Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1850-07-26
For the Journal.
To the Voters of North Carolina.

YOUR votes for Governor for North Carolina and it
well becomes all, under government like ours
where every man, whatever MAJ be his condition.
whether high or low, rich poor has voice in de-
termining who shall administer the affairs of govern
ment such occasions to pause and reflect, to free
himself of all the influences and excitements by
which he may be surrounded, and calmly to choose
between the opposing candidates. with eye single
to the interests of his country Is he Whig or is
he Democrat not the only questions to be ask
ed IT'S true that other things being equal, the
ties of party and the necessity of preserving party
organization, should be sufficient to determine your
vote; but occasions do sometimes arise when your
duty to yourselves and to your country require that
you should break loose from the trammels of party
and act independently of all such influences and if
you cannot reconcile it to yourselves to support and
sustain one who may be opposed to you upon some
questions of national policy at least you should re-
frain from giving your vote, from party consid
eratons for who advocates of State poll
cy which you feel and acknowledge would be runous
and destructive.
Among the many questions that were to be set
tied by the convention that framed the constitution
of the United States, there was not one that
surrounded by as many dificulties-not one that
gave rise to as much discussion, and that was the
subject of as much serious and anxious reflection,
as that of apportioning representatives among the
different States of the confederacy
And fathers, in the convention of 87, with
that wisdom and in that spirit of compromise that
characterized every they adopted, fixed up
on the federal basis, and determined that "Repre-
sentatives shall be apportioned among the several
States which may be included within this Union
cording to their respective numbers, which shall be
determined by adding to the whole number of free
persons including those bound to service for term
of years. and excluding Indians not taxed threeffths
of all other persons" And in 1885, the convention
that assembled to amend State constitution,
after much discussion and mature deliberations adop-
ted the basis for the House of Commons. Thus
was this delicate and difficult question settled and
it was hoped, finally settled. But now, when the
whole country is distracted upon the question of sla
very-now, when the North and the South stand in
hostile array against each other and serious alarms
entertained for the very existence of nstitu
tions-Gov. MANLY comes cut at this time, in North
Carolina, for abolshing the present basis of represent
tation of destroying the black basis he calls it.
and establishing the white basis in its stead. Can
there be doubt of this ? 1t is notorious that Gov
MANLY has attacked Col. REID wherever they have
met for voting to distribute the School Fund accord
ing to federal population. Why is this Why should
this fund be apportoned according to white popula
ton It raised by taxation according to fede-
"a numbers, ard when paid out in this way it must
be replaced and the same that would induce
Gov. MANLY to favor distribution Of the School
Fund according to white population would induce
him to favor change in representation and place ii
upon the basis. The arguments m favor Of the
one are equally strong in favor Of the other But
| Gov. MANIY's position upon this question Is not
matter of argument 1t has been settled by the Ger
tfcate of gentlemen of as high character as any in
the STATE of North Carolina, who were present and
who heard, with their ears Gov. MANLY say at
Wentworth, while addressing the people there that
he in favor of abolishing the present black or fed
erol basis and Of nstitutimg 1cte basis in its stead
It is impossible that they can be mistaken their at
tention was distinctly called to it, and Gov MANLY
not only expressed himself une9uivoaly in favor of
this change but also called upon Col REID to know
his views. Col REID unequivocally expressed him
self opposed to any change, and particularly at this
time. What, then, was Gov. MANLY's reply? II
am better friend of Equal Suffrage than you are
What did this mean Why that REID was only in
favor of changing that clause of the constitution
!
land before he vote for Senator; while he
Gov. MANLY, was now in favor Of not only Though
his views had changed in a very short time, and
perhaps now some what effected by the soil upon
which he stood and the scarceness of negroes in
that region) Of aboshing that landed qualification
for voter for the Senate but was in favor of 90
ing far beyond all this and of changing the basis of
representation That is what he meant by being a
better friend of Equal Suffrage than Col. REID
No. there can be mistake about this matter either
these gentlemen have put forth certificate which
is false, and which they know to be false, or Gov.
MANLY expressed himself in favor of abolishng the
present black federal basis and of substituting
white basis in its stead. One of these gentleman is
personally known to many of you, and yeu know that
he would scorn to play the demagogue for any pur-
pose, much less would he certify that to be true
which he did not know to be So There is no escap-
ing from the conclusion--if these to be re-
lied upon, Gov. MANLY is in favor of this change
If he did not express himself they utterly
worthy of credit When such an alternative is pre-
sented you cannot hesitate for moment Are you
prepared to make this change? If you are vote for
Gov. MANLY if you not will you endorse, by
your vote, opinions and principles that you believe
are opposed to the vital interest of your State,
and of all the slaveholding States.
You have been complaining, and with reason, too,
of the encroachments of the North upon the South
You have been complaining that your slave property
excluded from the territories the joint property Of
IalI tho citzaps IF he Tpited Sfafes Won, how,