Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1848-06-23
FREE SurrRAcE.-Upon this subject, up TO

FREE SUFFRAGE.-Upon this subject, up TO
his time, We have not made any remarks; not
because we do not believe in the Propre'y
and the justice of the change in the elec've
franchise, proposed by the Democratic cano'-
date for Governor, but simply because we
knew we had time enough on hand, and be-
cause. we desired to deliberate on the question
before giving our views to the public. wei
have done so, and now give it as our opinion
that the property qualification required to en-
title man to vote for Senator in the Legis-
Iature of North Carolina, should be done away
with. That feature in our State constitution,
is at war with the spirit of our institutions.
and with the spirit of the age in which we
live. There are only three States in the I'm
ion, 80 far as we are now informed, that retain
this relic of British rule, Twenty-seven out
of the thirty States that compose the confede
ration, require no property qualification to en-
title man to vote for legislators of either
branch. and why should North Carolina re-
tain this feature? And particularly, why
should the Wing party, as party, oppose the
changer Why should not every free man in
North Carolina, who has arrived at the age of
81 years, and who pays his public dues, be
eligible to vote for a Senator to the State Le-
gislature' There is no good substantial rea-
son that we know Of. On the other hand
there are reasons innumerable and unanswer-
able, why he should have the right Simply
because one man may own SO acres of land,
or have a freehold interest therein, he can vote
for one branch of the Legislature, whilst all
others, no matter how intelligent and worthy
as citizens they may be, are debarred this
privilege! Is this in accordance with the ge-
MUS of our Institutions, or with the enlighten-
ed sentiments of this age of progress. 1t is
natural, however, that the Wings should OPP
pose this change. They have no confidence
in the intelligence of the masses, and are there
fore opposed to extending to them the right OF
Carolina, (of course we mean every white
man, who has arrived at the age of 81 years,
and who has paid up his public dues, having
the right to vote for both branches of the Le-
gislature This we hold to be true Democra-
cy, and as surely as we pen these lines, the
time is not distant when the change must and
will be made. Let any republican reflect up.
on this matter, and he must see that it is sin.
guIar that one man in this age and this coun.
try, where we are all free and equal, should
enjoy privileges beyond those enjoyed by his
fellow man. In future numbers of this paper
we shall discuss this matter more fully.
N-The Fayetteville Observer of Wednes
day last, says that it has answered the Joura'
al,-thatis, that it has proved Gen. Cass to be
both "Wilmot Proviso'' man, and a Black
Cockade Federalst" 1t has done neither
and we defy it to do either. That paper O
June 9th, asserted that General CaSs voted II
the Senate of the U. S for the WiImot Provi
SO. We denied the assertion, in our paper o.
the 9th, and called upon the Observer for the
proof. The Observer has failed to give the
proof. We now again call upon the Observer
-purporting, as it does, to be high minded
honorable journal-to either sustain the asser
ton by proof, or to come out and retract tn,
SANDER. Will the Observer do either? w,
shall see. The Observer endeavors to bolste
up the stale SANDER that General Cass, in earl,
life, was a Black Cockade Federalist, by two
quotations, one from Niles Register of 1884
and the other from little bitter Wing part
zan paper, published in GAINESVILLE, Ohio. II
the first place, we have not Niles Register be
fore us,-indeed we do not know that there il
a copy of that work in the town of Whining
ton-and therefore cannot say, from the ex
tract quoted by the Observer, whether it il
from an editorial. a speech, or a communica
ton. Will the Observer be kind enough-a
he has copy of Niles Register before him
to inform US who is the author of the para
graph quoted, and in what connection it ap
pears. Is it not the assertion of partizan-
unsustained by proof-worth about as mucl
as one of the Observers own assertions, which
we have shewn would not be of much weight
wide the Observers assertion that Cass vote
for the Wilmot Proviso AS to the paragraph
from the GAINESVILLE Courier, We would sim
ply refer the Observer TO an article on tn
fourth page of this paper for its refutation =
There, it will be seen that the Courier admit
the charge-so far as it relates to Ohio-to b
false; but that Gen. Cass was a FederaIis
whilst he lived in the State of Delaware, and be
fore he removed to Ohio. Asto the charge thu
: Cen Cass wore Black Cockade, whilst
mere boy-at most 16 or II years old-whils
in Wilmington, Delaware, with his fathe
who lived and died federalist, it is mere
ly ridiculous. We say with the Unioy
even surprising it to be true, which W
deny and challenge the proof, that half cen
fury ago, Gen. Cass, when mere boy of |
or II years old, wore the "Black Cockade,
would it not be both ridiculous and little +
bring it up against him now. after having bee
, identified with the Republican party for up
, wards of FORTY YEARS?
Again: we are not mistaken in saying tina
the chief opposition to Gen. Cass on the pal
of the Barnburners" of New-York, is O
+ account of his being opposed to the Wilmt
Proviso; and surely the Observer cannot BIT
| kno,C this himself. We might make quotatio
after quotation from the leading papers of th
Barnburners TO prove this, but it would b
unnecessary. The NeaD York Globe denour