Weekly North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1858, 1851-02-12
THE ATTACK ON THE BASIS.

The people of the State becoming generally
convinced We believe, that systematic attack has
been gotten up and is going against the basis
of representation in the Legislature. This attack
originated with Gov. Manly, who, in his first cam
pagn, sought by sectional appeals to rally the Wes
to his support by talking Of the /" five white men, in
Burke being outvoted in the Senate of the State by
one white man. in the County of Onslow and
this appeal was generally concluded by the statement
that Col. Reid, as free suffrage man, failed to 60 far
enough in refusing take ground against the Senate
basis.
In the last campaign Gov. Manly came out boldly
and unequivocay against the present basis; and, SO
far as he was concerned the candidate of the big
party that party was completely sectionalsed this
leading and absorbing point in State affairs. The
Whig party thus raised this issue, and, party,
they are now engaged in discussing it and keeping
it alive.
Gov Reid, on the contrary as the candidate of the
Democratic party. took ground FROM the first against
any attempt disturb the basis and in his Inaugu-
raj Address he announced this subject the views
and sentiments which he had expressed in both his
campaigns. 4 Convention of w estern members was
held in this City, during the late session. for the
purpose of organizing Convention party; and
though few Democrats attended the first meeting,
yet they perceived the object of the movers
of the meeting and the results likely to flow from it,
they repudiated the whole and set their faces
against it. Another meeting of Western-not of the
Western-members was held, and held under IThig
auspices, at which an Address read signed, and
ordered to be printed. This Address has been pub
lshed in two of the Convention organs in this City,
and the people of the State may that all the names
attached to it are Wing names, with the exception
of that of Sam Femming, of the County of Yancv.
These gentlemen sought to defeat Equal Suffrage, at
the late session. in order that they might use it as
means for inducing the people to call Convention;
but failing to defeat this great principle they still
pressed their Convention project, with the view OF
bringing bear at the next session.
to prevent a two-thrds vote for this measure. They
go for Convention, Equal Suffrage or no Equal
Suffrage; and in order to obtain the one they are
willing to defeat the other. They hare thus arrayed
themselves against both Equal Suffrage and tie present
basis; and the agitation they have thus commenced,
for partzan and sectional purposes, to 60 on until
the compromises of the State Constitution are des-
troyed, or they are overwhelmed and silenced by
the indignant voice OF the whole State. We predict
the latte: result We told these gentlemen, during
the late session. that they would neither get Con-
vention nor defeat Equal Suffrage. The result show
ed that we right; and we are willing to stake
our Judgment on this second prediction.
We have thus given brief history of the rise
and progress of this attack the basis. Hereafter,
as occasion may require, we expect to 60 over the
whole ground-to touch each point separately and dis
tinctly, and reply, of course, to this Address of
Western members above alluded to.
We began this article mainly for the purpose of
calling attention an extraordinary letter, dated
sRaleigh, January 81, 1851" and signed s. Wes-
tern Reserve, :" and published in the Asheville Mes
senger of the 29th January. We copy the letter at
length, as follows:
"RALE1eH, Jan. 2lst, 1851.
"DEAR SIR:-The Convention bill, 1. e., bill to
submit it to the people to say whether they will
have Convention, passed its third reading in the
Commons last night, by 25 majority.
1t is remarkable that, soon. as the humbug of
granting free suffrage only by legislative enactment
was killed off in the Senate Saturday night, early
Monday morning there was race to see who should
be ahead in getting up the Convention question
Flemmng's bill for that purpose being on the table
for weeks in the Commons, and Gilmer's in the Sc
nate, in addition to my bill, call the Convention
directly. Mclean, Loco early on Monday morn
ing, introduced his bill to submit the question to the
people precisely like Flemming's. They rushed it
through two readings once, and the third last night,
each party going for it except portion of the East
ern men. Yes, our Western Locofocos who deserted
us for the purpose Of party and who were willing to
sacrifice our section Of the State to party success,
merely offering the hull after stealing the kernel
out, all came in through fear of the people whose
confidence they had abused, and voted for it. Flem-
mine's triumph was complete over tbem-he exhort-
ed them to return to the true, the democratic faith.
and, as they came ip, be shouted over them as re-
Pentng sinners, and formally took them into his
church again on probation. understand that it was