Semi-weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1852-1853, 1853-05-14
HISTORY OF FREE SUFFRAGE.

HlS1Oh4 VI fhEE SOffhAUE.
Our Philadelphia Correspondent asks what is
it, in North Carolina, about Free Suffrage?" We
answer as follows By the Constitution adopted
by the Lords Proprietors of Carolina in 1869, by
the Constitution framed in 1875, and amended in
1885, it was provided that owners Of fifty acre
freeholds and upwards, should have and enjoy er-
clusive privileges-that IS, should have not only
the right to vote for Commoners, but the crcIusiUe
right of electing Senator'S
No effort was made to remove this blot from the
State Constitution until l948, when the present
Governor DAVID S. REID, was nominated. The
Convention which nominated Gov. Reid was silent
upon the subject; but that gentleman determined,
after having consulted with friends, and before ia
king the stump in opposition to Gov. Manly, to
assume the responsibility of making Free Suffrage
an issue in the election. Old Hickory-ike, he
:" took the responsibility" His proposition was,
not to disturb the basis of the Senate or the Com
mons-not to deprive the fifty acre men of any
existing right but simply to amend the Constitution
so as to permit all free white to vote for Sen
ators as we'll as Commoners and this amendment
he proposed to effect accord to the forms of the
and secondly, of two-thirds of both Houses of the
General Assembly and the subsequent sanction of
the people at the polls. The Wing candidate,
Gov. Manly, opposed the proposition and Gov.
Reid, who had entered the contest against some
six or seven thousand Wing majority, was defeated
by only 954 votes. At the session of the Legis-
lature of 1s48149, Free Suffrage bill passed the
L., I,,+1 Iofo tod
in the Senate and in 1850 Gov. Reid was again
nominated for Governor, the Convention which
nominated him planting itself on the Free Suffrage
principle He was elected by nearly 5000 major
ity and at the session of 1S5O251, the Free
Suffrage bill passed both Houses. The fact
duly proclaimed by the Governor, in accordance
with the Constitution, in all the newspapers of the
State, for six months preceding the election for
members of Assembly in 1852; and at the ses
sion of 1852, the bill passed the Commons by the
necessary twothirds vote, but was defeated in the
Senate-twenty Democrats and six Wings
voting for it, fifteen Wings against It, and the
Speaker, Mr., Edwards, Democrat, declining to
vote. The bill received thirty-three votes-thir-
tyour, twothirds of fifty, being necessary to pass
it. Mr., Edwards might have saved the bill, or any
one of the Wings referred to, might have done
the same so it is seen the Wings are responsible,
fifteen to one, for the defeat of the measure. If
the bill had passed it would have been submitted
to the people at the polls, and approved by them
by an immense ma jorty; and it would thereupon
have become part of the State Constitution.
During all this struggle for fundamental prin-
&c IL n
ty have maintained the affirmative of the PROPOSE
ton, and the Wings as party the negative and
the Wing leaders have sought, by almost every
conceivable issue-by propositions for Convention,
white basis, mixed basis, and the ike-to smother
and defeat this vital principle. But it possesses
resurrectionary quality which no human power can
destroy 1t will come forth, again and again
and those politicians who fear the people, and
who show by their acts that they distrust their
capacity for self-government, will go down before
1t until victory perches on its standard.
In 1852 Gov. Reid, the originator and cham
Pion OF lniS measure, was reelected by over five
thousand majority The contest was fierce. and
ne was opposed BY bold and gallant champion
vi Tile mig cause; but such was the confidence of
tne people In his patriotism and wisdom. and so
great was their regard for the doctrine Of Free
Suffrage that they rallied to him over all minor
issues from Currltuck to Cherokee, and gave him
tne largest vote ever cast for any man in North
o'''oiina Ills course on this subject has made his
name " household word amono orr r,oo,,lo. ond
gwen MN reputation of which any man, in any
State might we'll be proud We do no one inius-
uce-we pluck the laurel from no mans brow whom
we declare that the success of the Democracy in
our State elections is to be attributed mainly to the
eHertions' and to the positions assumed and main
'.iNea oy DAVID S. REID. He has been true to
LIS prlnclples-true to the people and their rights
throughout all trials and every emergency. His
reputation the growth of years. is not likely either
10 diminish or become obscured. Aside from II.
manly qualities of candOr, honesty and integrity
ne will be remembered, in the after times. as tba
originator and advocate of FREE SUFFRAGE. and
'S 1ne champion under whose lead the State was
redeemed and permanently redeemed from them
curious influences of Wing rule.
COUNCIL OF STATE. We learn that Gov D.,
mas requested the Council of State to convene IN