Weekly North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1858, 1853-05-18
THE STANDARD.
RALEIGH. SATURDAY, MAY IA, 1853.
HISTORY OF FREE SUFFRAGE

HISTORY OF FREE SUFFRAGE.
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 ,l776, and amended in
1885, it was provided that owners Of fifty acre
freeholds and upwards should have and enjoy er-
clusire privileges-that IS, should have not only
the right to vote for Commoners, but the erclusive
right of electing Senators.
No effort was made to remove tliS blot from the
State Constitution until lS48, 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 Hckory-like, 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
50 as to permit all free white men to vote for Sen
ators as well as Commoners and this amendment
he proposed to effect accord ng to the forms of the
Constitution, by the action, frst of three-6fths,
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 s54 votes. At the session of the Legs-
lature of 1S48'49, a Free Suffrage bill passed the
Commons by three -6fths vote, but was defeated
in the Senate and in $50 Gov Reid was again
nominated fo: Governor, the Convention which
nominated him planting itself on the Free Suffrage
principle. He was elected by nearly 5000 ma jor-
ty; and at the session of ls5O,51, the Free
Suffrage bill passed both Houses. The fact was
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
Senate-twenty-sev 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-
tyfour two-thirds 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 L
the bill had passed it would have been submitted
to the people at the polls, 'and approved by them
by an immense majority; and it would thereupor
have become part of the State Constitution.
During all this struggle for fundamental prin.
cple of free government, the Democrats par
ty have maintained the affirmative of the PROPOSE
ton, and the Wings as party the negative and
the Whig leaders have sought by almost every
conceivable issue-by propositions for Convention
white basis, mixed basis, and the like-to smother
and defeat this vital principle. But it possesses
resurrectionary quality which no human power car
destroy. 1t will come forth, again and again
and those politicians who fear the people, and
who show by their acts that they distrust thei,
capacity for selfgovernment, will 60 down before
it until victory perches on its standard
In 1852 Gov. Reid, the originator and cham
plon Of this measure, was reelected by over five
thousand majority. The contest was fierce, ane
ne was opposed by bold and gallant champion
OF the Whig cause; but such was the confidence o
'ne people in his patriotism and wisdom, and 81
great was their regard for the doctrine of Free
outrage, that they rallied to him over all mino
ISSUES, from Currituck to Cherokee, and gave hin
We largest vote ever cast for any man in NORTH
0afoina. His course on this subject has made hi:
nalne 1" household word among our people, ane
gwen him reputation of which any man, in an,
@'ate, might well be proud. We do no one injus
uce-we pluck the laurel from no mans brow whel
We declare, that the success of the Democracy il
'ur State elections is to be attributed mainly to tn