The North Carolina Standard

PUBLIC MEETING IN POLK COUNTY.

A LARGE MAJORITY OF THE CITIZENS OF THE LATE COUNTY OF POLK MET AT THE HOUSE OF MARVEL MILLS, ESQ., ON THE 19TH OF FEBRUARY LAST, FOR THE PURPOSE OF EXPRESSING IN A PUBLIC MANNER, THEIR UNQUALIFIED DISAPPROBATION OF THE LAW, PASSED AT THE LAST SESSION OF THE LEGISLATURE, REPEALING THE LAW THAT CREATED AND ESTABLISHED THE COUNTY OF POLK; ALSO, TO EXPRESS THEIR DISAPPROBATION OF THE COURSE PURSUED BY THEIR REPRESENTATIVES IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS.

ON MOTION, SAMUEL STONE, ESQ., WAS CALLED TO THE CHAIR, AND COL. R. J. ALLEN, AND MR. H. F. VERNON WERE APPOINTED SECRETARIES.

THE OBJECT OF THE MEETING WAS THEN EXPLAINED BY DR. COLUMBUS MILLS, FOLLOWED BY COL. WM. F. JONES, IN A VERY ANIMATING ADDRESS.

ON MOTION, A COMMITTEE OF SEVEN WAS APPOINTED TO DRAFT AND REPORT RESOLUTIONS, SUITABLE TO THE OCCASION.

THE COMMITTEE, AFTER HAVING RETIRED A SHORT TIME, RETURNED, AND THROUGH THEIR CHAIRMAN, COL. E. G. FOSTER, REPORTED THE FOLLOWING PREAMBLE AND RESOLUTIONS; WHICH WERE UNANIMOUSLY ADOPTED, TO WIT:

WHEREAS, WE HAVE LEARNED WITH DEEP REGRET AND MORTIFICATION, THAT THE ACT OF THE LEGISLATURE, OF 1846-7, ESTABLISHING THE COUNTY OF POLK, HAS BEEN REPEALED: THIS REPEALING ACT WAS MOST UNEXPECTED AND ASTOUNDING TO US, AS IT IS ALTOGETHER UNPRECEDENTED IN LEGISLATION, AND IN OUR OPINION, UNCONSTITUTIONAL, UNJUST, OPPRESSIVE, AND UNCALLED FOR, BY ANY CONDUCT OF OURS AS A PEOPLE, OR ANY MISDEMEANOR OR MAL-PRACTICE, IN THE OFFICIAL CONDUCT OF ANY OF OUR PUBLIC OFFICERS. UNCONSTITUTIONAL—BECAUSE IT TAKES AWAY FROM US, A PEOPLE, RIGHTS, PRIVILEGES AND IMMUNITIES GUARANTIED TO US BY THE BILL OF RIGHTS AND CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE, GIVEN UNDER AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH THOSE INSTRUMENTS. THERE IS NO PROVISION IN THOSE INSTRUMENTS FOR OUT-LAWING AND DISFRANCHISING ALL FREE PEOPLE AND THEIR PUBLIC OFFICERS, CONSTITUTING A SEPARATE AND DISTINCT COMMUNITY, CLAIMING AND EXERCISING ALL THE PRIVILEGES ENJOYED BY THE PEOPLE OF ANY OTHER COUNTY IN THE STATE. THE PEOPLE OF POLK COUNTY HAVE NOT BEEN GUILTY OF TREASON, OR ANY OTHER HIGH CRIME AGAINST THE LAWS OF THE STATE; NOR HAVE THEIR PUBLIC OFFICERS BEEN GUILTY OF MAL-PRACTICE IN OFFICE. AND YET STRANGE TO SAY, BY A SWEEPING ACT OF OUR LAST LEGISLATURE, THESE PEOPLE AND THEIR PUBLIC OFFICERS, TOGETHER WITH ALL THEIR RIGHTS, PRIVILEGES AND IMMUNITIES, AS DEAR TO THEM AS TO THE PEOPLE OF ANY OTHER COUNTY IN THE STATE, HAVE BECOME EXTINCT. THIS MOST EXTRAORDINARY AND UNPRECEDENTED ACT OF LEGISLATION, NEVER COULD HAVE BEEN PERPETRATED BY A MAJORITY OF THE MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE, IF THEY HAD BEEN PROPERLY INFORMED OF THE FEELINGS AND WISHES OF THE PEOPLE OF POLK COUNTY. THERE WAS, CERTAINLY, TOO MUCH INTELLIGENCE AND MAGNANIMITY IN THAT BODY, TO HAVE DONE AN ACT OF SUCH WANTON INJUSTICE AND OPPRESSION TO ANY PORTION OF THE PEOPLE OF NORTH CAROLINA. POLK COUNTY WAS NOT REPRESENTED IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS; ONE OF THE SITTING MEMBERS FROM RUTHERFORD COUNTY HAVING RECEIVED ONLY ABOUT ONE-FOURTH OF THE VOTES OF POLK COUNTY, AND THE OTHER, ONLY ABOUT ONE SIXTH OF THE SAME. YET, BY THE EFFORTS OF THIS LATTER MEMBER, THE LAW ESTABLISHING POLK COUNTY, WAS REPEALED. WE ARE INFORMED HE MISREPRESENTED EVERY QUESTION AND FACT IN RELATION TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE COUNTY, ITS TERRITORY, ITS POPULATION, ITS TAXES TO PREJUDICE THE MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE AGAINST THE COUNTY, UNTIL HE EFFECTED ITS REPEAL. THIS GENTLEMAN ELECTED BY THE VOTERS OF RUTHERFORD COUNTY, LIVED IN POLK COUNTY, WAS BORN AND RAISED THERE, AND HAS BEEN CHERISHED AND SUSTAINED BY US FOR EVERY OFFICE HE EVER SOUGHT, (AND THEY HAVE BEEN MANY) FROM HIS EARLY MANHOOD; YET THIS IS THE MAN WHO HAS EFFECTED OUR RUIN.

