Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1855-01-05

0C5-The Raleigh Star says that we have distorted
some editorial remarks made by it, in which it asserts
that the dominant majority voted to give all foreign
ers, who may come to this State, the privilege Of
ting for members of the Senate, after they have resi-
ded here twelve months and paid public taxes, al
though they have not been naturazed according 10
the laws of the United States Now, contend
that we have not distorted lis remarks, taking
lis own ground that such remarks were based upon
the rejection of Mr.. Haughton's amendment 10 Mr.
Boyd's Free Suffrage Bill. The amendment proposed
by MIR Haughton proposed neac change in the const
tuton-one not discussed before the people, and which
had not entered into the for free suffrage and
its rejection gaze privileges, it only refused to take
away privileges always granted alike by the ccnVen-
ton which adopted the original constitution in the
memorable days of seventy-six and subsequently by
the convention which amended it in 1885. For our
own part, we have always discouraged any attempt
10 vote here by persons not citizens of the United
States but most assuredly, we should always be op-
posed to any act the part of the State surrender
ing It's own independent and sovereign right to deter
mine the conditions of its own citizenship or to make
the exercise of such right dependent upon the action
of Congress controlled by Northern Free Soil ma
jority, as the amendment proposed by Mr.. Haughton
would have done
Every new Northern kink will be found upon ex-
animation, 10 contain some element adverse to the
unsurrendered sovereignty of the State. Soft is with
the Know-Nothing movement, which proposed tc
make the action of Congress predominant in deciding
the qualifications of State citizenship The Fedora
Government has its own powers and its own sphere
of duties 1t restricts and defines the qualification
of Congressman but not their electors, in ia
as to say that members of the House of Representa-
tives shall be chosen by the qualified voters for TIL
most popular branch of the State Legislaure-lrh
these voters are to be- and chat be their quail
fcatons, is a matter for the States, and the sam
holds good with reference to other internal regula
TONS Now, as we have already said, we have al
ways opposed the voting of foreigners not naturaized
and would see no objection 10 seeing the exstin
laws of the United States adopted by the State
as matter of State regulation, but we should a.
ways oppose the oluntary surrender, by the State
of her right in every respect, to decide upo
the qualifications of those by whom the RICH
Of suffrage or other rights within her borders sh 0ul
be exercised and, above all, should we oppose any
thing calculated to place this important incident
State sovereignty at the mercy of Federal actor
controlled by Free Soil majority; and such woul
be the effect Of Mr.. Haughton's amendment
would make constitutional provision of North Ca
DINA for determining the qualification of citizenshi
upon her own soil, to shift ground with every chang
in the naturalization Laws, which a mere majority
Congress might choose to make. If the constitute
Of North Carolina should incorporate, with its 9th