The day book. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1857-1867, 1866-08-20
The New Constitution of the cold
North State"


Upon the assumption that the people of
North Carolina have rejected the "new Con-
stitution," against which there is majority of
about 2, 800, as far as heard from, the Radi-
calls have opened their batteries, and begun
their usual bombardment of the Southern
lines, each shell being charged with the
epithet "disloyal"
This is all nonsense, and these very papers
are logically estopped by their own previous
course from their present denunciations; for
the objections urged to-day should have been
suggested when the Convention met That
body represented the sovereignty Of the State,
and on submitting its labors to the people
they had the unquestioned and unquestiona-
BILE right to ratfy or reject, as they saw fit
without any reference to the philosopher
HORACE, or the witness hunter FoRNEY.
Bat, in point of fact, these people knew
nothing about the matter, though the most
thorough knowledge would not abate their
hostility, nor prevent their making this sup
posed result the occasion for renewed assaults
upon MI poHNouN, ala Tic peOple vi Tic
South
The Eastern and Western parts of the State
stand divided on the white basis feature in
the new Constitution
The reason of the opposition from the East
Is easily explained, for apart from the loss of
representation, there is scheme on foot in
the West to carry forward the "Western ex-
tension" from Salisbury, and to tunnel the
mountains, in order to establish direct and
easy line of communication with East Ten
nessee at cost of some $4,000, 900.
Apart from the expenditure of this vast
sum, which in itself constitutes serious OBJ
lection, the people of Eastern North Carolina,
with our melancholy example before them in
the B. & o. R. R., are naturally averse to
paying an enormous tax in order to make
Western North Carolina tributary to the
principality over which BRowNLow rules
The alteration in the basis of representation
would seriously weaken the East, for example,
the opulent county of Warren, which has now
two members in the Commons and one Sena-
tor, would lose one Delegate to the lower
House, and be thrown into Senatorial dis
trict with some adjoining county.
This alone constitutes valid objection to
sno Constitution, and if defeated, it may be
attributed to this very sutnclent cause. Nor
is this ALL The new Constitution contains a
provision which excludes from offices of trust,
all men who do not believe in some orthodox
faith. This provision would exclude Jews,
and is so illiberal as to be entirely unworthy
the enlightened people for whose government
it was framed. North Carolina has not for
gotten that this is the nineteenth century
that even the narrown,inded powers Of the
Old World have relieved the Jews of their
former disabilities; and that one of the most
illustrious of her own statesmen made one of
his noblest efforts upon the subject of religious
liberation in the Convention of 1885, which was
elected to revise the State Constitution The
s2d article prohibited all but those fthe Pro-
testant religion from serving AS members OF
the legislature" and when the Convention, on
the 26th Of June, went into Committee of the
WAOio W uSDato ILLS iChldl pIoFIblOU Tue
illustrious MACON assailed it with vigor an
eloquence.
The revival of provision which, in a mar
rover compass than that which dsfgured the
old Constitution amended in '35, applying a
religious test, constitutes a second objection
to the work of the late Convention so serious
in its character as to justify its rejection.
But, suppose the people of North Carolina
choose to reject it for any reason, what right
have the people of Virginia, or Pennsylvania
or New York, to bother their heads about it?
The fact that the gallant Old North State
assembled Convention, shows her sovereign
power has not been lost and as sovereign
ty she exercises her unquestonabe right to
gatify on reject the work of that Convention
as she sees fit, the Tribune and Chronicle to
the contrary notwithstanding
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