The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1850-09-18

oppponsnt Tor the first time duriar the cam.
ps,sn in his own county at Wsnt.erh. I
comgeEcsd the discussion and alluded bfi.Ay
10 several topics.
10 regard 10 Equal Sufi age, l said ar in
tended to say, ss had done msny times be.
fore, that, If BY allowing the qualified volsr.
10 the House OF Comnens 10 vola also in the
Senate, It was contsnaea ihs, this made ,hem
'Inal or gave them equal political povsr un.
der our Constitution, II was = Mis,aRs that
It ~ea'd lot accomplish ihs, shj.c,. B,
wsv Of Illustration, | argued that the ceuniy
Of Onslo~ formed ore Senatorial Di.,r,c, and
was allowed ore Senator. tn. coun,ss OF
Wilkes, Caldwell. Burke and McDs~ell form
Cd ore Senatorial D.slIct sna wss ulo we'd
ore Senator. That sllswlag all the free
~hlie mea in those districts 10 veto fer thsir
Senators respectively, you'd not be graniip,
to them 80 equality Of porer. for az Oass~
had abou, 500 voters and Tho other feur oDn
ties had about 1000 vstrrs. i, would be nrs.
king 500 @eo squsl TO 1000. or Masking enc
iDsn equal TO five. And ! argued that II
would be necessary l"r thoe vho sdsecafed
The propsssd amendment IN ihe Conif!in.ien on
ihs ground, 10 ehanse The bans Of r,Rre,sn'a.
hon TO the rhife population principle, ~ that
one ~hte man IN enc section Of tho Ssaie
would be Of sqa.l weight To wh'e msn IN
any oher sectsn-tha the adpocaies Of fhe
doctrine, 10 DO consistent @en, must 20 for
The ehsngs Such ws.. | think, my sr.u
mont such was csr'ainly my meaning. Yet
10 rapid debate, heard only once, gesilemeu
might have adopted tho opinion that | va.
advocating the establishment OF the White
Ba.s. While IN The sa,ne. subject. | stated
that the recent Democratic Convestiop had
proposed To ehsngs the Constitution by .x
tending the right Of voting FOR members OF
he General Assembly aud of eiectiug ths
Judges by tho people that tho Wing Con.
ventlen 60, only proposed those changes, bot
also The suesiions OF elsciing the Oaicers Of
State and Justices Of the Peace by the people
that the Wings had ihos gons further than
the Democrats, and. rems keI pl.,,ully.
man shon my oppon7a'.
! 10 regard to The federal basis Of fsp'cynia.
Zion, | said IN substance. that many persons
IN this SAFE, myself among the uumbst. ~sre
Of the opinIon that "a hen the rev bass of rep.
tesen,ssloa .ss s.lsslish,d in eur Coss.rs
largely Ia the compo'l''nu. That slaves
formed most Important item Of calculation
fnr both UoaNs of the Assembly IN tho
Commons saws being estimated az persons
by counting three 6f hs, and in the S,aste as
property by counting the amount Of taxes
paid on them n,o the public Tfeasatv. In
this cennesion stated iurihsr, as an obarae Ct
propo inon, tina, II ! had 10 make Consti
utica for people ab mite hey having had
no Constitution bsort) tbs, white populsuop
should form ths basis OF representation in ons
branch al least of the iaw.msking Depart
,.cnt. But m,kns a Constitution ab iaifio
or frsm the start, a new Constitutes for q
new State, is q vary dforen, thing. in NY
Judgment. from changing on old one already
existing triting nron comprom'ses Of sec
,lonai Influences and adjustments OF sntsgon
i.tic interests, like the Constitution o. Moth
/ Caroins. And 1t was a total mistake and
msspprr henuon Of my srguMen, ard opln.
IONS 10 suppose thal | at Weutsot,h or else.
where, ever advocated the doctrine Of chan.
cing oLr present Conaitafioa so as to abolish
/ federal and sub htlfe uhfe population asthe
rfprfseoteiirr basisl Ttese we're the o2,n
IONS lhal expressed myself ready "to Stand
up 10 end to swear by" ard aot lhc upufn
ne OF our CONSTITUTION ard the sNNdonneai
Of ne compromises. | vas not proposing
menduen,s - our Constitution; for ss sad
n INV printed addre" TO the Wing Conyen
| tlon. en- my iudk IA en' II is no part oi Cav
ernor's du,ies or rsh, TO mako or propose
rev Constitutions Tor the People"
I Yet ! have no doubt that those Who have
given Certificates about my speech under.
stood me 40 they have stated and were hon
e., in thrir convictions. But as ! have o.
reudy said, either ,hey drew differences not
! warranted by the argument, or my vIcvs
we're loo ambiguousy or obscurely expressed.
And shen my attention ~as drawn to the sdb
4 iscr subsequently,, ,ha. had been 70 undo'.
/ stood at Wentworth, il was promptly dsss.
vowed aud my ifuc position explained.
This speech a, Wen,wor,h was MADE m
! The 20 h Of juno. O, the 3 oil JIly, OF Sl'
lem, my oppenen, stated in his address 10 the
People, that he understood inc a, Wentaorh
as going III favor Of changing cur Cobsl''n
uon SO as TO adopt whre for federal basis, DC.
| interpo.ed for explanation ard nssored HIN
that he had Misunderstood me Ihrt DID
no, advocate any such change, aad When
came to reply, ! explained my position more
fully. This allegation was repeated by my
opponen, in our public discussions al various
o,her plncss afterwards and always repudIa'
ted and d,saflitmed by me, and on some coca.
sion, with surprise and warmth sha. no should
persist IN slluding to i, afier he had been so
repeatedly dsabused. These often repeated
disclaimers too, It will bo observed, wafo
made in a part Of tho State ~hsro the doc
;f,pe is understood TO be popular and where
II, might have been received with great favor
b, those whom addressed.
Oo tho l7.h Of July, when on the eve el
leaving Morgsn,on. ! received 'n'orma'ion'