, 1862-06-03
IMPORTANT FROM NORTH CAR-
DIINA,
Taxing aves--Emaucipati0n ProbHs
ble-.EXchauge Of Prisoners

OLINA.
Taxing gslaves--EmancIpatlo Proba-
ble-.EXcbauge Of Prisoners
Correspondence Of the N. 7. Trfbune.1
NEwHEHs, May -, 1852.
Events have recently transpired in the State
convention ct Raleigh, which are Of the most
are brought about in revolutionary times.
The most fatal stab that the Institution Of
slavery has yet received WIS given by the soy-
ereign convention Of North Carolina at one Of
its recent sessions, In the shape Of taxes upon
slaves. The followip. tax UPON this specie Of
property WAS levied:
The animal tax Oh all slaves over and less than
10 years Of age is s. over 10 and less than l5 8t
over = and nd less than 20, SIS; over 70 and less
As strange AZ it may seem, this measure be- |
came q Law By = large msjority, and is ne7
embodied in the State constitution. Of /
course, The most extensive shareholders op~ |
posed this mode Of taxation as at war with |
Christian principles, and were shocked to !
should be broached in this enlightened cen.
tu1y." "What," Gays Kenneth Rayner, s'do !
you propose to levy tax upon human beings |
that have souls? souls Why, Sir, more shocking
greater insult ever Offered to the AlmightY3 !
Horrible, horrible to contemplated
At this stage Of the proceedings the Hon.
John A. Gilmer, from Guilford county, rose
in his place and reminded Kenneth Rayner
"that the Chief Justice OF the United States
once gave decision to the effect that slaves
were property, and had no rights that white
men we're bound to respect; and that he,
Rner aogssd and ed Of hst that dsc
found Of the age. Nj. Glner desired
! to know if the gentleman's views had under
gone q change, and, if So, in what psrticu-
cular. Is It the gentleman's conscience OF
horrible to contemplate .' "I would remind
| those gentlemen" said Mr.. G., stwhose con
sciences are so suddenly outraged by the IN
PRODUCTION of this proposition to levy d tax on
slaves, that they all, without q single excep-
tion, heartily concuned with the ChiefJ Justice
| in his decision that s1aTes ire property; there
fore, 1t Is SELF evident that their conscience
have undergone no change on this subject,
hence we are led to understand that their
| pockets alone are affected It can be regarded
as only q tax on service, not On souls.
II al3o, while am up, desire to call the
attention OF those gentlemen who are oppos-
ing this measure, to the fact that they, and
| they alone, were chiefly instrumental in carry
ing North Carolina out Of the Union. Yes,
gentlemen, It Is you who were in favor Of con-
tEacting q great debt by carrying on war
with the Union. You claimed that secession
was necessary, in order to give better security
to the Institution OF slavery; hence it was for
the exclusive benefit of your property that
secession took place, and this enormous debt
was contracted, and all Of this misery sud
slaughter brought upon the country. At the
commencement Of secession you were exceed
ing1y patriotic, and said that the South must
secure her Independence, at Whatever sacrifice
Of blood or treasure
"Gcntlcmen, Jon have succeeded in forcing
the State out Of the Union; you have also
succeeded in eaddlpg . great debt upon the
State; thus FAR your wishes have been real
! S111 ~ h1y-a had Tar -
your wishes this debt has been incurred You
have remained at your fresides while this fear
fn1 struggle was going on, and obliged those
who represent no property to fight your bat-
ties. Nor that the debt has been contracted
by you, who represent the slave interest Of
the State, you nevertheless have the GOODNESS,
with all these facts staring you in the face, to
rise in your places and refuse to be taxed By
objecting to pay your share Of this great debt
you are obliging those who fought your bat
can be anything more ungrateful and inhuman
than this. I had no hand in bringing about
this unholy VIII. l Was not in favor Of seces-
sion, and am not now I love the old Union,
| in contracting this debt; have been opposed
to it all along. Notwithstanding this, I am
wiling that my slaves should be taxed heavily
to 1iquidate this unjust debt. Yea, would
gladly emancipate them all if it would restore
: US back as We we're before. This slavery ques-
ton is the cause Of this war, and We shall
never have peace until gradual emancipation
| measure is adopted
The Hon. VIM. 4. Graham also made very
eble speech in favor Of this tax, as did Messr;.
