Weekly North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1858, 1852-06-02

ing to their view, .Uas the ,uhite baas This they
called "the substance "-political equality at the
ballot-box they regarded as the shadow. Hence the
above term, as it is eaed Let the friends of the
basis remember that ..
THE REGISTER-A CONVENTION, &c.
The Raleigh Register says " the Resolution of the
Wing Convention rests the decision with the people,
whether or not they will have Convention. And
that paper adds the locofoco leaders are unwilling
that their voice should be heardthere lies the ISSUE
Let US sift these declarations, and see what they
amount to and we ask Wings, as we'll as Democrats,
to mark what We say. .
The Resolution of the late Wing Convention, re-
ferred to by the Register, is as follows:
Resolred, That in the opinion of this Convention,
whenever amendments to be made to State
Constitution, they should be effected by Convention
OF the people, elected the basis of the House of
Commons. and in favor of submitting it to the
people. to say. whether such Convention shall be
called o. not, for the purpose ofmaking amendments
to Constitution"
This Resolution implies that the Whig leaders who
adopted it, are either for or against Convention
1T against Convention, then they trifling with
the people in proposing to take their opinion the
subect for it, then do they know that, if the peo
pie should vote for it BY majority at the ballot-box
Convention would still be far off as it is now, for
the plain that Convention can be called in
this State unless by the concurrence of two-thirds of
both houses of the General Assembly. But we as
sumo that they are for it; and We are justified in
making this assumption by their declarations for the
last two or three years, we'll by the tone and
arguments of their papers at this time. How, then,
do they propose to call this Convention! Let US see
what the Constitution says on this subject-that is
the touchstone in this NATTER and he who proposes to
effect any thing in opposition to the plain provisions
of that instrument. who would render null and void
any of lis requirements, is enemy to the Constitu
ton and to the peoples repose. prosperity, and well
fare. The Constitution of N or,h Carolina, we repeat,
emphatcally Declares article 4th section lst, that
IS ConrentiOn Of the people shall be called by the
General assembly. unless by the IF taOo-
thirds Of all the members of each house 9f the General
.4ssembly" This section was inserted on motion by
Mr.. Meares. in the Convention Of 1885 and his OBJ
ject, he avowed, for moving it, to guard agans.
the call of Convention by bare majority, with the
view of establishing the white basis. See Debates
Of the Convention, page 37l. The vote said Sec
tion see Journal of the Convention, page 81, was as
follows:
Those who voted 10 the affirmative we're
| Messrs. Andres, Averitt, Arlington, Adams, Bon
ner, Baxter, Branch, Bri.tan Bggs, Bailey, Bunting,
Brodnax, Boddie, Cathey, Cox, Cansler, Cooper,
Calvert, Chambers, Collins, Daniel, Dockery, Dob
son, Elliott, Edwards. Ferebee, Fisher, Fason Cat
ling, Graves, Gillian. CASTOR (Craven,) CASTOR
(Hyde,) Gary, Gray. Gudger, Hill, Hall, Hussey.
Hooker, Hodges, Higgins, Howard, Halsey. Holmes.
Jones (Wahe,l Jones (Ivi1hes) Joiner, Jacocks'
! King, Kelly, Lesaeur, Macon, Mcpherson, Mar
chant, Marstser, Meares, Nofcom. Outlaw, Owen,
Pearsall, Pipkn, Powell (Robeson,) Ruffn, Rayner,
Ramsay (Pasquotank,) Rouihac, Swain, Sawyer,
Skinner, Spaght (Crauen) Speight (Greene.) Stall
lings, Seawell, Sherard. Smith (Yanev.) Spruill,
TsyIoe. Troy, Toomer. Wilson (Edgeeomb,) Wilson
(rerquimons,) Williams (Ftanhhn,) Williams (Per-
son.) Williams (Fin.) Welch, Wooten, Whitfield,
Wilder and Young-9O Yeas.
Those who voted in the negative were
| Messrs. Bower, Birchett, Carson (Burhe,) Carson
(Ruthertord.) Franklin Gather, Guinn Grier, Giles
Gaines, Hogan, Hargrave, Hu,cheson, Jervis, Lea,
! McQueen, Morris, Mcmillan, Mechor, McDiarmld
Morehead, Martin, Montgomery, Moore. Parker,
Shpp, 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 we'll understood. -.
And now, suppose the question should be put to
the people, and they should vote by majority for a
Convention-what then1 Could two-thirds of each
|
such vote be obtained at the next session, the
next! If not, ,ouH the agitation Of the Slavery CUES
tion by these Whig leaders-for insist calling
| things by their right names-be arrested? Thus
pledged to Convention, as the best mode-as ihei
favorite mode for amending the Constitution, woule
they not be bound press year after year, on public
attention, and labor to bring the people up to it
And if SO. auiM the object for calling ii so clearly re
veakd, 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 ant
inevitably fatal the public repose and to all scheme
for improving the State! Think you the taxpayer
would agree to vote away their taxes through III
General Assembly, pending this struggle, for tn
benefit of those regions, which, paying comparative
small sums into the Treasury, would be at the sam
time most clamorous for change. for the white basis
and for striking down the principle Of negro repre-
sen:ation Think you that Granville, Wake, Ne'
= Hanover, Caswe, Anson, and other Counties ths
might be named, would consent to give up each
. negro Representative! .lsrs..ra 6,,ts a. @.a.
The people of North Carolina hoped and trusted
when the late .scompromise " measures were adoE
ed by Congress, that they would have. for time
least, some peace on the Slavery question; but n
sooner is the external pressure checked, than an az
,a,ion involving the institution Of Slavery, IS co"
). neneed here IN our very midst! .a- s4ss =
But the Register alleges that the Democrats of tn
State are unwilling that the voice of The people sha
4 be heard as to Convention. This is untrue. IT
Democrats have much moIe respect tor the opinion
of the people than the Register has, and they ma,