WE ARE INFORMED AMONG OTHER CHARGES, THAT IT WAS SAID OUR SENATOR, DOCTOR COLUMBUS MILLS, AND GEN'L WM. F. JONES, ONE OF OUR REPRESENTATIVES TWO YEARS AGO, ESTABLISHED THIS COUNTY BY FRAUD; WE, THE PEOPLE OF POLK COUNTY, UTTERLY DENY THE CHARGE, AND PRONOUNCE IT FALSE. THEY ESTABLISHED IT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE WISHES AND INSTRUCTIONS OF THE PEOPLE OF POLK COUNTY, EMBRACING THE ALMOST ENTIRE POPULATION—A POPULATION, AS WE BELIEVE, OF FROM FIVE TO SIX THOUSAND PEOPLE. THEY COULD NOT HAVE PRACTICED ANY FRAUD UPON THE LEGISLATURE, IF THEY HAD BEEN SO DISPOSED, AS EVERY THING THEY DID AND SAID ON THE SUBJECT, MUST HAVE BEEN PUBLIC, AND DONE WITH A FULL KNOWLEDGE OF BOTH BRANCHES OF THE LEGISLATURE.

BE IT RESOLVED, THAT WE BELIEVE THE ACT OF THE LEGISLATURE, REPEALING POLK COUNTY, IS A GROSS VIOLATION OF THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE, THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES, AND OPPRESSIVE AND UNJUST TO US AS A PEOPLE.

RESOLVED, THAT WE HAVE THE RIGHT, AND WE INTEND TO CARRY THIS QUESTION BEFORE THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE, TO TEST THE POWER OF THE LEGISLATURE TO REPEAL A COUNTY.

RESOLVED, THAT WILLIAM WILKINS, ESQ, LATE A MEMBER OF THE LEGISLATURE, FROM RUTHERFORD COUNTY, BY HIS CONDUCT IN RELATION TO THE REPEAL OF POLK COUNTY, HAS FORFEITED THE CLAIMS HE MAY HAVE HERETOFORE HAD TO OUR CONFIDENCE AND RESPECT, AND DESERVES OUR CONDEMNATION.

RESOLVED, THAT COL. A. G. LOGAN, THE OTHER MEMBER FROM RUTHERFORD COUNTY, OBTAINED OUR VOTES BY FALSE PROMISES, AND DID NOT EXERT HIMSELF TO SUSTAIN POLK COUNTY AS HE PROMISED TO DO, AND THEREFORE HAS ENTIRELY FORFEITED OUR CONFIDENCE IN HIM AS A PUBLIC MAN.

RESOLVED, THAT DR. COLUMBUS MILLS AND GEN. WM. F. JONES, IN ESTABLISHING POLK COUNTY, ACTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE WISHES AND INSTRUCTIONS OF THE PEOPLE; BY WHICH DEED THEY OBTAINED FOR US GREAT RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES WHICH WE HOLD MOST DEAR; AND HAVE ENTITLED THEMSELVES TO OUR GRATITUDE AND HIGHEST COMMENDATION.

RESOLVED, THAT WE APPROVE OF THE COURSE OF OUR MAGISTRATES, IN MEETING TO DAY, (THE TIME, IN COURSE, FOR OUR COUNTY COURT TO MEET,) AND ENTERING UPON RECORD THEIR SOLEMN PROTEST AGAINST THIS ACT OF THE LEGISLATURE.

RESOLVED, THAT WE APPROVE ALSO OF THE COURSE OF OUR SHERIFF, CLERKS, AND ALL OTHER OFFICERS COMING FORWARD IN COURT AND ENTERING UPON RECORD THEIR SOLEMN PROTEST AGAINST THIS MOST UNJUST ACT OF THE LEGISLATURE, TAKING THEIR OFFICES FROM THEM, WITHOUT ANY CHARGE AGAINST THEM FOR MISDEMEANOR, OR MAL-PRACTICE IN OFFICE.

RESOLVED, THAT WE WILL BY EVERY LAWFUL MEANS IN OUR POWER, HOLD ON TO OUR COUNTY, AND THAT WE NEVER WILL REST SATISFIED UNTIL OUR CONSTITUTIONAL AND JUST RIGHTS ARE RESTORED TO US.

RESOLVED THAT OUR WARMEST THANKS ARE DUE AND ARE HEREBY TENDERED TO GEN. SAMUEL F. PATTERSON, A MEMBER OF THE SENATE FROM CALDWELL COUNTY, AND TO N. W. WOODFIN, ESQ., A MEMBER OF THE SENATE FROM BUNCOMBE COUNTY, FOR THEIR EFFORTS TO SAVE POLK COUNTY.

RESOLVED, THAT THE FOREGOING PREAMBLE AND RESOLUTIONS BE SIGNED BY THE CHAIRMAN AND SECRETARY, AND PUBLISHED IN THE RALEIGH REGISTER AND STANDARD.

SAMUEL STONE, CHAIRMAN.
ROBERT J. ALLEN, SECRETARY.

THE FOREGOING PREAMBLE AND RESOLUTIONS WERE APPROVED AND ENDORSED BY THE FOLLOWING OFFICERS OF SAID COUNTY

E. G. FOSTER, CHAIRMAN OF COUNTY COURT,
LUKE WALDROP, J. P.
J. H. ALLEY, J. P.
ROBERT J. ALLEN, CLERK OF SUPERIOR COURT.
P. B. WILLIAMS SHERIFF,
F. H. VERNON, CLERK OF COUNTY COURT