The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1867-09-10
RRDlDlical State Convention!
OFFICIAL PROCEEDINGS!
SECOND DAYS PROCEEDINGS.
THURSDAY, Sept. 5, 1857.

PRESIDENT:-WlCny your emission will
..ie leave to make few personal observations.
G Gns Convention will bear witness that have not
i.ruuied much time hitherto upon questions
o. personal character; and will not now de-
t"n them longer than can help 1 find, sir,
tI,st certain vile secessionists and rebels have
mt in circulation an anonymous pamphlet, the
main object OF which is to injure me in the es-
t;mation of my colored friends here aud through
ont North Carolina. refer, sir, to pamphlet
issued from press in this City, containing what
7 suppose were my sentiments in 1859, in regard
"a slaves and free persons of color;-eight years
aro. sir. 1t is probable all the delegates here
have seen this pamphlet;- If they have not
they can find it, do doubt, in the file of the Stand
ard newspaper. The views refer to as contained
in the article which is re-published in the
pamphlet, we.o, my views then, in the then con
aitiOn of the country. Most certainly, sir, in
tbis new era, with freedom secured as result of
the Union army, to the colored people of this
and all the other States, they are no longer my
views; and my colored friends know that as tar
as am concerned | heartily welcome them to
the freedom which the Union arms have Sc
cured for them. I pretend, SIR not to be
either consistent or infallible He who is consis-
tent during the entire portion of his public life,
and who prides himself on it, is consistent for
fine most part in the mistakes of the past /
know | am not consistent, but 1 know
this-and 1 believe my friends of both races
would coucede it to mel am both bold and
honest. have 10 objection to everybody in
the State reading the pamphlet in question,
and forming on it-looking at the country
as il was at that time-their own opinion
One of the views enunciated then, was this
sWith this view, as we have just said,
would recur to primitive times, and would
have the servant and the master worship togeth-
er. around the same family altar and at the same
Church This is to a considerable extent the
custom in this State, but of late, the slaves have
been allowed to assemble in separate churches,
Dnder the care OF direction of two or three white
Icrsons, and thus carry ON their own worship"
then maintained that the black man and the
white man were alike responsible to the common
Father of US all. and that the slave himself-not
merely the negro, not merely the freedman. but
the xlacc-was entitled TO sit side by side with
his master and to approach the communion table
under the same circumstances. ON the same floor.
and beneath the same roof. asserted at that day
absolute equality in matters spiritual and in the
nresenc. o. the one All Seeing and All-Judging
CID between the master and his slave. And,
now, sir how is it in this new day, when these
eufranc lsed -laves, these freedmen, are the
canals before the law and the equals at the ballot
box and the equals in the jury box. and the
equals in regard to Office h"dng. of the very
gentlemen who assail me ?-how is it, sir between
these enfrancLsed people and thuse persons who
nut out these anonymous prints for the purpose
of il turing me Sir, the Editors of the newspaper
at whose office this article was first printed and
published would not merely hesitate long
while but they would scorn to sit the same
fuor aud worship the same God with the enfran
chised 60 O-ed people whom l see here to-day.
And TIL you further sir, that one of the Editions
Of that very journal during the rebellion. served
in this city a cnlored congregation, and depended
for his bread largely upon the contributions nf
that coored congregation and as soon as the
Federal forces reached Raligh, he like false
shepherd, fed and deserted tn and the colored
of this City know 1t To be go.
Nv newly rniranchised friends will bear witness
that was the first public man In North Car"lina
to declare did In the African Church of this
City the fir,t day of January, lS67-tor general
megrO suffrage lApplansel
SouIe five months ago in this city, meeting of
colOred people was held in Capitol Square, and
was addressed by Governor Worth. The people
heard him patiently and respectfully and after
he had flushed a Republican speaker was called
upon ais to address the assembly At the con.
clusion of his observations, being anxious to
know the effect of the Governors speech. he
called upon the audlence-cOmpoSed for the most
part of colored people-to indicate how they stood
upon the political questions of the day, and it was
found BY show OF hands, that they all belonged
to the Republican party of North Carolina zap
plau>e.)
Very soon after that the Capitol Square
was filled with placards, reading, 'keep off the
grassr ~ Iaughter) This same rebel Governor,
and these same rebel authorities, who hold their
places by sufferance, and as l think, by the mis-
placed federation of Congress,-why, sir, this
same Governor, in one of his messages, gravely
proposed, as the best solution of this question
between the colored and white races in this State,
that the entire colored race in North Carolina be
dispersed abroad through the country-driven
from their homes and sent all through the United
States. And, sir, that Executive i'll the patron
and friend of these gentleman who sneakingly
and anonymously assail me. l 60 further and
saw this same Executive on a recent occasion, i.
a letter which he published to the people OF this
State, addressed to them probably under an admo-
milton from Gen. Sickles, that they should regis
ter their names and put themselves in condition
to take advantage of the reconstruction laws
in that very same letter, sir, he graVely and
riously submitted to the people OF the State the
alternative Of determination in this State either
of the white or black race! Now, sir, he admit
tod tU M Uhi W
eXterminated, the black race would be, and if
the black race was not eXtermnated the white
would be, and very kindly concluded that if this
was not to be the result, the two races should ell
deavor to live together in peace and harmony
I say that any who, at this time of day,
gravely suggests the probability or the possibility
of war OF races in this country, is nnWorthy to
be even the temporary lead of a loyal people.
I have gone far enough in reference TO this
anonY nous pamphlet, but will say sir, that since
Gov Worth and his followers, including Cows.
Vance and Graham and others, who in my judg-
ment are less entitled to confidence than some of
the original secessionists,-I say as long as these
gentlemen supposed that there even a faint
hope of their being able to control and use for
their own benefit the colored vote of this State,
the v were i" hale fellows well met" with the col
ored people; but finding that the 'cOlored people
knew who their friends were and stuc to the great
National Republican party-as soon as this was
ascertained, and it was known that these gentle
men could not get make anything out of them pa-
cards appeared, in Capitol Square, ''Don't walk
on the grass" Qaughter.)
NV sir, 1 will read you few extracts from
morning paper. published in this city containing
a report of yesterdays proceedings of this body,
made by gentleman who by the courtesy of this
Convention, occupies a seat on that platform Sir,
under ordinary circumstances. a regard for the
profession would prevent referring tn matters of
this kind, but the report grossly belous, that
feel it my duty to read it to the NEE ting.
1.-The b acks and albinos in Council" I" The
tan colored gentlemen rather noisy;" "The Rev.
Brodie, molasses- complexioued individual, open.
ed the meeting with pI aver" &c., &C. i make
no motion in regard to it. simply pronounce it an
insulting libel upon this Convention. (Hear,
hear
A Delegate Il move that the Reporter be re-
auested to leave the house.
Mr. Holden-I hope the gentleman will with
draw his motion. hope the freedom of the press
will be maintained by this Convention to the very
uttermost. Let the gentleman report about us
what he pleases, for we know that no matter what
he may say-no matter what any llbeer may say,
it cannot do other than exalt and magnify the re-
putation of this body.
esteem it as my best and highest credentials
to the favor of the loyal. honest aid vIrtuous peo
pie of this State that such persons do assa1l me-
/ defy them, sir, politically. morally and person
ally. can afford to say that as a man and
gentleman when take a colOred friend by the
right hand and call him politically and civllly,
my equal afford to say that can look
with contempt. if choose, upon all such people
as these secessionlsts and traitors who thus as
sail me-
Now, sir, tell this Convention, and tell these
unrepentaut copperhead rebels and traitor |
that thew arc nothino and that the nation Is all |