Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1861-08-31

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asked how God could have granted more nave naVe
tlous time than the present hour. Let no nsn PE
cuse me of faction and i'll humor, it is nv &C.
be emphatic, its part of my inheritance from S 10
!sPeak not IN the set phrases of the scholast S
IN the natural broad speech of liberty dwein," s
any noneS. neart and upon any tongue that Gu ~
sound Gods, praise. / said then, and heI;ou1n
now, that the Convention bill was passed n -, IT.
and Objectionable shape as part of the nol;t;oni
machinery with which to build I'D one partr ~ va
expense and decay of another Party FEELINGS Tue
running high, and men who had grown gray r;eI
prodlgai and powerful-for more than twenty rao,
In ofhce-looked with jaundice eyes to the f."l
ana tne Gay when the public spoon was to fall frorn,
their lips and pass ntoS the hands of Others Ot
would De SANDER on this body to say to the III
that 1t knew no better when it passed such h;nl
and when call to your mind the fact that ,I'
were;more than twenty-five legal gentlemen .t tt
bar, and one or two learned judges-"o men s. le
VISIONS, and young men had dreams ITO sham o.,
prepare bill, am driven back to my first concI' u
son. that 1t was party gain, or that this body dd
not possess the amount of legal lore it was Won
cast Oft But Mr. Speaker, sic transit qloria un5 70
thus passes the glory of the world. """b
now come to the second division of INV a..
ment IN favor OF the passage of the bill and ae.u
the longer existence of the Convention. For whs.
purpose was the Convention called in the on;n;"
OF the peopep Consult the voters in all sections %
nd G.
members to the Convention to take the STATE h., WI
ordinance out of the old United States povornE %n
and transfer it to the Southern Confederacv and
pass such other organic ordinances as new mo-;
ton IN a new government might require The Ton
vention having met and accomplished the Object &c
its creation it. like other created bodies, sbou1 co.S
longer to exist. The Convention, Unrestricted d;S
meet, and it did, with some little haste mass an ~
dinance OF secession as it did ordinance to franc
fer the State over to the Southern Confederacv +
did alter the Constitution of the State in regard IN
at TdtOreza taxation on slaves. The two first acts
were asked for by many of the people in Nortb'
Carolina, the third was anticipated by some Others
Having accomplished its full destination it ceases r.
be of use, and should without murmuring, Weld
up its existence to those who made 1.-THE neonlo
Another objection l have to urge against tbo
further existence of the Convention is that il dM
not stop at the end of its legitimate and consttn.
tonal rights, but that it did exercise legislative and
conventional powers, and thereby violated the Con.
stituton, and at the same time took away the right
of the Legislature.
The 10th section of the Bill of Rights, plainly
declares that the people of this State ought not to
be taxed or made subject to the payment of any i'm
post or duty without the consent of themselves or
their representatives in General Assembly freely
given The LIST section of the Constitution declares
that the Legislative authority shall be vested in two
distinct branches, both dependent on the people TO
wit: Senate and House of Commons. The 18th
section OF the Constitution declares that all bills
shall he read three times in each House before they
pass into laws and be signed by the Speakers of
both Houses. The 18th section of the Declaration
of Rights, declares that the people have right to
assemble together to consult for their common good
to instruct their representatives and az ply to the
Legislature for redress Of grievances.
The 4th section of the law of this State governing
the election OF members to Congress- reads as fol-
Lar No aln ,l,.lI L. Il Al
places as are prescribed for holding elections for
members of the General Assembly, and shall be con-
Quoted in like manner as elections for members of
the General Assembly"
Now, Mr.. Speaker, with the citations of the de-
claraton of rights and the Constitution in regard
to the law making powers in the State, wish to
examine the ordinances passed by the Convention,
and see if any elective legislative powers have not
been usurped and unconstitutionaly used by the
Convention. respectfully submit to this House if
ordinances 30th and 34th entitled acts to provide
for the public Defense and to provide the ways and
means for the defense of the State not plain and
pable violations of the 18th section of the bill of
rights, and the 18th section of the State Consttu-
ton? Again, the election of 10 members to Con.
gress by the Convention, is violation of the 4th
section of the law of this State directing how
members to Congress shall be elected The refer
ences l have made will answer the point am aim
ing at and that is why the bill should pass and re-
fer the whole subject matter to the people at the
ballot-box.
But am charged with being censorious towards
the Convention because some of the members Of
that body saw hit to pour out their concentrated
threats upon the Legislature and its acts. Now
sir, am actuated by no such motives; reproach is
a part of human nature and if those honorable gen.
tlemen thought they were doing their duty to their
country and in the discharge of the high object for
which they were sent to the Convention, then say
in the simplicity of my heart, that neither admire
their taste nor crave their wisdom If standing up
in the land of my birth, and where l expect my
mortal body to return to dust and pleading for what
conceive to be the fundamental principles of free
government constitutes me what many, whose
| opinions l have never stopped to consider, then
| say shall look for justification at the bar Of
higher tribunal than this House. 1t is not the
members of the Convention that AFTER it is the
existence and perpetuation Of body with all power
in ITSELF and dangerous to the prosperity of civil and
religious freedom. Then, l say, sir, let this bill
pass, and let the question go home to the people,
and permit them to say at the ballot-box, whether
| they want the Convention to re-assembe again on
the 3rd Monday of November, 1861.
Sir, l tell you, and say it to members in this
Hall, that there is discomfort among the sovereign
people in this State, arising from fear that Their
liberties are on the wane-you have taken part
and you may in times like the present, persuade
yourselves to take the whole-you are standing up
on the crest of volcano that will send forth It's
burning lava, and consume the fair fabric of domeS'
tic and public peace unless you heed its mutterngs
in time. You have started the ball in this and the
other end of the Capitol, and you have reyolVed it
until it has reached every class and condition IN the
State 1t has reached the hard hands and strong
arms at the plough the ak, the spade and the hoe
handles; it is in workshops and at the anv-block
it is grasping in the flores of every free heart in
North Carolina. As skillful political physicians,
you are called upon to-day, to apply the proper
remedy to the cause and relieve the country
Pass the bill and you have taken the first step to
prepare the remedy-send it home to the people and
you have applied it Reason and love Of State will
then bring relief-you cannot with impunity chang'
the organic laws of your State that to govern
people for veal or for woe, and withhold from them
the right to ratify or reject your acts Why mol
consult the people Are you afraid to trust them Oh
do you dread their decision? Is there any member
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