Semi-weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1852-1853, 1852-05-29
THE REGIsrER-A CoNYENTIoN. 80.

"HeInef or not they Will nave a ConVehllon' AND
that paper adds, the locofoco leaders unwilling
that their voice should be heard-there lies the ISSUE
Let us sift these declarations, and what they
| to mark what say.
The Resolution of the late Wing Convention, re-
ferred to by the Register, is follows:
&c Resolued, That in the opinion of this Convention,
whenever amendments to be made to our State
Constitution, they should be effected by Convention
of the people, elected the basis of the House of
Commons, and weare in favor of submitting it to the
people. to say, whether such Convention shall be
called or not, for the purpose of making amendments
to our Constitution"
This Resolution implies that the Wing leaders who
adopted it, either for against a Convention.
1t against Convention, then they trifing with
the people in proposing to take their opinion on the
subject if for it, then do they know that, if the peo-
pie should vote for it by majority at the baotbox,
Convention would still be far off it is now, for
the plain that Convention can be called in
this State unless by the of two-hirds of
both houses of the General Assembly. But we as
sumo that they for it; and are justified in
making this assumption by their declarations for the
last two or three years, well as by the tone and
arguments of their papers at this time. How, then,
do they propose to call this Convention Let
what the Constitution says on this subect-that is
the tombstone in this NATTER and he who proposes
effect any thing in opposition to the plain provisions
of that instrument, who would render null and void
any of its requirements, is enemy to the Constu-
ton and to the peoples repose, prosperity, and well
fare The Constitution of N orth Carolina, repeat,
emphacally declares, article Attn, section 1st, that
no Convention of the people shall be called by the
General assembly. unless by the Of tOo
thirds Of all the members of each house Of the General
assembly," This section was in serted motion by
Mr.. Meares, in the Convention of 1885 ; and his OBJ
ect. he avowed, for moving it, to guard against
the call of Convention by bare majority, with the
view of establishing the white basis. See Debates
of the Convention, page 81. The vote on said Sec
ton, Journal of the Convention, page 9l was as
follows:
Those who voted in the affirmative
Messrs Andres, Averi,t, Arlington, Adams, Bon
ner, Baxter, Branch, Britain, Bggs, Bailey, Bunting,
Calvert, Chambers, Collins, Daniel, Dockery, Dob
son. Elliott, Edwards, Ferebee, Fisher, Fason Cat
ling, Graves, Gillian, Castor (Craren,) CASTOR
(Hyde,) Gary, Gray. Gudger, Hill. Hall, Hussey.
Jones (Wake) Jones (Wihkes,) Joiner, Jacocks,
King, Kelly, Lesaeur, Macon, Mcpherson, Mar
chant, Marsteller, Meares, Nofcom, Outlaw, Owen,
PearsaIl Pipkin, RoweII (RobesOn,) Rufin, Rayner,
Ramsay (Pasquotank,) Roulhac, Swain, Sawyer,
Skinner, SPaight lCraUen,) SPeight (Greene,) Stall
lngs, Seawell, Sherard, Smith Yantv.) SpruiII,
Tayloe. Troy, Toomer, Wilson (Edgecon.b,) Wilson
(PerquimOns,) Williams (Frankfin,) Williams Per-
SON. Williams (PiH'l WEIGH, Wooten, Whitfield,
Wilder and Young-90 Yeas.
Those who voted in the negative
Messrs. Bower, Birchett, Carson (Burke,) Carson
(Rutherford) Franklin, Gather, Quinn, Grier, Giles,
Gaines, Hogan, Hargrave, Hutchinson, Jervis, Lea,
MCQUEEN, Morris, Mcmillan, Mechor, McDiarmid,
Morehead, Martin, Montgomery, Moore, Parker,
Ship, Shober, White and Weborn-29 Nays.
Here we find the two-thirds principle incorporated
in the Constitution by vote of 80 to %, with the
object for thus incorporating it distinctly announced
and well understood.
And now, suppose the question should be put
the people, and they should by majority for
Convention-what then2 COULD two-thrds of each
house be induced to vote for Convenient Could
such vote be obtained at the next session, the
next! If not, ,cuH The agitation Of The Slavery ques-
tion by these Whig Leaders-for insist calling
things by their right names-be arrested? Thus
pledged to Convention, the best mode--as their
favorte mode for amending the Constitution, would
they not be bound to press t,Year after year, public
attention, and labor to bring the people up to itl
And if with the object for calling IL clearly
vealed would they not thereby array the non-slave
holder against the Shareholder section against section,
interest against interest," brother against brother?
And would not such agitation be, necessarily and
fatal to the public repose and to all schemes
for improving the State! Think you the taxpayers
would agree to vote away their taxes through the
General Assembly, pending this struggle, for the
benefit of those regions, which, paying comparatively
small sums into the Treasury, would be at the
time most clamorous for change for the white basis,
and for striking down the principle of negro repre-
sen:ation9 Think you that Granville, Wake, New
CaswelI, Arson, and other Counties that
might be named, would consent to give up each a
negro Representative?
The people of North Carolina hoped and trusted,
when the late " compromise " measures adopt
ID by Congress, that they would have. for time at
east, some peace on the Slavery question; but no
sooner is the external pressure checked than agi
ation involving the institution of Slavery, is COM
nenced here very midst
But the Register alleges that the Democrats of this
State unwilling that the voice of the people shall
De heard to Convention. This is untrue. The
Democrats have much more respect for the opinions
If the people than the Register has and they have
shown this respect, and showing it, not by
he of slang sectional appeals, and misrepresen-
aton but by stating facts and arguments addressed
o their and understanding If the voice of the
people is to be heard, the Democrats insist that it
hall be uttered according to the forms of the Con-
tit ution; the Register insists that majority shall
stand for tuo-thirds, rather force two-thrds vote
the Assembly, in direct violation Of the Constitution