Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1854-05-24
THE FREE NEGRO Consolidate.

THE FREE NEGRO CANDIDATE.
Itmay be interesting TO some of our readers who
have heard rumors of Cen Dockerys boasts that ne
gave the first and biggest lick that was ever gwen
for Free Suffrage in Convention OF $50, to know
a little more about the Generals views OF extending
the right of suffrage. According to the Journals OF
the Convention ('age 63) Gen; DocSery dodgee Tue
vote on a proposition to give the white men OF the
State the right to vote for Gostrnor His explana-
ton of this matter is that he was necessarily absent
on business and could not vote for it. But when
proposition is made to allow free negroes to vote lof
the House of Commons and afterwards to allow them
to vote for the Senate and House both the Generals
business all to have centred in the Convention,
and he there devoted his time and energies to putting
free negroes an equality with white men, ana IN
some respects giving them the advantage OF their
white fellow citizens. :.
On page D of the Journal OF the convention IL
will be found that proposition substantially tne
same as article j, section ), paragraph d Vi our
amended constitution, was made In these ""ioS'
sthat free negroes and ulattoes within four degrees
inclusive be deprived of the privilege of voting tor
members of the Senate and House OF Commons IN
this State" Mr. Morehead moved to amend the res
olution bv striking out all after the word that and
inserting .a free negroes and muattoes within the
fourth degree shall be excluded from voting for mem
hers of the Senate. That all free negroes and mu-
lattoes of tho age of twenty-one years, who have
been inhabitants of any county within the State
twelve months immediately preceding the day OF
election and possessed of free hold within the same
county of the value of dollars for six months
have been convicted of any infamous crime or offence
shall be entitled to rote for members Of tie House
Commons" For this amendment of Mr. Morchcad's
Gen. Dockery voted and then when the question
was put on the Resolution that free negroes ana
mulattoes within four degrees inclusive be deprived
of the privilege of voting for members OF the Senate
and House of Commons in this State" Gen. O0c@e-
gy r0ted against 1T. w
Again, the Journal at page IS, tells lis that "The
Convention took up for its second reading the Arti-
ohr thn rirht Of free mut2t
toes to vote for members ofthc Legislature. Mr. Fish
er moved amend the article by adding thereto as
follows: Unless in addition to the qualifications
required of other voters such free negroes or mulat
toes for year next preceding any election, saai
have owned and possessed atcast fifty acres OF land
in fec of the value of not less than hundred dol
lars unincumbercd by mortgage or otherwise, and
shall never have been convicted of any infamous Of
fence" Mr. Dockery moved TO amend the amend
ncnt by striking out the words sat least tty acres
in fee" and inserting in lieu thereof the words ed
estute ;" and by striking out One hundred" and in
sorting tro hundred and Vty." On General Dock
ery's motion to strike out proposed above, the
Convention voted him down. The question then
recurring on Mr.. Fishers amendment, above
stated Dcckery voted against it. because it was not
sufficiently liberal to his free negro friends.
Mr.. CASTOR then proposed the following amendments
"Unless in addition to the qualifications required of
other voters he (the free negro) SHALL for one year
next preceding any election have owned and pos
sessed property, real personal, or both, OF the
clear value OF nVe nunCfcu uOuafS OFcI am dDoHC
all membranes, charges and debts Nor shall any
free negro mulatto person ofmixed blood afore
said be permitted to vote at any election who shall
have been convicted of any infamous offence" For
this proposition Gen. DOckery also roted.
1t will thus be perceived what sort of candidate
tho wing party have put before the people y man
who is in favor of extending greater privileges to free
negroes than that class exercise in any 16o{itton
State. Almost all the free States have excluded free
negroes from voting, and some have prohibited them
from coming into their limits, yet the wing party of
North Carolina have selected their strongest man
Gen. Dockery, whose course in the Convention
shows very plainly that he thinks a free negre ought
to exercise all the privileges that white does.
We sho I'D like to know how the thousands of poor
white men in the State who do not own fifty acres
of land entitlc them to vote in the Senate would
feel to up to the ballot box and be thrust aside
by one Of Gen. Doekery's funky, greasy, buck ne
groes with his two hundred and fifty dollars worth
of real estate. The General, this negro equality
platform, ifhe could have carried it out would run
very we'll il the mines in Burke and Mcdowell, for
there great many worthless and trfing free
negroes there who would stick TO him like brother
account of his friendship for them in the COnven
ton. AShe. AetrS