Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1861-01-16
For the Standard.

FOR the Standard.
MR. HOLDER: A word or two in reference to the
substitute introduced by Mr.. Avery for the Conven
ton BILL reported oy the committee federal rela
tons. am glad to see such complete backing
doun from the position originally assumed by many
of the members os the Legislature, that bare MT
jority could cab Convention Of the people, in the
very face of the express provision of the Constitu
ton to the contrary. | approved the position you
took on this question from the first and it must be
source of qualification to you to those who have
denounced and would ostracise you for the bold,
manly and patriotic stand you have assumed in main
tenance of the rights Of the people and the peace Of
the country yielding to the force Of reason you have
brought to bear on the question "Better late than
never"
But there is one purpose or object of Mr.. Avery's
substitute to which am inviEcbly opposed. 1t is
that which seeks to make the action Of the proposed
Convention on the question of notwithstanding
the connection of this State with the General Gov
eminent and her sister States .tinal without giving
the peope--the source Of all political power-the
right to say yea nay to the dread alternative to
which they thus to be driven by the act of their
servants. trust that such proposition will never
meet the approval of the Legislature. One thing is
certain its approval will sanctify the act
in the judgment of the people. 1t will meet their
unqualified condemnation. Does not every man see
that ifthe Convention is given the power to decide
yGnopoy VII shio HuCStoiis lhC oe0eO VI
olna may be preciptated out Of the Union against
the wishes of a large majority of her people! If
this were done and it were insisted by The part
of the secessionsts that the act of the Convention
is binding ALL and that the people Of the State
would have to submit tamey to its mandates, is it
not evident that civil amongst ourselves would
be the inevitable consequence To illustrate my
idea: Take the three counties of Wake Granville
and Franklin. The first named county may send
three delegates to the Convention opposed to seces
sion for existing causes by majority Of 1900. The
second named may send three immediate secession
lists, "a most improbable supposition however, old
Granville Venadle to the contrary notwithstand-
ing,) and Franklin do the same-cach by majority
Of only one hundred. Here then would be MAORI
ty Of one in the delegation from these three counties
in favor of immediate secession, when there is ma
orty Of thirteen hundred ofhe popular vote against
such step This might be the result in the State
at large. If SO. and the Convention were to pass
secession ordinance, and that act is to be na what
becomes Of the popular aoll-hc cor Del of our po-
litical system?
was gratified to hear that true patriot and ex-
perienced statesman, the Hon. Bedford Brown, de-
nounce in such strong terms and assail with such
power Of argument this principle of the substitute
by which the Convention may drag the State out OF
the Union and precipitate her into revolution and
civil war against the coice Of her people Let those
who hope that by conservative and patriotic action,
this quarrel between the sections may yet be settled