ter, Holden, Leak {of Anson,) s1tterth1aite,
Warren, and many Others. Nj. Graham said
/ "The gentleman from Hertford {Mr Rayner)
accuses this convention OF incompetency for
the duty Of revising the constitution. The
gentleman from Rowan {Mr. Jones) asser:a
that it has fallen into disfa1or with the people,
. and therefore they both concur in its adjourn
ment or dissolution. From tae moment
this body determined to equa1izc taxation
upon slaves as upon other property, SO as to
, TO meet our great and increasing expenditures
= and eignifed its dis1oEition to revise the con
y f'ltutlon, this effort commenced, and ever
! since they have opposed this great measure o1
= reform. But the gentleman from Rowan
makes q gTaver charge, He asserts that the
: convention has lost the confidence of the peo-
q pie. How is this ascertained? The people
h have elected no man their prophet to pro
= claim their voice. Each one OF us can sPeab
= for his own constituency, and presume fol
= from mine"
, Mr, Graham's speech Is an able production
= which will endcavor to Eend you In full. H.
. is one Of the leaders of the Opposition party
State Be is stTonely No s znpported by "
Holden Of the Raleigh sldndurd, which VA
!, formerly the leading Democratic paper Of th,
h state; hut slnce secession, which it has op
. posed, the paper has taken sides with the Op
. position party, and is now recognized as it
+ leading organ. In bringing the Hon. Wm. A
I G1aham's name forward for this position 1N
: Standard says:
! "Wby such an anxiety on the part Of tht
i. per SC secession no-party stripe, to know wht
- ls to be the next Governor Of North CIolina
p Nethink their anxiety may be relieved in somt
!. degree by telling them who tic people vii
r. not haye to rule over the de5tinies OF NORTH
= Carolina. First, they will not lave foreigner
" Secondly, they will not have Yankee {meau
: ing the editor Of The RsAiyh Heyistt7-,) bot1
4 secesh. Thirdly, they will not have sece;
4 s1onlst OF the South Carolina school and tha
:. there may not be any doubt who is meant III
:. der the third head, We will define the term b,
;. remarking that the people want no man K
= preside over the destioies OF the State whe
y y made the election Of Mr Lincoln the occasion
y for breaking up the Government.
= This is very emphatic and right TO ths
!, point, and it but reflects the sentiments of
q large majority Of the people Of the State
- Mr. Holden is one Of the nhlest and mos
- fearless writers in the South, and what is still
: more gratifying, the people OF North Carolin:
n will sustain him in what he may promu1gatt
! in favor Of the Union.
y When the proposition was up before th,
- convention to levy tax upon the slave prop
~ erty, very exciting debate ensued. SeYera
:" Of the most extensive slaveowner5, anon4
r whom were Messrs johnson, Rayner, Thomp
: son and others. who bitterly opposed thi
great reform, stated in their speeches s'tha
Z they would emancipate their slaves befor
+ they would pay dollar Of the tax, for th
r. reason that they had all become so complete
= y demoralized since the Wal, with the belle
). that LINCOLN and Fremont were to set then
= free, as to be entirely worthless as seryant1
= . any longer"
u u
: SOMETHING New IN TELEGRArurEG.--A nev
o tsat in teiegEaphing Is to be attempted, witt
= the army before Richmond. It Is taking tel
1t eg!aph instrument up in Loves balloon, aue
u By means of a fine wire attached to the wir,
,e belowHtelcgraph from the air to headquar
# ters, to Washington, Phi1adelphia, New York
0 St. Louis and any intermediate point. Seatet
e In the car, at an elevation Of thousands O
/. feet, and looking down upon the rebel toe
d their movements can be REPORTED momenta
d rily to Washington, &C., IS readily a. to an,