Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1861-01-24

Person rose to personal explanation, and in the
course of his remarks he reflected on our motives.
We replied and in the course of our reply, while
we treated him respectfully and even kindly, we
distinctly stated that it was not our purpose to mis-
state his positions, and then and there set him
right as far as could. What then did Mr.. Person
do? Did he have the candor to rise in his place
and do US justice? No such thing. But soon after
the Register assailcd him with some severity; and
behold he rises 10 personal explanation in relation
to that paper stating in the outset of his remarks
that he had idea the Register intended to misrep-
resent him thus showing that Mr. P. has more
regard for an Opposition than for Democratic
Journal which has refused to go with him for dis
union. Well now, Mr.. Person, let us see how the
account stands. You refuse as justice-we will
proceed to deal out that article to you in Just such
quantities and in just such way as may be agree
able to US. You may rise to your personal expla-
nations, and you may avail yourself of your position
in the House to msrepresent us and to reflect on
our motives; but you must recollect that by your
assumed leadership in the Commons, and by your
unjust course towards one who has never wronged
you, you have provoked the statement of facts con-
tanned in this article.
committee on federal relations to call Convention
That bill provided for calling convention by bare
majority, not by two-thirds Mr.. Person, as chair
man of the committee, reported the bill. He de-
clared in the Commons recently that the omission
to insert the two-thirdS provision in the bill was
Uninteational oversight on the part of the
mittee. At the lime he introduced the bill referred
to he submitted majority report-and MeSsrs. Me-
bane, Outlaw and Newly submitted minority
port. From the latter report signed by these gen.
temen, make the following extract
at is further objected to the bill, as reported
that it is not in accordance with the provisions of
the Constitution of the State and the usages of the
Legislature The first section of the fourth article
of the State Constitution provides that conven-
ton of the people of the State shall be called by
the General Assembly unless by the concurrence of
two thirds Of all the members of each House of the
General Assembly, and the latter part of said
ton provides for amendments by the General As
sembly. The act of 1S56c57 of the Legislature,
amending the Constitution, Immediately following
the enacting clause has the words, (two-thirds of
the whole number of each House concurring,) and
the minority of your committee, entertaining no
doubt but that concurrence of two-thirds of all
the members of each House is demanded to call
Convention of the people, recommend that these
words be inserted Immediately after the enacting
CLAUSE of the first section of the reported BILL"
Will it be believed that these gentlemen made no
objection in committee to the majority provision?
They objected in decided terms to the bill report
ported by Mr.. Person, because it did not contain
the tucO-thirds prorision; and We: Mr.. Person de-
ciares in the Commons THAT THE OMISSION TO INSERT
! THAT PROVISION WAS UNINTENTIoNAL, OR AN OVER
SIGHT on THE FART OF THE COMMITTEE!
Comment is unnecessary. Every man who can
read, and has two grains of sense draw his own
| conclusion.
| The truth is, about the time Mr.. Person submit
ted his report the secessonists were exultng over
the fact that Judge Ruffn had said that a bare ma
jjority could call a Convention. The Judge subse-
quently reconsidered and changed that opinion; but
it is we'll known that the leading secesSonisS eager
~ caught it up i: was first announced and sought
to shelter themselves in their assault upon the Con-
stution behind the opinion of that eminent jurist.
| Another opinion advanced by Judge Rufin at the
same time, discarded, to-wit, that the people Of
/ the State ought to cling to the Union as long as
they could do so with safety and honor. They had
| no Use for that. 1t contained too much of the
! Watch and Wait policy-too much wisdom and pa
trotsm to be acceptable to their heated judgments
/ And now what are the facts?
! LIST. Mr.. Person, as chairman of the committee,
reported bill calling Convention.
I'd. That bill contained the majority provision.
! Sd. lie declared in his place in the Commons,
| that the omission to insert the twothirds provision
was unntentiona, or oversight on the part of the
| committee.
4th Three of the committee submitted minori-
ty report in which they objected to Mr.. Persons
bill because tile tcO-hrds PrOriSi0n had been omit
ted
Again, we charge that Mr.. Person gave the cast
ing vote in committee against the proposition to sub
NIT the action of the proposed Convention to the
people And yet Mr.. Person processes to be a Dem
ocrat! He may Gull himself Democrat, but that
| is ALL The man who is afraid to trust the people
at the polls with their rights, liberties, and des-
, tiries-or who, for any cause, is opposed to thus
trusting them-may be an oligarch, or aristocrat,
or monarchist but he is no Democrat. That is
our opinion. We give it to Mr.. Person and to the
! public for what it is worth.