The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1866-10-04

: cussion.
The present Congress of the United States
has proposed an amendment to the Nationa
Constitution for ratification by three-fourthE
of the Legislatures OF the states, when ny
I that Constitution required to ratify it IL
order to make it valid as part OF the same
This amendments whether orr ginally so pro
posed or not has been by manifest action OF
| CONGRESS. and action of the Executive in the
case of Tennessee, regarded as the condition
precedent to Immediate re-admission OF a
State into the Union. 1t is still held out by
the party which controlled two thirds of the
power Of Congress-by the party which IS
growing daily in numbers and influence, and
will again control the power OF Congress
as the condition precedent to the re-admls
sion of North Carolina into the Union.
Ought the General Assembly of the State
to ratify this amendment as by the Volunta-
Nv consent of the people? Perhaps no pollt-
ical question of so transcendent importance
and magnitude has ever before been present
ed to be determined by the people of North
Carolina Upon its determination may de-
pend will probably depend, whether the
State shall be re-aClmitted to the Union at
all; whether, certainly the present organl-
zation of civil government shall be, as near
as may be, maintained as it is, or whether
new organization of State government " Re
publican in FORM" shall be adopted to be
guaranteed as such by the United States,
and even probably whether military gov
| ernment shall not take the place OF the pres
ent government.
Shall there not be freedom of speech to
discuss and freedom of the press to publish,
the principles contained in this amendment,
and sought to be Incorporated in the funda-
mental law of the country with view to its
restoration, and as a security to the future
peace and general welfare of the people of
the United States, as well as to the progress
| of American civilization If not, American
politics now foreshadow the dreadful alter
native of civil war, and thereby review OF
the great questions of internal dissension
which the civilized world had looked for
hopefully to be settled in America forever by
the late war.
The question of the right of State to
'secede" has been practically settled, it is
assumed, by the war. 1t has been denied
and resisted successfully by those who MAIN
tam the right Of coercion, or the right of a
government to preserve itself. AS a ques-
ton, the government-cvery government
will always decide against it, whether 1t be
maintained as a right actually existing by
express written provision in its Constitution
or not, and will assert its right of selt-preser
walton as above all constitutional or other
fundamental provisions OF government. In
the nature of human passions, according to
all human experience and the testimony OF
international history, if not peaceably adj
.justed by majority of national opinion, so
to speak, then by war, by the greater power,
these questions must be determined. But
there were great questions in American poll
tics standing out as great causes affecting
the determination of these before mentioned
questions. The principal question in rela-
ton to the abolition OF human or domestic
slavery has been settled by actual or appa-
rent consent of the people, and by force of
situation and the power of war. Still, ques-
tons incidental thereto remained to be set
tied, sooner or later, "peaceably II they can,
torcibly if they must" The main question
OF these is, shall p0{ticnl rights be conferred
upon or granted TO "pers3ns OF color in
the United States This question. except
as regards citizenship, is referred or left by
the proposed constitutional amendment to
the will and determination of the people of
each State for themselves. In respect to
this question, as it relates to negro suffrage,
the proposed amendment is compromise as
between conflicting party views and opinions,
a truce, If not peace proclaimed by the as
sent of the great body of the American pco-
pie to the irrepressible conflict " of VIM.
H. Seward, the now Secretary of State, and
proclaimed for the sake of the peace and
harmonious restoration of the Union. Shall
not the people of North Carolina accept it as
such, and tor the principles contained there
in, which are right and just in themselves,
and therefore ought not to be denied with
any hope of gain by any party or State; and
will they not waive objections to such parts
principles not preferred, or deemed
consistent with the whole proposed meas
ure Will not the people of the State give
attention to, read, and consider this amend
ment at once Will they not thrust aside
all passion and prejudice, and without the
dictation or otficious aid of bad or interested
political teachers, study and determine for
foil
concern them and the whole country?
What is this proposed amendment. its
terms and import, so much so constantly
and studiously and desgncClly misreprcscnt-
ed, even by the press, through which it
ought to be published for the people?
1t is in the words and sections following,
to wit:
SECTION 1. All persons born or naturalized
in the United States, and subject to the IL
risdictiOn thereof, are citizens of the United
States and Of the State wherein they reside.
No State shall make enforce any law
which shall abridge the privileges or immu-
mites OF citizens of the United States; nor
shall any State deprive any person of life,
liberty, property without due process of
law, nor deny to any person within its .juris-
diction the equal protection Of the laws.
SEC. 2. Representatives shall be appor-
toned among the several States according
to their respective numbers, counting the
whole number of persons in each State, ex-
Guiding Indians not taxed. But when the
right to vote at any election for the choice
of electors for President and Vice President
of the United States, representatives in Con-
gress, the executive and judicial officers of
State, or the members of the Legislature
thereof, is denied to any of the male inhabi-
tants Of such State, being twenty-one years
of age and citizens of the United States, or in
any way abridged, except for participation
in rebellion or other crime, the basis of rep
resentation therein shall be reduced in the
proportion which the number of such male
citizens shall bear to the whole number of
male citizens twenty-one years of age in such
State.
SEC. 3. No person shall be Senator OF
Representative in Congress, or elector ofPres-
ident and Vice President, or hold any office,
civil or military, under the United States,
under any State, who having previously
taken an oath as member of Congress, or
as an officer of the United States. or as
Df C+ofn 7 81,