New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-11-21
DEMONSTRATIONS IN NORTH CAR0LlN4

RECONSTR UCTION IN NORTH CAROLINA
On Tuesday and Wednesday yesterday North
Carolina voted on the question OF holding
Reconstruction Convention, and for candidates
10 the Convention. Returns are not yet July
received. From her previous record, North
Carolina had been expected to accept recon-
struction on the Congressional basis more in
diligently and readily than any other Southern
state except Tennessee. By the original Consti-
tution of North Carolina, as of Tennessee, all
freemen possessing certain qualifications were
allowed to vote whether they were white or
black and it was not until about the opening
of the Slavery agitation in 1880 that impartial
suffrage was repealed and the word white
inserted in the North Carolina Constitution.
The State has always held the Secessionists Of
South Carolina in righteous adherence, and
voted in 1861 by twenty thousand majority
against permitting the assembly of COnven-
ton TO even consider the question of Secession.
North Carolina was rushed into the Rebellion
by overwhelming force, and held there during
the war; yet when her people found an oppor-
tunity to express their sentiments by electins
a Union or Peace ticket they generally carried
it.
meetings in various counties, all of which ex-
press a feeling in favor of universal suffrage
white and black, as opposed to those who
would take suffrage away from the negro, or
continue any longer the present restrictions
on the exercise of the right of voting by the
late Rebels.
At the mass meeting at Washington, two ex-
Confederate colonies, Rodman and Carter
spoke, Rodman urging the acceptance OF the
present basis, and Carter urging delay until
the late Confederates should be again allowed
TO vote. The Republican Convention in Chowan
County opposed drawing the lines of disagree
"ment distinctivcly between the two races,
"whose interests are too closely identified to be
involved in rum" and opposed all class or color
legislation The Convention in AShc County
opposed "class prescriptions" The Convention
in Cumberland County offered the right hand of
fellowship to all who, forgetting past hostilities,
would aid in reconstructng the State.
The Convention in Northampton County con-
demned sectional feeling, Endorsed the Repub-
lican platform of equal rights, invited capital
and immigration, recommended such radical
changes in the State Constitution as would re-
move all discrimination in favor of color, and
the preservation of moderate property qualifi-
cations. The Convention i'll Bladen County
declared that "while the Democratic party is
obviously white mans party, the Republic
can party is the party of all men, rich or
poor, white or black, having for its motto
equal rights to all men, 1t declared for
equal taxation and free schools. The noun
tain counties of North Carolina, adjoining East
Tennessee contain strong Republican element.
The returns from the first days voting indi-
cate that the contest will be closer than was
expected few weeks ago. Since the Demo
cratic successes in the recent Northern cleo
tons, ex-Confederates, like Pool and Goodloe,
who before those elections, were stamping the
State for reconstruction under the Congress
sional policy, have Swung round the circle
and are now labOring for the policy of disfran-
chising the cOlored race