Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1867-03-15

who are looking ont for the main chance,
can accommodate their opinions to the
force Of circumstances. We remember dis
tinctly one year ago, when the proposition
was before the General Assembly to give
to negroes the right to testify in the Courts
of the State, that such dSfianchised rebels
j as Hons N. f. Manly and ". n. ID.
Smith, aud Co.'s. Cowan and Lyman. IN
the House, and Hon. George Howard, and
j Coils Hall and Stanford, in the Senate,
contended against Messrs. Black, Henry,
Jenkins, of Granville, Moore, of Chatham,
: Nicks and Scoggin, in the House, and
Messrs. Jones, of Wake, Snead and HARRIS,
of RUTHERFORD, in the Senate, all of whom
: are delegates to the proposed meeting IN
Raleigh on the eth inst, III behalf of what
they deemed matter Of justice and right
to the negroes of the State, and by their
powerful influence and appeals we know
the measure became a law. It was then
known that ex-Gov. Holden was opposed
to granting this right to the blacks, and
used his influence with his peculiar friends,
large majority of whom in both Houses
voted against the bill
Col Harris, of Rutherford, is of all 9TH
CT men, the last member Of the Legislature
who should have beo. selected as the bear
er of peace offerings to the newly enfran
chiscd blacks, for in the seven recorded
votes taken in the Senate upon the ques-
ton of granting to these people the right
to testify, he stands recorded i'll every in
stan e as voting against it, demanding
himself, once OF twice, the record to be
taken, 50 anxious vas he TO place
himself against it. More than this,
we know the fact, that after the bill was Re
iected i'll the Senate on the evening of
March I'd, 1866, two OF three Senators were
using all Their influence to have the vote
reconsidered, one of them approached Col
Harris and urged him to change his vote
without effect, and the bill became a law
by such men as Aycock, of Wayne, McKoy,
of Sampson, and Whitford, of Craven,
changing their votes to the affirmative.
These men are now disfranchised because
of their i'll treatment of the negro, while
Col. Harris, Mr.. Snead, of Johnston, and
Major Jones, of Wake, are to be their hon
ored and safe leaders, and the former the
| High Priest i'll their political syna9Ogues.
| We recollect very distinctly that the
morning after the passage of the bill giving
the negro the right to testify in our Courts,
MI Boner, the Senator from Forsyth, APP
preached lis and remarked upon the char
Il,o I,f,f1
He said, " It WAS singular that the very
! best men OH my side of the Senate loyal
| sts) Harris of Rutherford, Jones, of
Wake, Jones, of Columbus, Gorrell and
Sncad, voted against the bill, while the
! ,rorst on the ether, Howard, Hall, Stan
ford, Aycock and McKoy voted for it. -
He knew not As we did, that for "party
purposes Gov. Holden desired the defeat
of the bill, and hence the position of his
! friends.
| During The first session Of the General
! Assembly, lately adjourned, just after the
return of Col. Harris from Washington
City, who, with Holden, Pool and others,
! had fixed up the bill known afterwards as
Stevens, reference was made IN debate to
members of the General Assembly who had
taken an oath to support the Constitution
| of North Carolina going on to Washington
for the express purpose of breaking up the
| State Government. Col. Harris, during a
defence of himself, distinctly stated that
| he desired it to he understood that he was
opposed to negro suffrage, and had not
HI IN bn of
that feature in the bill Such is the man
that Holden now puts forward as the chief
fugleman to conduct the colored people
into the camps of his followers
AS for Messrs. Taylor and Richardson,
the other two delegates, we are sorry to see
such very respectable men as FL. L. Hughes
and Handy Lockett keeping such company.
We had thought better of them, and trust
upon second thought they will act with
more discretion. We have been acquainted
with all four for some years, and the two
latter, black though they be, will suffer in
the estimation of the good people Of that
city by the association. If Governor Hol-
den desires to secure the support Of the
blacks of this State he cannot do it by
the use of such material 1t is too great
presumption upon their ignorance of what
is to their interest and neither their pride
or their feeling can be enlisted by sending
into their midst men who are not remarka- |
bic for their standing, moral. social or intel
lectual.
NJ. F.. Church south.
The Baltimore Conference NJ E. Church !
South have cast unanimous vote in favor !
of Lay Representation and of changing the