Weekly North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1858, 1854-05-17

watch these movements and not suffer themselves
to be deceived Mr.. Bragg said the Democratic party
was in favor of the Legislative mode of obtaining
Free Suffrage; it was constitutional and the only
practicable mode at present The Democratic party
at the session of 1850 51 aided by portion of the
Wings, passed the measure by the constitutional
jorty. At the ensuing session, 1852, the measure
passed the House, but lost in the Senate by
vote. The Speaker of the Senate being Democrat
and not voting for the measure, the leaders of the
Whig party have availed themselves of this prctext
to proclaim that the Democratic party defeated Free
Suffrage, and did not desire its success 1t had been
stated publicly and he did not remember that it had
been denied, that the Wings had caucuscd on the
subject and arranged the matter so that the bill
should be lost by one vote, and thereby enable them
to defeat the measure and at the same time have as
they thought, some excuse for laying it upon the
Democrats! But when the people look at the Jour-
mails and that not single Democrat in either
House voted against Free Suffrage, they will place
the responsibility where it properly belongs, and
know that the leaders of the Wing party defeated
the measure. If the vote of Mr.. Edwards the Spca-
ker, would have secured the passage of Free Suf-
fage, so would the vote of either of the sixteen
Wings who voted against it. The chances, there
fore, of the Wings to save the MEASURE under the
circumstances, were sirteen to one! And yet they
attempt to hold the Democrats responsible for it's
defeat! He repeated that the Legislative mode was
the safe and sure way Of consummating the measure
Mr.. Bragg, in the of his argument quoted the
opinions of Castor, Meares, Macon and others to
sustain his views in regard to constitutional reform
He asked, if the Legislative mode Was unsafe and
tor, vote for it, in Convention. The fact was that
the pretcxt of the Wings, that they would not have
Free Suffrage by Legislative enactment, amounted to
nothing more nor less than opposition to the meas
ure. Gen: Dockcry contcnded that he gave the first
long, big and heavy lick for Free Suffrage in the State
Convention of 1885, by voting to give the election
of Governor to the people, but upon consulting the
Journal it turned out that General Dockcry did not
vote! 1t was true that Gen. Dockery voted for the
amended Constitution as whole, but that did not
prove that he was in favor of that particular amend
ment. He thought the Generals course in that Con-
vention did not prove him to be in favor of Free
Suffrage He (Gen. d. voted against the amendment
to require members of the Gen: Assembly to vote
uira to enable their constituents to hold them
accountable for their conduct in the Legislature.
The only evidence he remembered that the journal
furnished of the Generals Free Suffrage leaning in
the Convention vote to allow free negroes
with certain qualifications to exercise the right of
suffrage! Mr.. Bragg said the leaders of the Whg
party procssed to have great respect for the decis-
ion of the people. Yet majority of the people of
the State had repeatedly decided in favor of Free
Suffrage and the Legislative mode, and the leaders
of the Whg party were still found arraycd against
that decision. Mr.. Bragg said the Legislative mode
of amending the Constitution the safe way. If
Convention should be called, that Convention may
amend the Constitution so as to make it odious and
refuse to submit it to the people for ratification but
under the Legislative mode had the guaranty
that the amendments were obliged to be submitted
to the people at the polls for ratification.
Mr. Bragg said he was in favor of liberal system
of Common Schools, to afford to every child in the
State the opportunity of procuring an education.
His competitor had claimed the credit of our Com
mon Schools for the Whig party. He had never un-
dcrsood this to be party question: and had regar-
ded Democrats and Wings favorable to Common
Schools. If however, comparison were to be drawn
between the two parties this subject, he did not
believe it would prove unfavorable to the Democrats.
He then alluded to the fact that the first act passed
10 prOVlue u ItcTdTy luiiu III NOitH-CafoHid "dS
drawn by-Mr. Yancey, distinguished Democrat,
and passed by a Democratic Assembly, and that the
act of 1886, which so largely increased the fund,
was also drawn by another distinguished Democrat,
and passed by Democratic Assembly But he re-
peated that he did not regard this as party qucs-
ton.
He then alluded to the subject of Internal I'M
provements-stated that he was the friend of inl-
provement, and the Resolution passed at the late
Democratic Convention met his cordial approval lie
would here remark that the report of General Dock
erys speech in Newbcrn copied into the Raleigh Reg
ister in large capitals from Newbern paper we'll
the report of his speech at Wilmington, it appear
ed in the papers, did him (dr b. great injustice.
His competitor either wilfully misrepresented him.
or greatly misunderstood him at Edenton. He hoped
the latter the fact; at any rate injustice had
been done him the sub bject of Internal Improve
ments and he intended to set the matter right before
the people. General Dockery declared in his speech
at Edenton that the extension of the improvements
Of the State would create the necessity of State
debt of ten millions of dollars that there too
ways of paying this debt, by taxing the people
and the other by distributing the public lands; that
the Democrats were in favor of paying it by taxing
the people, while he (Gen. d. and the Wings were
for paying it with the proceeds of.he public lands.
! That he (Mr. b. was combating this position assum-
ed by his competitor and showing that if the lands
divided of which there seemed little probabili-
ty they would be insufficient even to meet the inter-
| cot of the 1obt contomplafpd bv his comnefitor