, 1865-10-11

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for the small attendance from that section,
The eastern counties, md the larger towns in
the western counties, were well represented,
Some OF the eastern counties sent more than
the number If delegates 10 which they were
actually entitled under the cali, and several
men had credentials only from church organi-
cations of the back counties. This state Of
facts WIS met br resolving the body into a
| general mass contention ofthe regular dele
| gates from the interior and eastern counties,
and The delegates from other sections who
could produce credentials from my body or
organization Of c0lored people. This increas-
ed the aggregate number OF delegated to 100
1 representing II counties.
| The temper Of the body was exceedingly
good. and waA in general. accord with the
speech Of the permanent Preident-Rer.
| John W. Hood, of Sewbc1u, Of Northern
birth, but Of some years residence In this
| lows.
! "Grsr1E1ES: I hatdly know now to express to
you my thanks for calling nc to preside over this
ibis State. We have ms% 10 deliberate in a mauly
and Christian eptt upon the best interests OF our
the uatchword. "Eoua. rights before the 1,ws,''
YET conscious that We must In doors and out Of
doorfs act towsrd an mcu whether they
expressions 1eepectiue men or measures. :. Lei Us
bear always IN mind that this u our home-hat The
White people arc our ne!ehbors, and that many Of
toEethcr-t the talk Of colon!n.ion. and cxpstriaton,
and deportation for our race u oll nonsense. See
Ss That we nsys 81 ST. 70 ss ne1e let
ilcmen and ladies'. and five respect oursclses VIC
Tor the Of his right. IL TO put him in practice OF
them. ! think the time has come when we should
be PIT t1 practice y e Of oars R9t well kno We shall
tncnts OF the situation. Lei us keep t,th aud hare
ra,icncs-asscrtine pr"peEly at all lines and In al
pMecs ihat we waut, and under God must ultimate:
the right to be represented N the jury box, and he
right 10 voice in choosing our rulers"
This brief speech, SO admirable In tone, So
human IN sentiment, and SO courteous In Ian
guage, struck the key note Of the hour. "aIav
hallow all our sittings and direct ali our d..
bors," were the revercnt words Of the cali
under which the Convention assembled.
The Convention was literally one Of the ne
groes Of North Carolina, not one engineered
BY white men or by ncgrocs from outside The
State. There were, from time to time, num-;
bers Of white mcn among tue spectators, but !
none of them either directly OF indirectly In :
tncnccd tue action Of tho delegates There
were also two or three delegates who claim
residence IL this State, but have lately lived
and much advice, but they very sigualiy failed
IN attempting to lead the Convention or to
blind 1t with much speaking.
A large proportion Of the delegates were
freedmen, not fteemcu- though some Of them
have hardly yet been given by their Late mas
tcrs realization Of the fact that they are
freedmen. Of course, scarcely one In four
could read and write, and many Of them spoke
tongue that no Northern man could under
stand; yet, for all this, they clearly under
stood what they meant to do, and also what
they did not mean to do, and the most unl.arn-
ed Of them goes home with generally correct
fdea Of what was done.
OF course there was abundance Of fun in
the convention-thc negro will have his Joke
under whatever circumstances he Is placed,
and humor Is MS natural to him as high winds
deal Of talk, and much debate on entirely i'm.
material matters. The negro is very mach
like other folks, and the repression under
which he has 60 long lived has given him
much exaggerated view of some matters.
iet, for NIL this, the convention did It's work
with commendablc dlrectncss, and there were
number Of speeches, one or two somewhat
lengthy debates that would hare been credit
able to any white man's convention with even
picked delegates.
A dozen resolutions were reported aad
adopted, some OF which, ns usual, were unin-
por1ant. II must be said, however, that they
all meant mcthlng-which Is more than can
be said of resolutions often olopled at coz
ventions In the Sorth-hnd that their general
sense was wise, liberal md appscclative. Tha
chief resolution declares that 1t Is not the
policy Of the colored people to fock to the
cities IN too large numbers, ana urges them 10
remain at their old homes and ut their old en-
ployments unless good reasons exist for
changing, advises them TO live sobctly and
honesty, work faithfully md Intlustriously,
save money and buy few acres OF land as
soon as possible, build themselves houses and
sacredly observe the marriage relation, avoid
quarrels and cultirnte friendly relations with
the white people, help each other and cdu.
cate themselves and their childrsn.
