think that in a short time the machinery will get to running more smoothly, and working more efficiently.
Patience is a virtue which is not remarkably plenty just now, but it is none the less needed.
In all such times many will be sure to get the ‘"big disgust"’ for a while at least, Complaints will inevitably be made of any appointing power, whether that power be exercised by the
Governor, the
Adjutant-General, or the Advisory Board.
Where only one out of a dozen applicants for any particular post can be appointed to such post, of course there will be eleven dis-appointed.
We are not defending all the appointments made, nor are we attacking them all, her any of them.
We are only reasoning upon the general tendency of things creating a pressure even on the
Convention;--and this brings us to the fifth matter, already engaging the attention of that body, namely: an investigation into the military resources of the
State, the laws upon the subject, and the administration of that part of the
State Government.
The Convention was in secret session yesterday upon this matter, and of course we cannot say what was said and done, but it is evident that there is a disposition to make some changes, but
what changes we do not know, if anybody does, they are smart.
’
