The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1851-04-02

I
The hniisiian ropFmplsief By my 81
l. noi imposed On ne people 81 ths lee,
islainrs ~ rOuisn.lrd CO 81 some ny
bill simply proposes 10 pul he qarsiial
% me people. Whether they viii lhem,
selves rsll , convention limited 10 sl.i.
one object. " ihe people call he Con,
sentsan, fh<y impose he Iimiisfion. ans
NOT ne. Bnfil i asked. Why ma rpnsui
the people. a. 20 whether They desire !
convention without Limitation fel
the rrasan that this qneslian ff FIRE suf
fsge. as il il raied. Is he only one xhirf
has been generally sgiislssi. and on . hirl
ihe pnhiie mind has hpen gfnerallg exeii-
ed 1 pnsume il will he admitted by al
that il j. noi me part Of wisdom. Tor ilss
Irgislaiu,s ~ pun itself IN advance II 20.
pnlsr npinlnn. on the great qaeslion Al
constitutional rrfarm. II Is very easy
matter f.r agiialarf and mischief-makers
10 inflame The pnblsc mind and IN render
the penpie hissTsis6ed with The insiilutians
nndrr nhifh they live. 1.-The people are
grongrd. they are apt 10 hnd il eal saaH
enough. ! do not think any me OIL siils
foer. can say ransrieniiousiy. iasr iiere Is
any alhtr great question If constitutional
amendment, that has heen .. fiicienIly
agiialed rs 10 ksare il doubtful whether .
majority oflhe people of The Stale desire
q change. ! dare say there are many
questions on which active politicians
might produce diseanienl and ihe desire
ri charge; but" sufficient unto The day
is The evil thereof" On other questions
the popular mind ia Bow quiet. and Tor
one am moi disposed 20 disturb il. On
This question &c free s.frsge. The public
mind has been agj,aifh. il is doubtful on
which side shn majority inrlines. and
] am willing ~ leave lis decision 10 HE
tribunal Of The hallnlbox. occupy The
Irue republican platform on This question.
] shall no, attempt 10 lead public opinion.
IN regard 10 Altering The constitution |;
neither viii | attempt 10 carry on my
views. regardless Of The wish az The poo
pie hui am willing 10 leave This matter
10 them. and no matter what may he nv
view rs an individual. We, am willing 10
submit ioile dcci.iOp Of The majority of,he
people.
These remarks abonl " ,lisirnsi nf the
people" imposing conditions on iliem.r
&C.. DE-, had hoped mol 10 have heard
on This grace and important occasion. Ii
might be tolerated on the huslings. and
even then IL would be unfair-bnl here II
is neither dlgnified nor in accordance With
The action Of our government. consliiu-
lions are made BY the people. If mol di-
recily. yel by those selected with especial
reference 10 the views OF those they repre-
sent. The very idea Of a constitution in
wolves dislrusl which The people have
of themselves. Constitutions are based
on the erring and rail nature of men. and
are designed 10 counifracl The temporary
and fnciuaiing impulses Of The public
mind. The limitations they contain are
limitations imposed by The people Them
selves, for under nnr republican. system
they are submitted 10 The people for. rali-
ficalion before they go INTO operation.
But says The gentleman from Burke.
(Mr. Avery.) suppose The; Convention
when assembled. disregard The limitation.
and 60 on 10 make other alterations in The |
for. says The gentleman. some |
men in the Stale contend that The limila-
lion will moi be binding. Well, suppose
il does. Why, il would be no conven-
al all. except Cor The express purpose for
WHICH il was called. According 10 The
provisions ofmy bill, The people 10 Ealing
The Convention, would prescribe an oath
TO he taken by The members, that llley |
would roi touch The Constitution IN any
oiber particular. Until they look The oath.
they would moi be convention if they
proceeded TO business without taking ii.
their acts would have no more binding np-
Grafton. Than those Of public meeting
OF the citizens Of Raleigh. Ii they took
the oath and then iisregar,led ii, they
would be guilty. Of perjury; and in either
case. no one would pay any sor. &c a,,en
tion TO their doings, and The machinery of
the Stale government woul! sill move on
under the present stale of things. Such
doubt mol would be The decision &c the
Supreme Court IN the first question that
would arise under such case as supposed;
and such would no doubt be The opinion
Of grand jury before whom any member
oil such 2 convention might be presented
for perjury. understand very well, why
this intima,ion has been thrown out, not
only here but IN portion nf the public
press OF The Siate--ihat limited conven.
ZION ifcalletl. will. when assembled. dis
regard The res riclinns imposed. Ii is TO
Tighten the friends Of free suffrage in the
east TO vote against a limited convention.
under the idea, that when The convention
assemblies, il will disregard The limit, and
proceed to rearrange The basis ofreptesen-
latlon. Such an appeal to eastern mem
,ers, is poor compliment 10 their inirlli-
yence. The same power and authority that
would call The convention woul,l impose
he limilaiion-and il is absurd 10 say |
hat Il majority Of the people OF the |
Stale vote for convention limited TO 4
specific purpose, that in The calling The
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