Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1865-06-23
TWO VOICES FROM NORTH CARO-
LIMA


Several gentleman have come frona North
Carolina to Washington to confer with the
Government upon the subject of the re-or-
ganlzatlon OF that state Among them is
/ the Hon. W. WI Holden. who is understood
to be representative OF the Union men at
the South who are sincerely glad of the tri-
umph of the Government He was indeed
a delegate to the State Convention in 1861.
and signed the ordnance of secession because
as he says, escape was physically and NOR
rally impossible, But for some time, as
| the editor Of paper at Raleigh, Mr.. Hol-
den has rebelled against the rebellion, and
was the Peace or Union candidate for
Governor against Vance: At a late Union
meeting in Raleigh, Mr. Holden made a
| speech which is worthy of attention. as the
authoritative statement Of the present views
Of the white Union men at the Sonth upon
tbs, subject Of reorganization.
The colored Union citizens of North Car
! DINA have also expreas@a si-eig. .ris-rrn. Isot
us compare the two Jams Which Is the
more just constitutional, simple and thor
ough
There can be no doubt Of the sincerity Of
Mr. Holden S exultati0n at the overthrow of
the rebellion. He accepts emancipation.
Regrets for slavery, he says, are now vain.
1t remains for the people of this State,
both in Convention and in the Legislature,
TO define the status and condition of this
emancipated race Mr. Holden says that
he would educate the eolored citizen rec
ognize his marriage relations let him read
his bible, and hold property but beyond
that leave him to the future action Of the
States themselves The
whole vast continent i destined to fall un-
der the control of the Anglo-Saxon race
the governing aud selfgoverning race. /
look to the wisdom of the people in Conven-
ton to decide the relations Of the two ra-
ces
Why white men are more the 'people"
of the State than colored men, Mr.. Holden
omits to say. And what an American means
by talking ola governing race is an inter
esting inquiry. Has Mr.. Holden vet to
learn that in this country the government is
not founded upon family, or race, or color
but upon the consent of the governed He
he forget that large proportion of the
governing rae" IN his State are themselves
unable to read Did it occur to Mr. Hol-
den that if the colored citizen who stood
behind the platform and listened to his
speech was yesterday slave, he, the orator
was yesterday a rebel, who signed the or
dlnance OF secession, however unwiilingly,
upon that very same spot
This is one North Carolina plan Of re-or-
ganization-that the government of the
United States shall concede the political dis
ability Of the only part of the population
which has been always loyal, and commit
their future and the tranquility of the coun-
try to that part which has been in various
degrees disloyal, and which regards the
colored race as inferior and Of unequal
rights.
The other plan is presented in a petition
from the colored citizens of North Carolina
to the President. They confess that they
aBa Baat FEse2Y eS desRateaan sRat an@g have @ tired %
to help those who upheld the old flag through
all the rebellion and hundreds of Union
escaped prisoners can say how effectively
they did It. They declare that they cannot
see the justice of denying the elective fran
chise to men who have been fighting for the
country, while it is freely given to men who
have just returned from 1--WE years fighting
against it. - As you were once a citizen of
North Carolina, says the petition to the
President, we need not remind you that up
to the year 1886 free colored men voted in
this State, and never, as we have heard,
with any detriment to its interest. What
we desire is, that preliminary to elections in
the returning States, you ,could order the
enrolment Of aH lQyal men ,oithout regard
to color
Surely no plan could be more just, more
simple, more constitutional and more etfec-
tive. This win bring the people of this
State into a convention as Mr.. Holden |
wishes. And if this is not done, if an arbi-
trary enfranchisement is made, based upon
complexion, or height; or age, or property, |
or weight, or size, how can Congress ack- !
noWledge the government that may result as
the republican form of government which it |
is constitutionally bound to secure to every
Sfate - Htl.nel.ts IKncI.Li