Semi-weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1852-1853, 1852-07-24
SPEECH OF HON. WILLIAM B. SHEPARD
OF PAsoUoTANK

OF PASQUOIANh;
Delivered in the Senate Of N0rm C@r0 ~,a;, the
sion of 1880 81. on the bill to 0SceTs""' "''
o. ~ ~ a,oo,,le ON calling a Convention.
AZ onnrossed bl from the House OF Commons
,,ronosinS 70 take a vote of the people uPo, ~
6nropprietv of calling Convention 10 aiilT H '
Eonsttntion being before the Senate MI " ILL., ~
Shepard spoke as follows:
have so often, Mr.. Speaker during thls Ses1,U"
addressed the Senate, that it is with great reluc
tanca ogain intrude upon it. feel, however tnae
some reply should be made to the remarks Oh Il:e
oentIeman from Rutherford, who has just taken ms
Scat as well as to those which fell from the SenIe
man from Buncombe on yesterday. Inc OIL uPon
vour table PROPOSES to take the voice OF maorlty
of the people, upon the proprety OF callLlS
venton to amend the Constitution Inc Ill
ton itself points out precisely the HOO W Tbe
Conventions, and amending Inc illo' tLo discov-
Gentleman from Rutherford has made the DISCO,
sr1r that amendments to the Constitution, nl"ue
tLrourb the instrumentality of a Convention, were
Suitable to the genius of our people, ana more
rennblican. than when made by the act OF the Leg
isature. which act is afterwards to DE faIiLIeo DS
the people themselves. 1t seems to me, MI oIe"A
ar. # either of the two modes of amendment sane
t;onad hv the Constitution, can be called partcu-
larlv republican in its character, the one by Dill Is
undoubtedly entitled to this distinguishing trat'
When an amendment is made by an act OF the
Legislature which is afterwards submitted 10 TIE
people for their approval, vote IS taken upon 'ie
proposed measure alone; 1t must stand upon It's
own merits, and not rely upon eXtraneouS CIT
stances. for success. On the contrary snoulu d
Convention be called, the whole CONSTITUTION Will
he laid before that body, and such amendments as
It NAV think proper to make, will be submitted IN
GROSS to the people the consequence will be, some
few popular amendments will be Incorporated WIFI
Others of doubtful expediency, and the popular
amendments made to carry Others which, II lett 10
themselves, would not receive the votes OF MAORI
ty of the people. l am not, therefore, oir, at oil
surprised that both the gentleman from hutherioru
and Buncombe are so unwilling to see Free Suffrage
by itself and alone submitted to the people. II
thew could have persuaded the Senate to reject the
Free Suffrage bill and retain it for agitation as
popular Glamour, to urge the necessity for an I'M
limited Convention they might have stood some
chance of succeeding. As it Is now, however, when
the cry 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 a Convention nor any reason why the
people should be subjected to its unavoidable eN-
pense and turmoil. There is no amendment OF the
Constitution desired by a constitutional majority
of the people which cannot be procured more GER
tainv at less risk and trouble, by legislative en-
actment than by Convention. This feature OF
our Constitution, so far from deserving the denun-
Citations it has received from some gentlemen, Is,
in my judgment, its wisest, its most conservative
feature It is the very feature which gives to the
people themselves, the sole and exclusive right Of
deciding what and how many amendments shall
be made to the Constitution. The gentleman from
Rutherford SAYS were a Convention called it would
be composed of the wisdom, the gravity, and the
experience Of the State. l am afraid, Sir, should
he live to see Convention assembled in North
Carolina. his Utopian visions will be sadly disap-
pointed 1t will be composed of precisely the
same sort of people as those who compose this
Senate little wiser perhaps, probably not much
older, or more experienced, but they will be men,
governed by like passions and prejudices with our
selves each one struggling to obtain some power or
advantage for his own section, and thinking 1t
meritorious to do so. This natural result of Con-
venton was perfectly we'll known to the trainers
of our Constitution, and for that reason, they made
vote of two-thirds of the Legislature necessary to
the call and that it should never be done upon
light and frivolous reasons, mode was pointed out
by which the sense of the people could be taken,
upon all proposed amendments.
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 a majority would Justify a change of the
organic law, it will be made without disturbing
any other feature of the instrument. Should it
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 of
representation as 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 not
wish Convention where the friends of these meas
ures could combine, and force the people to take
them all, in order to get some one measure they
might desire.
1t is, therefore, Mr.. Speaker, perfectly manifest,
that so far amending the Constitution in any
manner that may be the wish of a constitutional
majority of the people of North Carolina, is the
object, there is not the slightest necessity for Con-
vention.
Gentlemen, therefore, who are urging Conven-
ton so vehemently, and who will be satisfied with
nothing buta Convention, must have some Interior
object in view. They have even spurned Free Suf-
trage, the object of their first love- which, if mis-
take not, was, two years ago. so fondly cherished
and petted upon this foor by all those valiant gen
tlemen, who so galanty defended the rights of the
doWn-trodden and oppressed West. Why is this
so, Sir! We might, for some time, look for a So
luton of this mystery, if the gentleman from Bun
combe had not in his speech yesterday, kindly fur
nished us with solution. requested the report
ers to note that speech carefully and to publish it
verbatim, that the whole people of North Carolina
might know the real cause of all this uproar about
convention 1t seems, then, that a Convention
IS desired by the gentleman from Buncombe and
those who act with him, not because the West
Is oppressed by our present Constitution but soZeZ