The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1867-08-07
= : 4 :.
For the Standard.
TO THE PEOPLE OF NORTH CAROLINA.
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, OF n. O.,
RALEIGH, August 3D., 1857. (

|
Under recent acts of Congress, called Re
construction acts, popular elections are short
ly to be held in this State.
At these elections no person is to be al
lowed to vote, unless he shall furnish cyl
dence of his right to vote from Registrars ap.
pointed in pursuance of said acts.
All male citizens, white and colored, who
have resided in the State one year previous
to the day of election, with certain excep,
tions,) will be entitled to vote, upon produ
cling the certificate of the Registrars
1t is expected that instructions will be is
sued, at an early day, from Major General
Sickles, who has been appointed, by the
President of the United States, to carry out
the provisions of these acts in North and
South Carolina, explaining to the Registrars
their duties and giving his construction of
the acts as to the persons entitled to register
and those to whom this right is denied: and
these instructions it will be the duty of the
Registrars to obey.
AS 1 understand these acts, no person is to
be allowed to register or vote, who, at any
time before the war, had held any office un-
der the United States, or any State office,
"created by law for the administration of
the general law of the State or for the adj
ministration of justice and" afterwards en-
gagged in instruction and rebellion against
the United States, or gave aid and comfort
to the enemies thereof" I presume, in the
expected instructions from Gen. Sickles to
the Registrars, he will give construction to
these, as well as any other provisions of the
acts, touching the right of registration, which
may seem to him susceptible Of variant inter-
probation. S 81
1t is believed that nearly all the colored
voters, above 81 years old and who have re-
sided year in the State, will be entitled,
under these acts, to register, and they will
register and vote. i0era,
There is no means of making an estimate
approximating certainty, as to the number
of white male residents, above the age of 81
years, who will not be allowed to vote.
At the last census, -1860,-the total white
male population was 313,670, and the total
male colored population was 1911 $40; and
at the excited election of Governor in 1860,
1885 votes were cast. a
The effect of this legislation, by the con-
quering power of the nation, makes the ne
STO Ill lIIc CACtuuCu OttttcS, Us W CIVIL anu
political rights, the equal of the most favor
ed class of the whites, and the political SUI
perior of most of those who held office in
the State before the war.
Whatever may be the final settlement of
the questions as to the political equality of
the two races, or the superiority of the one
over the other, it is certain that for long
time to come, unless humanity is to be
shocked by the expulsion or humiliation of
one race or the 9th er, this State is to be in
habited by both races and it is the manifest
interest of both races to live together in
peace and friendship, each acting kindly and
justly towards the other. Every good man,
who is wise statesman, will use all his in
fuence to avoid everything tending tn an
tagonize the races If one class consolidate
to gain political ascendancy, or effect any
other object deemed specially beneficial to
such class, it will certainly lead to counter
combinations, and hostility between the class
es, injurious to both and likely to end in
ruin to the one or the other.
1 have not heard OF, and have no idea that
there exists, among the white population, any
combir alton, public or private, to CONSOLE
date the white vote, to the prejudice of the
blacks; nor have the slightest suspicion that
any such combination is contemplated.
After the Registrars shall have decided
who are to have the the privilege of voting,
the persons so registered will be called upon
to vote for or against the call of State Con-
vention, and for members of such Conven-
ton.
These acts provide that, in case majority
of the voters shall vote for Convention and
elect members; and if such Convention
adopt Constitution which shall he ratified
"by majority of the persons voting on the
question of ratifcation;" and "when Con
gress shall have approved the same; and
when the State, by vote of its Legislature,
elected under said Constitution, shall have
adopted the amendment to the Constitution
of the United State, proposed by the seth
Congress and known as article IA" and
when three-fourths of the States shall have
ratified said 18th article, then 'the State shall
be declared entitled to representation in
Congress, and Senators and Representatives
shall be admitted therefrom on their taking
the oath prescribed by law
The sole object of this address is to urge
on every citizen of North Carolina to regis
ter, who may be entitled to register,-and
have gone into this recital of some of the
provisions of the acts of Congress, to enable
you to understand the reasons which induce
me so to advise you.
If you do not register, then you will not
be allowed to vote for or against the call of
a Convention, which is expected to make
the alterations in your Constitution, contem
plated by these acts of Congress, and such
ofhor o1f &c fho oil \
proper.
If you do not register. you will not be al
lowed to vote for any delegate to the Con-
vcntion. Is.-,
When the Convention shall have proposed
new Constitution, if you shall not have reg
istered, you will not be allowed to vote on
the ratification or rejection of the proposed
Constitution, however much you may adj
mire or abhor it. And if you do not regis
ter, you will not be allowed to vote for mem
bers of the Legislature, who are to ratifv or
reject the proposed 14th article, as an
amendment of the Constitution of the Uni
ted States. i
| have no hesitation in urging upon every
citizen who is allowed the privilege of vo-
ting under these laws, to register, SO as to
vote, if he choose, on these questions. No
citizen allowed to register and vote, who
fails to vote, will have any right to complain
if those, who do register and vote, should
adopts Constitution which should be ever
so oppressive and proscriptive. aa
Whatever Constitution may be adopted
will no doubt contain provision makingit
difficult to amend it. Hence every citizen,
allowed to do so, should do what he can to
make the new government as good as posi-
ble
Let me ask each of you, who is allowed to
vote and register-are you willing to surren-
der all share in making the Constitution and