The leading men OF the Convention we're SIN
cere. earnest, unassum1nG. They want all the
to see that nl-temper and passionate demand
arc not the. stepping.stones on which their
race must rise They counsellcd patience and
Observation-Disclosures and drmncss of desire
and purpose, but uniform courtesy Of bearing
and language. Five ofthesc leading men con.
stituted q committee 10 prepare IN address to
the people Of this State in general, and to the |
Constitutional Convention and the General |
Assembly Ia Particular This committee con-
ssted Of Ja,nes II. Harris, Of this city, m up
holstezer ly trade and teacher by profession,
former slave who did his task By day and |
pored over Ills book BY the light Of pine |
knot NJ night, a thrce-1outths African whose |
intelligent manhood and ready argum ent fit !
him for almost any position In LIE John 4. |
Good. barber Of Eewbern, Of gray |
hair, moderate speech, and sound judgement;
D.
lain Of The Sd U. !, coloted troops; Isham
SWEET, barber, Of Fayetteville, mu1atto, Of |
ready speech md some culture; and John |
Randolph, Jr., Of Wilmington, a carpenter by |
trade, and teacher at present. The address |
reported from this committee, and adopted |
ability and scholarship, and Is marked By |
such good sense, simple courtesy, vie mod |
eyltion and unassumfng manhood that IT can
not but commend itself to every man of sound |
lead and honest heart 1t makes no demand l
for suffrage. deals In no e1travasancies about |
laws shall be abolished, that measures be |
adopted to project the freedman In his new |
relations, md expresses the purpose Of the |
late slaves to merit fair treatment by industry |
and an observance OF the laws Of society and |
ofthe State.
THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION.
THIS body met on Monday last, in obedience |
TO the call Of Provisional Governor Holden,
but has not, us yet, done more thnn complete |
its organization and get ready for business,
which Will probably begin In earnest to-moe
row. It numbers one hundred and twenty |
sent at the opening session.. The sittings Of
the Convention are held In the State capitol,
in the hall Of the lower house Of the Legisla.
ture, which Is chiefly noticeable for its et-
trcme need Of the use OF tho scrubbtng brush
and the paint pot. The African Church, in
NulCA tAc HEtNluGu uclA kutiF AVuSeHl4uly |
is In much more respectable condition
That the body represents the best Union
ism Of the State, is :. q fact Of Significance In
more respects than one. The papers general
II concnr in saying that not more than half
the voters appeared at the polls. In the
they did not 70 because the Governor, or the
military, wouldn't allow them to vote for
whom they plenscd-whtch, being intcrpre-
ted, meant that they wanted to vote for no.
torious rebels, but were afraid to do SO.
This, Of eourse, threw the election IN many
must be understood also, In this connection,
that good deal Of North Carolina Unionism
Is rather personal hatred Of rebel leaders In
md out Of the State than hearty love OF the
Union. There are, however, good many
delegates on higher ground than this. As
yet, however, nothing has been done to
bring out the Individual Views of gentlemen.
Hon. E. G. Rcade, the President, Is one OF
Gov. HoIden's provisional Circuit Judges, a
gentleman about f1fty years Of age, who is
reported to hare been good Union man aI
through tho war. His speech On taking the
chair contained sone touching and fellcltous
sentence, which subjoin:
Fe1low-titizeus, we nre going home. Let painful
reflections upon our 1ate separation, and pleasant
steps toward he old mansion. that NC may grasp
hard neliu the hand OF Friendship which atands
At The door; and. sheltered by the old homestead
WHICH Wut DULL n1VH TUX Auu u4! WG7tuE&C1 ME l
s,oEm enjoy together the long bright futurc which
awnite uE. |
The message of Gov. Holden is rather re-
for what it docs not contain, than
for what it does. lie takes 1t for granted
that the Convention will recognize the aboli-
ton Of slavery, provided that 1t shall not be
and submit thp amended Con-
sttutfon to vote Of the people:
Half dozen committees have been appoint
cd. and the Committee on the Ordinance Of
hnre reported In favor OF declaring
It null and tuid. There arc In this body, nine
Of the members of the Secession Convention,
md the tcrse Saxon words Of "Uncle Nat Boy