The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1866-10-10

liberty 81 property without due process Of
law. These are the privileges which ne
now possesses in this State, and which this
amendment says shall not be abridged. But
who will dare say that he possesses the priv
ilege Of suffrage2 Will you, Mr.. Bledsoe 7
Should the privilege of suffrage be eaten-
ded the negro by North Carolina that would
alter the case Perhaps she could never
after abridge it. But so long as she does
not give it to him, what legislator Of hers
would ever waste valuable time and public
money. unless he never intended to pay the
debt, in passing laws to abridge privilege
which the negro, within her borders, does
not possess ?
Sir, it is plain to every man that this first
section does not confer single privilege on
the negro; it only says that such as he now
has, shall never be taken from him. That
is all; and hold that they are necessary to
the life, liberty and property Of the negro.
notwithstanding your assertion, therefore,
the first section has no reference, in our case,
to negro suffrage the second section only
refers to it. It (the second section) says in
substance, that should North Carolina per-
nit her black male population to vote, they
may be counted in the superintendent of her
members to Congress giving her eight;
and if she denies that privilege, they shall
not be ounted-leaving her only five mem
bers. Thus the question of suffrage is left
entirely to the States, as it has ecer been.
Now, Sir, what foundation have you for
your position, that under this amendment
negro from Massachusetts can vote in North
Carolina, by virtue of his citizenship of Mas
sachusetts9 Z. Like "the baseless fabric of
vision" it fades before the searching eye Of
truth.
For your consideration, append the fol-
lowing law recently passed by the Legisla-
ture of South Carolina. 1t does not confer
the right of suffrage, but only secures the
negro in those same immunities and privi-
leges, that the first section of this proposed
amendment Ito which you so strenuously
object,) says snail not be abridged.
1t reads as follows
can Act to declare the rights of persons lately
known as slaves and as free persons of color
Be it enacted, &C., That all persons hitherto
known in law in this State as slaves or as free
persons of color shall have the right to make
and enforce contracts to sue, be sued, to be aft
ants and give evidence, to inherit, to purchase,
lease, sell, hold, convey and assign real and per-
sonal property, make wills and testaments, and
to- have full and equal benefit of the rights of
personal security, personal liberty, and private
property, and Of all remedies and proceedings
for the enforcement and protection of the same
as white persons row have, and shall not be
subject to any other or different punishment,
pain or peralty for the commission Of any act or
offence than such as are prescribed for white per-
sons committing like acts or offences.
SEC. q That all acts and parts of acts specially
relating to persons lately slaves and free per-
sons OF color, contrary to the provisions of this
act, or inconsistent with any Of its provisions,
be, and the same are hereby, repealed: Provided,
That nothing herein contained shall be construed
to repeal SO much of the 9Th section of an act
entitled IAN act to establish and regulate the
domestic relations of persons of color, and to
amend the law in relation to paupers and va
grancy," ratified the twenty-frst day of Deem
Der, in the year OF our Lord one thousand eight
hundred and sixty-fve as enacts that marriages
between white person and o person of color
shall be illegal and void"
So much has South Carolina done; and
let me ask, do you, the disciple of Calhoun
and the follower of his Chief Apostle, Jeffer-
son Davis, think that the "Mother of Sc
cession has degraded herself2
In conclusion, Mr.. Bledsoe, trust that
you will not consider me impairment when
remind you, that however wise you may be
| in your own conceit, there are others who
know the measure of your " half-bushel."-
You are known as an imprudent, unscrupu-
| lOus politician -imprudent in your advocacy
| of such extreme measures as Martial law,
and INSCRIPTIONS as to the means employed
in obtaining votes. You have to some ex-
tent the IS gift of CAB given you to in
struct, and not to misead the people This
dangerous gift to small men, in other cir
cumstances, might have led you into the
pulpit, as it once threatened to make you
lawyer. In either instance you might have
perverted it to wicked ends, as Others of
your calibre have done; and this is said
with more confidence because of the bad use
to which you apply it at present But you
will talk-you cannot help it. Yet do not
deem your harangues effective in proportion
as you are incorporate in speech and violent
in action. On the other hand, you should
cultivate towards your opponent those amen
tiles and courtesies political life, which ele-
vate the hustings and refine the sentiments
of the people. Cease your appeals to their
prejudices against the ignorant, defenceless
negro,-your words of honeyed flattery to
the uniformed, which lure them to destruc-
ton. But have little confidence, Sir, that
any thing here written will move you, for the
Wisest of Mankind hath said: "Seest thou
a man that is hasty in his words2 there is
more hope of fool than of him."
Such are your footprints, made in the sands
of time-to be avoided, as much as they are
to be regretted. MOSCOW.
Raleigh, Oct. 2, 1866.