The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1850-04-03

Of the best men ever knew-a Quaker.
! Ii Is entitled . Minutes Of the North
Carolina yearly meeting. held AT New
Garden. Guilford county. llth month.
l649.s They send = memorial TO the
Senate and House Of Representative.
in which they say
sTsur momeri.Iisis further show. that shey he-
Iiese themselves consrientioasly constrained 10
hear their testimony against he dnrighfeous sys-
ten Of slavery. Many Il them have made pecs-
mary sacrifices 10 obtain quiet conscience and
they respectfully ssk cohs1ss 70 tske the szbfet
under aeliberaiisn, and I<gislzte for - sn<lpss-
lion o. extinction 80 FAR a. they constituiionsily
can. For We belis.s Il 20 b. snsfrhnsisn n
| rsscxce, inasunch ss 4 10 ~ ssrisnrs with the
divine pfeesps Of doing 10 osh<n N We would They
should DO % us. We believe 4 10 be snfsrep1b-
iesn. becssss IL docs not accord silh The deelsfs.
lion Of American independence-1ith that self
ssitenf lFefh, ftai ell men are created equal and
endowed bs cleir Creator with certain inaliena-
be nights that ainong these are lie, Liberty, and
the pursuit Of haPpineG.
-And we suggest for your consideration. the
proprieiy Of our government acknowledging the
Independence and nationality Of the Republic Of
Liberia, and extending TO her the sane comfy as
other nations.
. Your memorialists and petitioners desire that
you may be guided and influenced in your legis-
laiion by that wisdom which is profitable to d.
reef-which 10 iirst pure. then peaceshle, geniles
and easy to be enireated."
Now, these men are among our best
citizens ;some Of them were slavehol-
ders. | know one who emancipated
fifty slaves. 1t would be moderate
estimate to say he sacrificed to his
conscience twenty-five thousand dol
lars. Yet these people would be the
last to encourage violence. These men
would not fight but in the hour of tn
al believe many of them would do as
one did in Rhode Island in DORIS re-
bellion. He found soldier at his post
exhausted by fatigue and want Of food.
" Friend" he said, /" cannot use arms;
but ! will take care Of thy musket un-
til thou hast refreshment." Ask these
men what has been the effect Of the agi-
tation Of Abolitionists, and they will
tell you it has checked emancipation.
i contend that it is wrong to suppose
that the great body of our northern peo-
pie, who believe slavery 10 be an evil,
as our Quakers do, are therefore dispos-
ed to Interfere with the southern States,
or are enemies to the South"
But, 10 another aggression on the
Souri," In ls43, Massachusetts passed
resolutions recommending change in the
Constitution Of The United States. The re-
commentator was. that the third clause OF
The second section of the first article OF the
Constitution should he so changed as 10
abolish The representation Of the southern
States Tor their slaves. This proposition
was denounced a. tending TO disunion. A
gentleman from Virginia. (Mr. GiImer.)
and one from South Carolina. (Mr. Burt
said OF il. "a proposition precisely similar
to that now under consideration was
made by the notorious Hartford conven-
tioh." think when that amendment 10
made others will be made and disunion
will be the inevitable consequence.
But though the Legislature of Massa-
chusetts did wrong in this instance, il
does not follow that while our present
Constitution stands, she would interfere
with slavery in the southern States. II
il evinces disposition TO interfere, il
admits also The want Of power under the
Constitution. Our State Legislatures
sometimes do silly things. They resolve
one year against the resolve of The year
before. But | wish 10 call the attention
Of my colleague, (Mr. Clingman.) who
no doubt regards these Massachusetts
resolutions as an aggression" TO some
proceeding Of the last Legislature oil our
State. We had before us, in the winter
nf ls4S-49. proposition TO amend our
Stale constitution. In the gubernaiorial
canvass Of 80 an Issue unwisely was made
upon the pIupriely Of striking out from
our State constitution. a provision which
requires that all voters for the Senate shall
own fifty acres Of land. The Democrats
faised the cry of "fres suffrage" The
Wing candidate-a most estimable gentle
understood TO oppose free
suffrage as might have been expected,
The Democrats nearly elected their can
ditlaie ia State thai gave Taylor more
Than eight thousand majority over Cass.
But when the proposition was brought
forward TO amend our constitution, some
nf tho members from my colleagues (Mr.
Clingman's distriri) were earnest in advo.
rating the "whiie basis" They probably
what my colleague said in
his speech in December. l547. OF The
.whiie race being superior to the black:
ofcourse country filled with the former
8 mole vigorous and prosperous than
Dne filled with mixed race"
When the proposition was before the
Legislature. other amendments were offer
I'd beside that relaing To .free suffrage"
That may be understood. let me state
hat hy our State constitution the House
,f Common Il composed Of members
elected form The counties ..arcording 10
heir federal population" The article
eems 10 have been copied from the Con-
Iitution Of tie United States. which
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