Semi-weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1852-1853, 1852-05-19
AN ANSWER.

|
vention that it must of necessity lead to the hold.
ing OF Convention" Why of necessity Of course
because majority of the people are supposed to be
in favor oft. That is tho only alternative on which
| the Wings propose to have Convention.
Now we desire to ask the Republican,, whether if
majority of the people should prove to be in favor of
Convention, it would oppose the call of one And
if so, whether it considers it repubHcaniss refuse
to carry out the will of majority Of the people?'
Fayetteville Observer.
The conclusion drawn by the Observer is its own,
not ours. Wing policy, if adopted, must of neces-
sity lead to the holding of Convention not be-
cause majority of the people supposed to be in
favor of it. but because IS it may be set down as
fixed fact that at least amendment the Consti
tuition is demanded by the people, which is already
In process OF ADOPTION, and the Wing platform is,
Constitution, they should be effected by Conven-
ton of the peolPe.' IF Wings admit this IS fixed
fact they stand committed to Convention. That
was the conclusion drawn by US.
We don't know that we should like to undertake
the task of answering every question that might be
propeunded to US, but if it will afford any satisfac
ton to the Observer, will its two questions
frankly and plainly. To the first. we reply, we
should still oppose the call of Convention even if
majority should prove to be in favor of it, and to the
second, we consider such opposition entirely conss-
tent with true Repu6Ecanisns.
Our reasons we will give briefly. The people in
their sovereign capacity, in 1885, declared that Con-
vention should not be called except by vote Of two
thirds of both branches of the General Assembly.
two-thirds vote is required to ensure something
like general inanimity matter of such importance
change in the fundamental law, and, in addition,
to afford protection to the numerical minority vote
showing majority Of the people for Convention,
would decide nothing; and if left in minori-
y, we should certainly seek protection under the Con-
stltHtlon OF the State and oppose Convention STILL
Between the will Of the people expressed in
forms prescribed by themselves, and the will of a
mere numerical majority, there is wide difference.
The first it is true repubcanis sustain and carry
ont huf 0f 10
ed by our Republican forms of Government, either
State or National Our laws are not passed by mere
majOrIties an approximation to unanimity on the
part of the whole people, is required. IF mere
majority should rHe, there would be need of two
branches in our General Assembly. No one will as
that the Constitution of the United States is
strictly Republican in its provisions; yet under its
operations, a numerical majority of the people is
pow eress. To pass law requires the assent of
majority of the Senate majority of the House, and
the sanction of the President, himself the represent
tative of majority of the people. These three diff
erent majorities must combine to pass the most in
significant law, and by this combination the tuiN Of
the people is ascertaned. Checks and balances are
inserted in Republican Constitutions protect
the minority; and if they were found necessary in
the passage OF ordinary laws, they more necessa
~ when steps to be taken to alter the fundanen
tai law of State. In Republican forms of Govern
ment the majority can take care of itself; but the mi
nority, when its interests invaded rely upon
the protection afforded it by the Constitution; and
this protection the minority is the distinguished
feature of Republican governments Is it not then
entirely consistent with true Repubcansm for the
minority to claim that protection which Republican
form Of government guarantees them!
To present a case in point: The attention of the
Observer is directed to the fifth article of the Cons
tuition of the nited States. It requires that " Con-
gress, whenever two thirds Of both Houses shall deem
it necessary, shall propose amendments to this Con-
sttution the application of the Legislature of
twothirds of the several States, shall call Conven-
tion for proposing amendments, &c., The school
IF tn WI he he'll
that the Constitution was established by the people
of the United States large. and that enjoy pretty
much the relation to 1t that do to the State
Constitution. If so, a majority in Congress could
submit the question o: Convention or no Convention
the people of the United States with the pro-
priety that the General Assembly of North Carolina
submit the same question to the people of this
State. Now, what would The Observer do, should
Congress submit this question to the people of the
United States. and majority prove to be in favor of
Convention to amend the Constitution? Would
the Observer acquesce in the will of the majority in
this case! We think it would not, but would oppose
the will of the majority, and seek protection to the
minority from the Constitution itself. 1t would be
apparent to all that this was merely expedent to
enable the numerical majority to break down the
barriers set up for the express protection of the mi
nority. This supposed is precisely similar the
position of things in North Carolina and should the
question be submitted, and majority of the people of
the State prove to be in favor of Convention.
shall oppose it STILL believing that the interests of the
shall yield to nothing less than two-thirds vote of
both branches of the General Assembly, which we
should regard as the aoiHof the peope and such to
obeyed. This would be republcanism tocay out;
but the 1oiH of radical majority is altogether dife
rent thing, and we insist that it is not contrary to
true repubhcanisn, to oppose it.
In this connection we would remark, that the Con-
sttuton of the United States provides two modes of
amending that instrument, one by Legislative enact
ment, the other by Convention,-that thirteen art-
cles or amendments have been added to the Const-
tuition since its adoption and that these carried
through by the first mode-the same mode by which
Democrats propose 10 establish Equal Suffrage. We
have never yet heard any man, Wing Democrat,
object this mode of amending the Constitution of
the United States.
As we have answered the Observers questions
plainly and pretty fully, and hope, to its satisc
three ourselves. Is the fact that the Equal Su
frage bill passed the last Legislature by of
three-fths, conclusive that at least majority of the
people of the State desire the incorporation of this
amendment in the Constitution, and that too, by the
mode of Legislative enactment! If so, how does the
Observer reconcile it's opposition to Equal Suffrage
and the Legislative mode of amending the Constitu-
tion ts professions of entire obedience to the will
of the majorys If majority of the people of the
United States should prove 10 be in favor of Con-
vention, would the Observer sustain oppose it :?
GoHsborough Republican and Patriot.
For the Standard
Mr. EDITOR: Allow me- through your columns, to
call the attention Of the Democrats of Franklin to
the importance of uniting in the ensuing campaign
on candidates for the Assembly, prevent the
election of Federal Wing. Unless we do unite,
L: L