Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1854-05-03
AN ADDREss
To tbs people of NortA Odro1ind on the subject Of
Lanststati6,tdL Reform, K

PoONtO
coustitstio,sal Reform.
RALETGIt Jan. 1st, 1851:
meeting composed prineipallysof Western Slenl
beTs of the Legislature was held in the Capieoh 9.
the evening lst to taks n.y eIp
sideraton the various propositions to amend tns
Constitution.
On motion of Mr.. BYNrM, of Rutherford, GEoRel
DAynsoS, Esq, of lredeli was called 70 ' rs
Chair: and a. Fl. CALDWELL, of Rowan, and a. u
FosrER. of Davidson, appointed Secretaries
On motion, it was Resolred, that the only proper
Republican mode of amending or altering the Con
stituton by the People themselves in Convention
assembled
On motion of Mr.. Erwin, of Buncombe,. it was
Res0lred, that Committee of ten be appointed e
prepare an ADDRESS to the people of North earo
ma and that said Committee submit 1t TO an NJ
ourned meeting to be called by the Chairman
- ADDRESS.
A Meeting, composed principe y Oh western ~
members of the Legislature, without distlcuon Oh
Party was held in the Capitol on the Evening OF the
j st of January instant to consider what measures
were necessary to be adopted to secure TO tne req
pie of North Carolina the right to amenu tneir p'soU
Constitution so fully to answer the great ends ior
which it was originally established and to main
tain that equality of rights which hes at thofounda-
ton of all free and popular Governments
It is remarkable feature in the history OF our
State that the Free People of the State never have
had voice in the formation of that instrument oy
which alone their lives their fortunes and their per-
sonal liberty is protected; Inc nrse S .
=
diately after we had thrown off the British yoke,
when our ancestors not fully alive to the inter-
ests of the pcople-Sut still retained reverence 1or
British usages; where property was always more
respected and had more political weight than the
rights of the people. The Delegates to that Con-
venton in consequences OF that natural oetereGe 10
their ancient customs, were elected only oy free
holders and HOuseholderS and that convention
made the Constitution so formed, the Organic Law
of the State. The people who formed neither oil
these classes, and who constituted nuch larger
of the population OF the State mad no voice III
the election of Delegates and the Constitution was
not submitted to them for their approval or reJec-
tion ~,
At the time this Constitution was formed, all the
Counties in the State except eight lay East cf "a
leigh which has been regarded as the dividing line
between the Eastern and Western portions OF the
State. By its provisions, each County without re,
gard to its wealth population was entitled 10 seno
one Senator and two memoirs to the House OF Com,
mons: and the Towns of Wilmington, Newbern and
Halifax to which was added, in 1788 Fayetteville
in the East and Hllsboro' and Salisbury, In the
West; each one member in the House OF Commons.
Under this Constitution we lived, suffering greV-
ances the memory of which has not yet left u.s. con-
stantly struggling to amend it, until lSoo-when the
Legislature in the plenitude of its mercy, granted
to the people of the State the privilege to say "net
er they should amend the Constitution In some few
points. The Delegates to that Convention we're re-
quired to be sworn not to transcend the limits pre-
scribed to them by the Legislature itself but the
servant of the people.
The result of their labors was the Constitution
under which we now live. By it, the number OF
members in the Senate is fixed at fifty; and In the
House of Commons at one hundred and twenty
Each county entitled to elect one member at least
and the remainder are elected by the Counties in
proportion to their Federal population that is to
all whites are added three out of every five slaves;
and the sum total constitutes the Federal Popula-
ton. In the Senate, the Counties elect senators IN
proportion to the taxes paid into the Public Ireasu-
ry without regard to the whence those tax
es originated, whether from the permanent wealth
of the country, from those taxes imposed to re-
strain the vices of the communty.s
The clause prohibiting any one from voting for
Senator unless he the in fee of fifty acres
of land, contained in the Consttu ion of 1176, was
still retained. TO this clause in our Constitution
public attention has been directed for the last two
years; and its nti-Repubcan and arstocratic
character severely denounced as remnant OF the
Feudal times, when the people were mere serfs or
servants of the Landholders
In consequence of the denunciation of one par
tcular feature in Constitution public attention
has been directed to its other provisions: Our Peo
Pile, i'll 1885, when called upon to decide upon the
amendments submitted to them, only had to decide
between the old and new; and they naturally pre-
ferred the latter, it gave, in branch more po
ltical weight the of the people of the State
1t was the first instance when they regarded
at all by their own State Constitution. Being natu
rally lovers of peace and order, and always obed
ent to the laws of the land they raised clamors
against them, until they called upon to look
into their charter of liberty and that it contain
cd feature wholly repugnant to Republican
equality In this opinion all concur. 1t is right
and proper thatthe people who governed, should
elect those who govern them and directly at
with that sacred principle contained in the Decia-
ration of independence, that all free and
equal" to exclude from this valued privilege any
freeman because of his not being landholder
Equally oppose to this principle is the rule by
which political power is measured by the basis of
representation in the Senate. To place it in its most
favorable light the Senate represents property, and
not personal---very., not men--matter, not mind.
But its o6iousness does not stop here You all
familiar with the subjects of taxation, and these
taxes are represented-not you, the people. All
white males between the ages of 81 and 45 sub
ject to poll tax; and all slaves, male and female,
between the ages of u and so are subject to the
like tax: So that three-ifths of the negroes are |
represented in the House of Commons and all the
negroes between the ages above designated rep
resented in the Senate but yotrwives and children |
Bowling Alleys, Circus Riders, Playing Cards, Re-
tailers of Spirituous Liquors. Brokers, Merchants,
W atches and Carriages are all taxed. They have
their Senators in the State Legislature But your
wives and your daughters; your old men who have
served their country your young men who are ris-
ing up to be its hope and its stay; and your poor
men upon whom misfortune has laid its heavy hand
have no one there to plead their cause and protect
their rights Is this Liberty ?-Is this Freedom p
Is this Republican equally?
Your Bill of Rights says EThat all political power
is vested in and derived from the people only" Is
power in the Senate of North Carolina derived from
" the people OnLy?" Let it not be said that taxation
and representation GO hand in hand. That pfinc7s
pie has application here 1t is true that our an
cestors fought the battles of the Revolution upon
the principle that they not to be taxed by
oody IN which they were not representedt But who
represented? Gel tainly the people-those who paid
me taxes-not the taxes themselves. Our ances-
1drynrE II ,.1 49, Al