The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1866-07-14
SPEECH OF MIR. BYNUM,

,ssnersd in Convention, Saturday, June 8,
1aee ON The proposition to amend the Constr
t,a;on of the STATE, so as to base representa-
tion on sclsite population, IN both branches OF
the Legislature. s@ R.-
MIR, PRESIDENT: --Hayin as the organ OF
the Committee, to whom the matter WAS re-
ferred, reported the ordinance before the Con
yention, it may not be improper tor me TO
make abrief explanation of the ordinance,
and the views of part of the Committee
who did not concur in the 1st section OF Or-
dinance as reported
The Constitution declares that the nouso
of Commons shall be composed OF one nun
dred and twenty members, to be eiecteu ny
counties, according to thelr FesPeI.r'o d Linz
hers. which shall be determined by addlng
IN the whole number of free persons, three
fiftbs of all other persons. The recent ordi-
- nance of our Convention, aboilshlng slavery
in the State, has made all the lnhaolCants vi
the State g free persons" so that' unless tile
Constitution shall be amended 1t, by It's own
force changes the basis of representation,
CONTRARY to the intention of the trainers of
it. and against the organic will of the people.
The basis of representation having been
thus DESTROYED, as a result of the late war,
the question was presented to the Commlttee,
what shall be the future basis OF apportlon
ment2 Shall it be the number OF taxable
polls I? Shall it be the number OF legal Vo-
terss Shall it be the whole population,
onlva The two first propositions, of taxable
polls or legal voters, seemed lnadmlsslble TO
the Committee, because the first would be IN
part a black basis, and the second would be
too difficult of ascertainment with exactness,
to afford stable and reliable basis. 10
adopt the whole population, white and black,
as the true basis of representation, seemed TO
the Committee unjust and ineXpedlent, as 1t
without
the corresponding political responsibility,
and its manifest tendency and legal effect,
would be. to divert the controlling power OF
the State from the hands OF the many to the
hands of the few. Unless the negro IS al
lowed the right of suffrage, he cannot be
basis of representation, for a true OASIS I'M
plies the relationship of constituents and
representative, of voter and the person voted
for. 1 do not say that 1 would oppose
limited negro suffrage, but until he is allow
ed to vote see no more justice In counting
him in the apportionment, than IN counting
the trees of forest as basis OF apportlon-
ment He neither, asks or desires 1T, and the
only effect of such procedure would be, to
increase the present inequality OF political
power of the white population, without any
benefit to the negro, or equivalent to the
State at large.
1t has been urged by some, that if we
adopt the black population as Il basis OF ap-
portionment, like basis will be adopted in
the Federal Constitution, and thus give US
more members of the House OF Representa-
tives This objection is founded IN mis-
apprehension. There is proposition be-
fore Congress, and it is plain that there will
be none, to make the negro basis of appor-
tionment, unless he is allowed the right OF
suffrage.
Sir. six wears ago, few of US believed the
negro would ever be liberated In the South
Nxr,r ofrn fny{
of us believed that he would be set free by
an Ordinance of our own people. One year
ago, few of us believed he would be allowed
to testify against white man; and six
months ago, few of us believed that he would
be made the equal of the white man before
the law. believe that the end is not yet
Even if the pressure of Federal power should
be removed, there is turned loose upon US an
element of physical power and social dis
turbance that demands the highest order of
wisdom and craftsmanship to control and
engraft into our political system as an ele-
ment of strength, security or peace. We may
postpone; we cannot escape the encounter
While free negroes were few and sparsely
scattered over the State, they were lost in the
general mass. without the power of organi-
cation, or the numbers to excite apprehen-
sion Now we have one-third of the entire
population of the State, released from the
bonds of slavery clothed with all the NUM-
ments of law, planted in representative
government whose political dogmas, bills of
right, and Constitutions, proclaim equality !;
with strong dispositions to organization :;
passionate. senuous, 1mpresslble to influences
from without and within the State; IN a ma
ton now dizzy with the dreams, the inspira-
tions, or, more probably, the fanaticism of
social and political progress, and this, too,
at the end of a civil war which has upheaved
the foundations, of the social fabric, shatter-
ed the Constitution, revolutioniZed the gov
ernment and embodied its final results in
organized radicalism and Constitutional in
tolerance. This powerful element may brook
delay but not defeat. When equal civil
rights are conceded, political rights cannot
be long withheld. When you declare that
all political power is vested in and derived
from the people only, that the people of this
State ought not to be taxed without the con-
sent of themselves or their representatives, in
general assembly, freely given, that the peo-
pie have the right to assemble together to
consult for their common good, and to apply
to the Legislature for redress of grievances,
and that, for redress of grievances and
amending the laws, elections ought to be often
held, you lay down series of fundamental
principles that now support the claims of the
black as we'll as the white. A wise states
manship would seem to require of us, to an
ticipate danger by providing against it, to
allay discomfort before it swels into convul-
sion, by providing gradually ascending
scale of political right, which will disarm
clamor, encourage the black race, and also
strengthen the State
But, Mr.. President, it may be, and 1 think
SO, is, that the people are not yet prepared
for this change in our organic law.
Assuming, then, that the right of suffrage
will be denied to the black, and, therefore,
that he caunot justly be made basis of
white representation, it is easy to show that
by the present basis, the political power of
the State is vested in minority of the legal
4 voters, and in a minority of the white popu-
lation
The greatest contrast is presented in the
extreme Eastern and Western Counties les
SEEMING as you approach the centre, where it
almost disappears.
will submit few illustrations, first as to
the House of Commons:
Pitt has population of 1880, and 2
members of the Commons
Randolph has population of Ia, 916, and
A.