Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1856-04-19
TO THE
pE0pLE OF N0RTH-CAR0LINA.
Orr,cs OF TUE NORM. CAROLINA STANDARD,
RALEIGH, April 18th, 1856.

in Greensborough on the 10th instant, hoH"a'eU
for the office of Cove, nor Of this State John A. I'LL
mer, Esq, of the County Of Guilford. Mr. G'mer
has accepted the nomination, and is candidate lot
the suffrages of the people. His friends nave put
him forward, and they claim for him popular favor
and support, not only as Know Nothing, out uPo"
the ground they declare that ne is devoted 10 inc
interests and the vested rights Of the entire State
and that he is not sectional and will not be- If elect
ed, in his views and feelings in State affairs lhey
further declare that he is friendly to the rights OF
the masses of the people; that he is loyal 10 the
State Constitution and would not SUBJECT II 10 raa-
ical and dangerous changes; and that ne mas u0''e
and will do nothing, in connection WITH our ota'e
fundamental law, which guarantees just represen-
tation in the Legislature OF our slave property from
which the adversares Of our institutions in the nom
slayeholding States can draw arguments with which
to assail and injure US as slaveholding people,
Let US examine the record, and see how this is
We wage no personal warfare against Mr.. Gllmer.
We respect him as private citizen,-we have no
thing to say against him gentleman but as
public man, his record is public property, and 1t IS
both our right and duty to examine that record,
and to set it forth for the information and guidance
of the people To the record then all the people
ask is lght-information to the real character of
public men.
We invite the attention Of the people Of all par
ties, to the following cts, from the record Oh Mr.
Glmer's public life:
Mr. Gilmer was member Of the Senate from the
County of Gulford, in 1913. At that session the
great question of Equal Suffrage was first brought
forward. 1t was proposed to amend the Constitu-
ton. in the mode pointed out by that instrument, SO
as to allow all free wkite men to vote in the election
of members of the Senate as well as OF the House
of Commons. This proposition was not to take
away any existing right but merely to extend the
right of suffrage. The bill passed the Commons,
but was defeated in the Senate-John A. Gttmer
rotinq against it, [See Senate journal, 1S4s, page
269.]
At the session of 1885, the Equal Suffrage bill
again passed the House of Commons by three
fhs vote, and went to the Senate. 1t was again re-
iected in that body, by vote Of 90 to 20-the vote
for it being one less than required by the Consttu-
ton to pass it,-Mr. Gilmer again eoting IN the
neoatice If Mr. Glmer had voted for the bill it
would have passed. 80 votes being hree-fths OF the
whole Senate. [See Senate journal, 1850, page
sO3.l The bill was, however, reconsidered on the
motion of Mr.. Washington, and passed, by vote
of SO to 17,-Mr. Gilmer again roting in the mega
tire [See Senate journal, page S39
At the session of 1852, the Equal Suffrage bill
came up for consideration, -two-thirds vote being
now necessary to pass it, so as to submit 1t to the
people for their acceptance or rejection. The vote
was, 80 for it, and Is against it-Nr. GiImer ogaa"
cotinq in the negatice If Mr.. Gilmer had voted
otec
two-thirds of the whole Senate. As it was, the mea-
sure failed for that session, and it was necessary TO
commence it anew.
AT the session of 1s54-55, the question Of Equal
Suffrage was again brought forward, by bill intro
Quoted into the Senate by Mr. Boyd, OF Rocking
ham. It passed its third reading in the Senate by a
vote of IS to 15-.Mr. Gil,aer again roting in the
aegatire, having voted uniformly up to this stage OF
the measure, to clog, embarrass and defeat it.
The proposed amendment to the Constitution, as
it passed the two Houses of the General Assembly
in ls54-'55, is in these words:
every free white of the age of twenty years.
being native naturaized citizen of the Unit ed States
and has been nhabitant of the State for twelve
Immediately preceding the day of election and
shall have paid public taxes, shall be entitled to vote Tor
member Of the Senate for the district in which he resides
This amendment, lift should receive two-thirds
vote of the whole representation in the next General
Assembly, will then be submitted to the people; and
if approved by them at the polls, will become part
of the State Constitution Is it not reasonable to
suppose,-judging Mr.. Gilmer by the course he has
uniformly pursued on this subject that if elected
Governor he will do all in his power to defeat this
great measure Of right, of equality and justice?
But the reply of Mr. Gilmer and his friends is,
that they desire other amendments to the Constitu-
ton besides Equal suffrage,-that the mode Of
amending the Constitution by legislative enactment
and the subsequent sanction of the people, is
wrong" and "antrepublican they want
I" free Convention, unrestricted by any thing but the
sciH Of the people,-and that, among other radical
changes they desire to alter the present basis of re-
presentation in the Legislature At the session of
1s4e-'49, Mr.. Gmer himself moved an amendment
to the Equal Suffrage BILL and voted for it, by which
he proposed to change the Constitution SO as to
strike out the federal population basis Of the House
Of Commons and substitute therefor unmired
free white basis. [See Senate Journal page 267] Mr.
Gilmer has uniformly advocated free, unrestrict-
ed Convention with the view of changing the pre-
sent basis and he has resisted the passage of the
Equal Suffrage measure for the reason, among Others
that he wished to hold it up and use the influence
and the force which the great principle carries along
with it, to secure an Unrestricted Convention. He
supported, for example, at the last session of the
General Assembly, bill TO call Convention of the
people of the State By the cotes Of bare majority
Of the Commons ooters and on proposition made
by Mr.. Cherry, Of BERTHE, to solemnly swear" the
members Of such Convention that they would in no
manner whatever alter, change, amend the