North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1852, 1851-03-08
sneeob Of the Hon. VIM. B. Shepard,
OF PASoUoTANK.

ronos;n9 10 take vote of the people upon the
propriety of calling n Convention |" "", r, ~ |
Constitution being before the Senate MI ""' -
Shepard spoke as follows:
[ have so often, Mr.. Speaker, during TINS session
addressed the Senate. that It is win great reluc
lance / again inrude upon II; l ieei of
that some reply should be made to the remarks OF
the gentleman from Rutherford, who mas just
taken his seat as we'll as to those which ie'' lroh
the gentleman from Buncombe on Yesterday. ne
bill upon your table proposes to take the voice OF
a majority of the people, upon the prophecy OF
calling a Convention to amend the Constitution
The Constitution itself points out precisely the
mode of calling Conventions and amending the
instrument The gentleman from Rutherford has
made the discovery, that amendments to the Con-
stitution. made through the instrumentality OF
Convention, were more suitable to the genius OF
our people, and more republican. than when made
bv act Of the Legislature which act is afterwards
to be ratified by the people themselves. 1t seems
to me, MIR. Speaker, if either of the two modes OF
amendment, sanctioned by the Constitution, can
be called particularly republican in lis character
the one by bill is undoubtedly entitled TO ms as
tinguishng trait. When an amendment Is li'auo
by an act of the Legislature which is afterwards
submitted to the people for their approval 'ote
is taken upon the proposed measure aohe II 'iius'
stand unon its own merits, and not rely upon ex-
traneous circumstances, for success On the con
trary, should Convention be calico. the who're
Constitution will be laid before that body, and such
amendments as it may think proper TO make will
be submitted in gross to the people,; the conse-
ouence will be- some few popular amendments
will be incorporated with others of doubtful ex-
pediency, and The popular amendments made TO
carry others which, if left to themselves, would
not receive the votes of majority of the people
am not therefore, Sir, at all surprised that ootn
the gentleman from Rutherford and Buncomoe.
Sniff hU
and alone, submitted to the people. If they could
have persuaded the Senate to reject the Free Sui
fraoe bill and retain it for agitation popular
Glamour, to urge the necessity for an unlimited
Convention they might have stood some chance
of succeeding. AS it is now, however, when the
crv for Convention is reduced to its own merits
exclusively, l think the prospect OF success very
small; because there is not, in fact the slightest
necessity for Convention, nor any reason why
the people should be subjected to its unavoidable
expense and turmoil. There is no amendment OF
the Constitution desired by constitutional major
ity of the people, which cannot be procured more
certainly and at less risk and trouble, by legisa-
tive enactment than by Convention. This tea-
ture of our Constitution, far from deserving the
denunciations it has received from some gentle
men, is, in my judgment lis wsest, its most conser-
vative feature 1t is the very feature which gives
to the people themselves, the sole and exclusive
mems shall be made to the Constitution The
gentleman from Rutherford says. Conven,
ton called, it would be composed of the wisdom.
the gravity, and the experience OF the State. am
afraid, Sir, should he live 10 see Convention as
sembled in North Carolina, his Utopian visions
will be sadly disappointed. 1t will be composed
of precisely the same sort of people as those who
compose this Senate; little wiser perhaps, proba,
bly, not much older, or more experienced, but they
bo br, nj
JUDGES with ourselves. each one struggling to OBJ
tain some power or advantage for his own section
and thinking it mertorious to do so. This natural
result Of Convention was perfectly we'll known
to the trainers of our Constitution, and FOR that
reason, they made vote of twothirds of the Leg
islature necessary to the call; and that it should
never be done upon light and frivolous reasons a
mode was pointed out by which the of the
people could be taken, upon all proposed amend
mPnts.
A very large majority of the people seem to de-
sire Free Suffrage. This subject has been much
discussed in two Gubernatorial campaigns, and a
bill has been passed, submitting that question to
the people; should the change be approved of by
such majority would justify change of the
organic law it will be made without disturb ing
any other feature of the instrument Should n
hereafter be found that decided majority of the
people are in favor of the mode of electing the
judges by the people, or of altering the basis oil
representation now established let each of these
questions separately and distinctly be submitted to
the people, that they may be fairly discussed and
fully understood by Them and then let the vote be
taken upon each proposition by itself do mol
wish Convention, where the friends of these meas
ures could combine and force the people to take
them all, in order to ge: some one measure thew
might DESIRE
1t is, therefore, Mr. Speaker, perfectly manifest
that so far as amending the Constitution in any
manner that may be the wish of constitutions
majority of the people of North Carolina is the
object there is not the slightest necessity for Con
vention.
Gentlemen, therefore, who are urging Con
vention so vehemently, and who will be satisfied
with nothing but a Convention, must have som,
nlteror object in view. They have even spurnec
Free Suffrage, the object oftheir first love, which
II mistake not. was, two years ago, so fondl,
cherished and petted upon this floor, by all thos
valiant gentlemen, who so gallantIy defended thu
rights of the downtrodden and oppressed West
Why is this so, Sir2 We might for some time
look for solution of this mystery, if the gentle
man from Buncome had not, in his speech yester
day, kindly furnished US with solution. re
quested the reporters TO note that speech carefully
and to publish it verbatim, that the whole peopl
OF North Carolina might know the real cause G
all this uproar al out Convention 1t seems. Their
that Convention is desired by the GENT ema
from Buncombe and those who act with him. ne
because the West is oppressed by onr present Cor
stitutlon, but solely TO change the basis of repr
sentGt'on, that The West, aohich has NOM The con
mana 81 the House of Commons nuau Iikewis
n fho