Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1862-05-07

4
hEMARks Or Mr.. GRAHAM,
t. Uts0sAaoB, . iss
Delivered IL ConrehtsoA, on Wsdns;day, The S0tAs
: Of April on the resotdsisr 9 NJ. ffompsoS %
Jfr q day at adyournmsnt ss.5, s. a
Nh Graham said, be had not intended 70 say q
word in this discussion but assaults hAdb made
upon this body which required notice from some
one, lest It should suffer injustice in pubic estinna-
tion The public bodies Of this country had been
always subject to very free criticism. y Those who
were without very frequently charged that their
proceedings were liable to very great objection, and
desired it to be inferred that if the directors had
constituted the assembly under review better things
might have been expected. But it was rather unu-,
sual for members Of such an assemhlage, them.
selves, to become its assailants. The gentleman
from Hartford, (Mr. Rayner( accuses this Conven-
ton of incompetency for the duty Of revising the
Constitution. The gentleman from Rowan, (Mr.
Jones) asserts that it has fallen into disavor with
the people, and therefore they both concur in its
adjournment or dissolution. I, SAID Mr.. g., am
quite Indifferent as to the time of adjournment,
though think much business requires attention
before we do adjourn, and that far more anxiety
seems to prevail for adjournment, than as to the
condition E which the Constitution and the public
interests will be left by reason of adjournment,
without giving to them proper confederation
While these sweeping accusations are made against
this assembly in general and which without ex-
PLANTATION must apply equally to US all, gentlemen
very careful to exempt themselves and are pre-
pared with excuse 10 their constituents that they
could not control the action Of majority. Now,
Sir, deny that this Convention is incompetent to
revise and rewrite the Constitution, to transact
any other business requiring its deliberations in the
wh
proof of this allegation seems to be found in the re-
fusa OF the Convention to adopt certain rules of or
der proposed by the gentleman from HEREFORD
Sir, his proposition was adopted in part, and that
part tends to accelerate business but as to the
mainder Of it, majority differed from the mover,
and rejected it. Acknowledging the gentleman's
intelligence and usefulness, it may be sufficient to
dismiss this charge, with the remark of Dr. john
son. that he who accuses all mankind conyicts HIM
SELF The Convention contains as much of patriot
ism and capacity as will probably be found in any
similar assenblage If it cannot perform the task
required, it will hardly be executed by any other.
That there may have been at some times useless de-
bate, or not sufficient regard for economy of time,
is no doubt true. This, however is incident to all
free assemblies.
But the gentleman from Rowan makes graver
charge. He asserts that the Convention has lost
the confidence of the people. How is this ascer-
tanned? The people have elected 10 man their
prophet to proclaim their voice. Each one of US
can speak for his own constituency, and presume
for no other. l have derived no such information
from mine. Sensible of the magnitude of their af-
fairs in this time of trial. they bestowed generous
confidence and expected the exercise Of considerable
discretionary powers. In that, l must presume,
they do not differ from the generality of their fellow
citizens and cannot believe that any portion Of
the people have SO poor an opinion of their repre-
senatves as to suppose they lnger here to crafty
their vanity for public debate for the sake Of the
compensation allowed to meet their expenses.
Mr.. President that persistent effort has been
made to bring this Convention into dsrepute with the
people, perfectly is manifest-whether it has been
successful effort is quite another question. From the
moment that this body determined to equalize tax
alton upon slaves as upon other property so as to
expose all the of the State to leyieS to
meet great and increasing expenditures, and
signfed its disposition to revise the Constitution,
this effort commenced. Presses and politicians had
rayed themselves against this great measure reform,
and their consistency, matter of far greater i'm
pyrtance than the public welfare required their op-
position to be persisted in. Hence, the cutlery that
the Convention was exceeding its powers, and ought
to be dissolved; that it elected simply to dis
solve the old Union .nd form new one, task so
easy OF performance that it could be finished the
brief space Of one or two days-as if great Revo-
luton involving State existence would carry itself
OH, and required no provisions of finance, and no
inquiry into the measures of attack or defence in
the war which was thea raging. The Convention
found large army in the course of being levied on
State account only-a measure proper and necessary
before the accession of this State to the Southern
Confederacy but after the adoption Of the Confed
crate government, by which the war-making power
was surrendered to that government together with
the power to raise means and pay all the expenses
incurred in its prosecution, it became unnecessary
to retain this army on our hands-and provision
made for its transfer to the Confederate author
ity, to be supported out Of its Treasury The Con-
vention deemed it quite work of supererogaton,
that the State after paying her share of the Federal
revenues to support the war establishment at Rich
mopd for the defence of the whole country, should
be burthened with a like establishment at Raleigh,
for her own defence, and passed its ordinance &C.
cordngly. This was made another cause Of COM
plant and the General Assembly at its next ses-
sion was induced to reverse this policy as far as
practicable. The result has been, the contraction
of large debt, for the payment, equipment and
supplies of troops by the State, which properly be-
longs to the General government l have made
some INQUIRY into this subject and have not heard
of singl other State which has pursued similar
policy. or contracted an equal amount of debt on
account of the war; In them, disbursing officer
of the General government has been at hand to de-
frav expenses, and make payments as sney nave
fallen due. Yet, one Of the chief offences of this
body was, that it required the general system to be
adopted here -,
The Convention also required information Of the
Executive in relation to the public defences, and
was met by the answer, no doubt sincerely made
as matter of opinion, that all was SAFE But alas
how delusive and Notifying was this assurance
when put to the test. 1t ventured to propose and
to urge measures of defence which did not meet Ex-
g kL.oo H..
causes have arrayed against it political opposition
which has endeavored to disparage it in the public
esteem, l believe, without success-I am sure, with.
out justice No derellcton is imputed to it, in
measures necessary for the prosecution of the war;
but no credit is allowed to it for four or five mil
lions of appropriations in aid Of those provided BY
the Legslature-,n,one, for levles Of men without
general prejudice is sought to be engendered by
1aoue charges of exceeding its authority and pro-