Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-03-03
Raleigh IN. C., Convention.

of Resolutions the unalterablo devotio
Of the people Of North Carolina 70 tn
principles Of constitutional liberty, and
accepting the legal results Of the war
declared their desire Cor peace and con
cord. with all the States. They pro,esie'
against the unconstitutional reconstruo
lion acts, and resolved that negr'
supremacy was never Contemplated b.
the founders Of the Constitution, an'
that such an issue, now for the first tint
presented 70 the true American people
should DO resisted by all proper means
TO avert the impsnding mischief TheJ
further resolved that, while unalterably
opposed to political and social equality
Of races, they are without unjust preju'
dices against the colored race, and are
determined, by just laws, to protect them
fully in all their civil rights, aud give TO
them all the privileges consistent with
the welfare OF both races. They speak
of the distressed and impoverished com
dition Of the whole State, indorse the pa
triotic eifoyis of the President to restore
union and good viii among the American
people, declare that any impairment OF
the powers Of the Supreme Court will be
destructive TO the best interest and dan.
gerous to the liberties of the whole peo-
pie, and invite cooperation of all good
citizens of North Carolina with the Dem
ocrats and conservative men Of the North
and West zee =
The resolutions having been adopted
with perfect unanimily and great enthp-
siasm, several, who were called on to do
so, responded with earnest and patriotic
speeches, from which we subjoin the fol-
lowing imperfect sketch from the great
North Carolina patriot, Gov. Vance. We
select il because it has a peculiar appli-
cability to our own State, and speaks with
emphasis to our thousands of weak
kneed men. Like them, we have been
so long oppressed that We have become
depressed, aud professionally and unne-
cessarily unnamed Gov. Vance said:
The business of the convention was |
about done, and perhaps as much dis
cussion had been had as was necessary. |
However, he might do, as the old minis
ter once did, when, after dividing his dis
course into firstly, secondly and thirdly, |
he said that, Finally, breetherin, he 4
would rousicate little" The argu-
ment was exhausted. If there was any
man in the State, outside of the Insane
Asylum, who needed any argument to
convince him that the white man must |
rule this country, lifeawas too short for |
him to waste breath upon such q man.
All were agreed as to that--as to the i'm
portance Of preserving the government
and our ancient institutions in the hands
of the intelligent, patriotic and virtuous
people of the land. But we are still
under peculiar circumstances The
military despotism is the least of
our evils, because those who hold the |
bayonets are the men of our own color. |
When it is removed, it is proposed to
place us under another-a despotism so |
mean and degrading that he had con-
tempt for the English language on ac-
count of its inadequacy to express his
detestation oft. That's the complexion |
Of the despotism proposed for US, as may
be seen by reference to the character OF
those who are seeking to rule over us
seventy thousand negroes, led by few
vile outcasts from the white race, whose
slogan of warfare was opposition to de-
cent houses, glass windows and clean
shirts. Who, then, in view of such a
state of things, could but see the danger
What we need Ia to cheer and en-
courage each other. We have become
SO gradually educated 10 oppression that
what we require now is courage, bold
ness. the determination, knowing our
rights" to maintain them. Our timidity,
heretofore, has been most lamentable.
With 10000 majority in the State, our
white people have been 30 demoralized
that they allowed the recent election to
20 by default when ordinary spirit and
exertion would have secured them
ascen dancy and victory, How can you
claim to be freemen, if you are willing.
for fear of losing a little remnant of
property, to submit to the control of
10000 negroes, marshaled by the mean +
est white men whom God flor some
inscrutable purpose) had ever made2
II, with the power in your own hands,
you craveRly yield to such control, how
can you stand the comparison with the
good and noble men of our illustrious
North Carolina past2 How can you
stand the comparison with your own
bows, who, taking their lives in their
hands, bravely barred their bosoms in the
late war to the shock Of battle for the
land of their nativity and a6ections2
Did we submit, it would be a lasting
and eternal disgrace. Congress has al
lowed US, by our votes, an opportunity of
defeating their work and if they ex-
pected that we would not strive to defeat |
il they must have counted largely on our
baseness five fail to defeat 1t, they will |
say in the future, pointing to our thirty |
thousand majority, you didit What are |
YOU afraid of Confscation 2 Why
half of us now can't begin to pay our
debts. Bayonets2 Why we have been
living among them for years. Military
law2 Why the sacred imminent OF
habeas corpus has grown so rusty that
the best lawyers in the country have to
dread up" to know what it means.
There is something Of which you may
we'll be afraid. Better be afraid of what
lies before you--of leaving heritage Of
servitude to your children and children
children.
1t will not do toignore the odds against
us. Seventy thousand negroes are sworn
in secret leagues, and will be marched
up by few contemplate scalawags and
voted, like so many sheep. Wherever