Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1861-03-20
Report of oor Commissioners.

Below we publish the letter of the North Carolina
Commissioners to the Peace Conference at Washing
ton city. We have heretofore commented on the
action of Messrs. Barringer, Reid and Davis, and
the result of the recent election shows very con-
cusively that they misrepresented the public sent
ment of the State, in the votes they cast OF this
matter shall speak hereafter, being convinced as
are, that the action of majority of our Com
missoners influenced more by desire to fortify
their dsunion sentiments and procvites, than to
facilitate adjustment which they declared to be
impossible.
The report is as follows:
WASHINGTON, Feb 9th, 1861.
SIR: Under the appointment of the General AS
semby, the undersigned repaired to this place for
the purpose of meeting commissioners from other
States under the invitation of the State of Virginia,
and uniting in deyising some plan for settling the
unhappy sectional differences which have agitated
the public mind and endangered the Union. A
meeting took place at the time appointed, viz the
4th day of the present month, and it has been con-
tinued from day to day until the final adjournment
on this day. The Convention sat with closed DOORS
but journal of the proceedings was kept, and one
of the last acts was to remove the injunction against
its publication.
In the progress of the meeting representatives
from twenty lone States came in and after much
discussion and long dcberation the consultation
resulted in the adoption by majority of the States
of seven sections, amendments of the Constitu-
ton of the United States, and presenting them to
the Congress now in session, and requesting that
body to propose them for adoption by Convention
in the several States, in accordance with the pro-
vision in the Constitution on that subject A printed
copy of the amendments is enclosed for the informa
ton of the people and authorities of North Carolina
Upon the final question Of adopting them, the
vote Of the State was given unanimously for the
third and fourth sections. Upon the others, there
was a difference of opinion. A majority of the
Commissioners, viz: Messrs. Reid Barringer and
Davis, were of opinion, that those sections ought
not to be and would not be satisfactory to North
Carolina and therefore felt bound to cast the vote of
the State against the first, second, fifth six and
seventh sections-while the other two Commits
sioners, Messrs. Rutin and Morehead thought it
their duty not to reject absolutely any guarantees
which the nonslavehoding States might offer for
the security of the slaveholding States, but to
submit them to the people of NorthC Carolina for &C
ceptance or rejection upon their own deliberate
Judgment and therefore they felt bound not to OBJ
struct the adoption of those sections but to give
their voice for Them though not coming up fully to
what they the people might deem right or proper.
The journal of the Convention is not yet printed,
but it will be in few days; and the undersigned
have ordered that several copies of it should be sent
to your Excellency, that the various and numerous
propositions under the consideration of the Conven-
ton may be seen and understood, and particularly
the votes cast on them by North Carolina
/ The undersigned cannot anticipate what DISPOSE.
| ton Congress will make of this NATTER but few
days must determine it. Nor do the undersigned
possess any authentic information upon the ques
ton, whether, should Congress propose those
amendments, they will fail before the States, be
ratified by sufficient number to incorporate them
into the Constitution.
We have the honor to be, with the highest respect
your Excellency's most obedient servants
D. M. BARRINGER
DAVID S. REID,
GEO. DAVIS,
THOMAS RUFFIN
j. NJ MOREHEAD.
To His Excellency, JOHN w. ELLIS.