The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1851-02-05

n,ayel b. lhs prngTrss ~. Pree Snaessri'
,bronsh lhs p'ssrni senersl Assembly.
Eahy ia The sessien. Bill wss inlro-
a.ced into the lion~e u Commons 10
,eend sl.r Constitution SOFAS 10 alIaw non
E.ehaldrrs 90 rnie fnr mrmhers af slse
senate. II ~. discussed al great length
n that baiy. snd s'.is MAS taken. and il
~. reirrsrd-lhrre-fiishs Of The members
of The House not snling Tor Il.
IL friends SET 90 work 10 resiye il. II
vas reeansiderrd. according b. rule Of
,he llonsr; and by the use al those means
50 readily presented in Legislative body.
having pawrr 10 beslow Office and rewards.
When liss House Was again called upon 10
,o,e. everything was arranged. and Il pass.
FL and Ma. sent In The Srnale. And ~hrn
that body rame IN examine into this deli
b,rafe neu considered art of IIause Of
Conmcn-. % change the Fundamental
Law of The State. IL turned onl lllal il vas
Free s ffrAge indeed; Tor il gave 10 all
freemrn aser III years Of age the right 10
vote Tor Senator. whether they were black
or white. ami whether they had paid Tax
az not. II allowed, In the opionion Of
may. iasoieaf free Negroes 10 vols fur
members Of the Senate Z
The same scene was enacted over again
in that body. The bill was rejected.
Again it's friends taxed their wits 10 revive
il: and the intrigue Was runningly con-
rived BY whirh il was finally fnced
through that body. lis friends in the House
of Commons aITerled 10 regard il a. Al an
endAnd 10 become indignant; and bill was
introduced. and pressed through with hot
haste. providing that the people should
hnld an eleciion and declare through The
ballot b,r whether they desired Conven-
linn. This was done 10 inIimidsle Eas-
tern Srnaiors who were opposed 10 let
ling the people say whether they desired
\ Convention or not. IL had iis effect.
Some Senator'S were fiighlensd al The Pros
pecl that The people might meet in Con-
,rnlion and obtain their rights. They
changed their votes. and Free Suffrage
passed. Upon The hoor Of the Senalr.
some Senators svowei that they were OPP
posed 10 iI-ihal they thought il an in
fraction Of the compromises of the Con-
siiiulion-bui that they would vote Cor Il
solely 10 keep dawn a Convention. OH
er Senators avowed their determination 70
vote for Convention. unless Free Suf-
frage passed. Free Suffrage did pass.
and all ils friends united To vote against
hill which only asked the poor boon Tor
the people that they nigh, tell the I.epis-
laluie. through the ballot boz. that they
desired Convention 10 be called 10 take
into consideration all The grievances under
which they labor, and redress them in the
manner which they alone haze The right
10 determine.
The issue. then. has been fairly pre-
ssnied: Free Suffrage. or Free Conuen-
tion, aaaresfriefed by n,ything but the
UW offhe People.
We have chosen 10 support a Free
CONVENTION. We opposed Free Suf.
frare. M, because we thought the people
ought moi To have il. bu, because we did
moi like The manner of getting il. We
can never sanction the proprieiy of amend.
menis 20 the Constitution by Legislative
enacimenis. u u true, the constitution
points out that as one Of the modes Of
amending the constitution; but i, is wrong.
and never,can accomplish the ohject in
tended by J.. Let us see how il is To be
carried into effect. A bill is TO be inno>
,luced into one Legislature, proposing an
alteration Of The Constitution. lf il re-
ceives the support Of ihree-iiihs of both
Houses of The Legislature. il is to be pub
lishcd, IN such manner as the Legislature
may prescribe. for the information Of the
people; AID is then TO be submitted to the
next Legislature. they have to pass il
again through both bodies by vote ol
two third. Of both Houses: aud !, is then
submitted 10 the people who may ra,ify OF
rejec, il. BY voting directly upon il at the
ballnt-box.
Now. is il not perfectly oSsious that,
by this mode, the will Of majorily--nay,
Of Two thirds Of the people, may be de-
fraietl! We have already shown that
after 1852. thirteen Senators will represent
a majority Of the people Of North Caro-.
lima. The minority is represented by
thir,y-seven Senators, any seventeen 81
whnnl may defea, the will Of the whole
STATE. Is there any principle more tho
roughly settled than that majority Of the
people have a right 10 fofm or reform
their Consiiiuiion-iheir fundamental law
All constitutions. IL is true. are designed
TO protect the rights Of minorisies; il il
the shleld which guards their rights again.
all encroarhmen,s. But these shields
these guards must ZONE, in the first in
stance. from the majority. In no oihe
way can /" power be derived from the peo
pie only" Free Suffrage has. il is true
passed The present Legislature; but none
but Free.holders yet vote for Senators
This right. which you are told is al
inalienahle personal right. and which yo,
are degraded by not being permitted 4
exercise, is not vet chained; and we ven
ture IN nrptl,ct rau pavnr a.; m ~k..:~ (. l..